Just not enough to buy one and toss it on the shelf, eh?I hope Mopar is not discontinuing the 55037652 soon.
Just not enough to buy one and toss it on the shelf, eh?I hope Mopar is not discontinuing the 55037652 soon.
Just not enough to buy one and toss it on the shelf, eh?
Mine is out for delivery. I'm glad I didn't let my panic get the best of me a couple weeks ago when they were $450.
No, panic would have been buying the one on eBay for 700. 450 is mild anxiety.
The reason I wouldn't use the copper and brass is they don't cool as well as the later ones as far as I can tell. IIRC, they are a less than stellar 2 row core which isn't as good as the later 1 row.
So Ive been searching the Web for a 52080184AC MOPAR radiator for a 1997 4.0 Auto and everywhere says discontinued.
What are some of the other brands that cool as well as MOPAR radiators?
When it comes to thermal conductivity, yes, copper is far better than aluminum. That is only a tiny bit of the story though. What is exceptionally worse than copper and aluminum at conducting heat are lead and tin which is what the tubes are soldered into the headers with and what connects the rows of fins to the sides of the tubes. That thermal barrier is the Achilles heel of copper and brass heat exchangers historically. The reason aluminum works better is due to manufacturing practices in that the fins are aluminum brazed to the tubes.That's interesting to me. All else being equal, copper outperforms aluminum so all else must be really not equal for the opposite to be true. I've never laid eyes on one. It would be fun to do a comparison.
What is exceptionally worse than copper and aluminum at conducting heat are lead and tin which is what the tubes are soldered into the headers with and what connects the rows of fins to the sides of the tubes.
Ah, there it is indeed.
Our coils are round tubes that are mechanically joined to the fin by forcing a mandrel through it, expanding the tube into an interference fit.
The tech behind the switch to aluminum and core construction techniques has always been interesting to me. It is also nice to understand that in the same core depth, a full width single row tube set up is more efficient than a 2 row due to the interstice between the tubes front to back creating the net effect of less tube to fin contact all other things being equal. It took some manufacturing changes and advancements to bring aluminum up to where it could be used in a single row to get what we have now.
I've actually chatted with a few of the radiator companies and asked them why they sell 2 and 3 row radiators when a 1 row is far better in our application. Across the board the answer was that the customer thinks more rows are better so they are easier to sell.
Why not just educate the customer?
Too much work, easier to sell them a 2 or 3 row.
The tech behind the switch to aluminum and core construction techniques has always been interesting to me. It is also nice to understand that in the same core depth, a full width single row tube set up is more efficient than a 2 row due to the interstice between the tubes front to back creating the net effect of less tube to fin contact all other things being equal. It took some manufacturing changes and advancements to bring aluminum up to where it could be used in a single row to get what we have now.
I've actually chatted with a few of the radiator companies and asked them why they sell 2 and 3 row radiators when a 1 row is far better in our application. Across the board the answer was that the customer thinks more rows are better so they are easier to sell.
Why not just educate the customer?
Too much work, easier to sell them a 2 or 3 row.
Just not enough to buy one and toss it on the shelf, eh?
Right hand drive versions can be used but you will need to swap the mounting flanges from the existing radiator. I can get a better comparison when it is daylight but they move the radiator over for the RHD versions and that radiator is also known as the Middle East Option in the dealer computer system.
I'm really curious whether that radiator has additional cooling capacity to handle the desert heat over there. Or if it's just the same core with the brackets swapped.
Exact same.
@freedom_in_4low and @mrblaine
When I had to put a new radiator in the motorhome, I had it recored with copper and brass. One of my driving factors was that I’ve heard not to mix aluminum rad with cast block (even though the TJ is exactly that). Is it a coolant additive package that knocks the galvanic corrosion down or is that theory like so many others in the internet, complete garbage?
The other two factors driving the decision is that the available griffin aluminum radiator is mondo expensive and I’m generally not a fan of aftermarket aluminum radiators. Maybe that particular griffin is OK, but I didn’t want to spring a leak 500 miles from home and not be able to “fix” it without replacement. There are still enough old radiator guys around that getting a core isn’t an issue (at least in my mind)
@freedom_in_4low and @mrblaine
When I had to put a new radiator in the motorhome, I had it recored with copper and brass. One of my driving factors was that I’ve heard not to mix aluminum rad with cast block (even though the TJ is exactly that). Is it a coolant additive package that knocks the galvanic corrosion down or is that theory like so many others in the internet, complete garbage?