cygnusx1 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 My L28ET Z needs a new radiator. I run a 2-row aluminum, ebay, budget unit in my NA 240Z with good results. Do you think I can get enough cooling with a 2-row aluminum unit in my turbo 280Z, or should I spend the extra $100 or so for a 3-row? The one that I have in there now is an old stock radiator, and has never had any trouble shedding heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Never mind...I found a 3-row for $189....can't pass up that deal. I have had two of these before and both had pinholes in a weld line. Easy fix, for that price, I can tolerate it. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-1978-NISSAN-280Z-3-Row-All-Aluminum-Radiator-CC634-/270871275236?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f112fa6e4&vxp=mtr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24OZ Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I have one of those Champion ones and mine just sprung a leak. I won't be buying that cheap stuff again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 I fixed two of them with a dab of JB Weld which has held up for two years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh280z Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 JB weld the stuff of wonders, I wonder if it is a good idea though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 (edited)  Yeah, on the weld where it had a pinhole, I grooved around the pinhole with a rat tail file and filled the groove with JBW.  2.5 years later and it's perfect. Edited March 26, 2012 by cygnusx1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooky Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I need a new radiator for my 280z with a stock engine. I'm rebuiding the car and don't want to put the original back in.(I can tell its been repaired at least 3 times!) Can anyone recommend a GOOD aluminum radiator that's not too much money or should I stay with the old style copper and brass one? Thanks guys, Pooky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rejracer Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 the JTR kit is nearly as bolt on as your going to get without going custom. The radiator is from a 86 camaro. I'm running one in my 240z, but think I may go back to stock for mounting fans. -Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 The ebay aluminum ones are good. You just get to do your own QC on them. If you don't mind that, they are fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FricFrac Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 MSA sells aluminum rads.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xnke Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 the MSA radiators are Champion radiators...they're exactly the same unit sold on ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Pinhole leaks in Aluminum Radiators? Guys, you DO realize that Volvo and Ford for DECADES put half a tube of ALUMA-SEAL in EVERY production vehicle of the line to minimize nuisance warranty calls for leaks? Works wonders. After every head gasket I do, half a tube goes in... I be 1/4 would be enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris.Is.Awesome Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Pinhole leaks in Aluminum Radiators? Guys, you DO realize that Volvo and Ford for DECADES put half a tube of ALUMA-SEAL in EVERY production vehicle of the line to minimize nuisance warranty calls for leaks? Works wonders. After every head gasket I do, half a tube goes in... I be 1/4 would be enough. That's scary. You learn something new every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 (edited) Why is it scary? I'm betting they weren't the only two, but they're the two I can personally say I witnessed it as policy. Edited November 27, 2012 by Tony D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted November 27, 2012 Author Share Posted November 27, 2012 It's called cost control. If they had to test each rad, and actually fix it like I fixed mine, they would have a different badge on the car, and it would cost more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zex Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 (edited) I guess I got lucky with my flee-bay 3 core aluminum radiator. I had to cut some of the flange off the bottom and drill the mounting holes. No leaks on the radiator, however the cap started leaking out the top of the assembley rivit!!! For me the 3 core is overkill for my turbo 280z here in Washington state. I block off half the entire radiator, on the passenger side of the car, and I still dont get good temps when is 40 deg F or colder. Edited November 27, 2012 by 280zex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motomanmike Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 (edited) Tony does the aluma seal help with the seepage people experience with head gaskets? I've always thought that stuff was bad to put in the coolant system typically masking a bigger problem but i'm very curious... Edited November 29, 2012 by motomanmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 (edited) Yes. It's the same issue that got Ford buying it in the 55 gallon drum size (if I'd only taken a photo!) to add to the stuff coming off the line! Cygnus, it really wasn't for radiator leaks...they are component pressure tested at the vendor, even back then. It was for gasket seeps and leaks (head gaskets)... Nobody remembers their new-car head retorquing at 500 miles? Probably cause the OEM Aluma-Sealed it and if you didn't come in...at least it held together till it was out of warranty when you could pay the costs of your negligent maintenance and not FoMoCo... LOL TOO MUCH of anything is bad. 1/4 a tube works miracles in terms of nuisance seeps and leaks! For our era cars with conventional gaskets, it's an accepted practice for the stated issues. I'd be more hesitant on newer vehicles like a Honda with O-Ringed joints, or anaerobic sealants. For anything Pre 85 I'd say yes, if the mill was "legacy" that it...designed sometime up to the mid-late 70's. For domestic stuff, that could be up until the mid-late 90's! (Think SBC/BBC!) Truthfully, I carry the 3/4 tube in the glovebox, and on more than one occasion I've given it to someone broken down and they've driven home! I started throwing tubes in the glovebox on everything but the VW and Corvair... If you run out of coolant on them, you're dead. Literally! Edited November 30, 2012 by Tony D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motomanmike Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Good to know, I've replaced the headgasket twice on my L24. Not because of combustion chamber getting coolant in it or because of oil mixing with the gas but simply because it seeped out the edges of the gasket during warm up or cooldown. Typically it wouldn't do it while it was running. I'm sold Tony and appreciate the informative reply. I'm going to pick a tube up today to keep on hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Remember it's water-side, if the head is walking that oil will seep. The way to stop the oil seepage is to put the orifice in an external line and plug both the head and block oil passage at the head surface. We would do that with Chevy Vega Engines all the time in the 70's. I had real good luck when I changed the head on my L26, I bought a stock Nissan Gasket for the engine, and it was actually that graphoil material, with extremely tacky sealant stuff on it---the gasket was in a plastic protective wrap. I put that on the car in 2000 and it's been leak free since, despite pinging like crazy from bad CA gas, overheating it several times, blah blah blah. Probably helped I changed the gasket and then drove 18,000 in the three weeks after the change... literally finished the job at 5PM, finished packing the car at 2AM, and was on the road at 7AM going almost non stop for three weeks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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