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Hotrod Hillman: need aluminum radiator

Hotrodhillman

Hotrodhillman

Donation Time
Hi,

My friend Finn and I are about to install the 1725 motor and new transmission with overdrive in the 1961 Hillman Minx. Finn has a Series 3 with a robust aluminum radiator that will fit in my car with minor modifications. Does anyone know where I can get an aluminum radiator like his? The engine will probably produce around 100 hp. I need a part number and source.

Thanks,

John Bishop
 
alpine_64

alpine_64

Donation Time
A 100hp alpine doesn't need an aluminium radiator. You could use a thermo fan for when you are in summer stop start traffic, but if the cooling system in the motor ( clear water jackets in thr head and block, all the casting crud and old sediment removed from rear cooling passages) it should be fine.

Some people fit a 3 row core and there is info on that in the fourm otherwise there a 3 ebay sellers offering alu radiator for series 3 -V, 1 seller in UK another in USA and a seller listing in USA making them in China.
 
Last edited:
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
What does need an aluminum radiator? The last I checked, aluminum does not transfer heat as rapidly as copper.
Bill
 
Barry

Barry

Diamond Level Sponsor
For what it is worth:

It is true that aluminum does not conduct heat as well as copper. Aluminum alloys have thermal conductivity ranging from about 150 to 250 compared to about 400 for more or less pure copper (copper alloys have much lower thermal conductivity than "pure" copper). In round numbers, copper in a radiator is about twice as thermally conductive as aluminum in a radiator.

The limiting factor in a conventional radiator cooling system is heat transfer from the metal of the radiator to the air and that has very little to do with the conductivity of the metal. Radiator surface area (tubes and fins) and air flow through the radiator are MUCH more important than the type of metal.

The bottom line is that there is not much (if any) difference in cooling performance between otherwise equal aluminum and copper radiators. There is, however, a BIG difference in weight; copper is about 3.3 times as heavy by volume as aluminum.
 
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