I've been looking and looking, but I cannot find an all-aluminum radiator for my auto trans Disco. My reasoning is that I plan on driving the truck until the day I die, and I can fix an all-aluminum radiator. I cannot fix one with a plastic tank.
There is a Chinese offering for manual trans only. I'm guessing the "manual only" restriction is due to fitment issues with the trans cooler. I'm tempted to try and overcome this by gently adjusting the tanks (indentations formed with a c-clamp) but fear for the end results. Anybody ever do this? Anyone have a lead on an aluminum tank radiator for my auto trans?

 

I ordered a GPI Racing radiator for mine. There was a little bit of a fitment issue with the feet not lining up eactly with the frame, and the other coolers had to be tweaked a little bit but I chalk that up to Chinese reverse engineering. It sounds like you would be ok with that kind of modification anyways.

GPI aluminum radiator FOR LAND ROVER RADIATOR DISCOVERY II 2 V8 4.0L 4.6L 99-04_TOYOTA_auto aluminum radiator_Gpiracing

 

All aluminum radiators are a waste of money. The plastic tank radiator is going to last you 7-15 years depending on the conditions the car faces. Plastic tank radiators ARE ALUMINUM CORE.

In 7-15 years when you need to replace your plastic tank radiator, your aluminum "racing" radiator will be corroded to the point of not being worth worked on. Also, how many radiator shops are around you? It's a dying art.

Be smart, go with the proven method.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/parts/ni...,radiator,2172

 

So our aluminum engines (heads or blocks or whatever parts are aluminum) which have the same coolant flowing through them will be corroded and garbage and not worth working on at the same time the radiator dies?

 

Your aluminum head sure as hell gets nasty and corroded in the coolant jackets over time. You ever seen the crap that builds up in there? Now imagine that in a radiator core tube that has an interior diameter of 1 or 2mm.

People are free to spend their money how they please, but big honking aluminum radiators are an improvement over single core copper and brass dinosaurs. They won't do anything better than a modern aluminum and plastic tank unit.

What does it cost you to have a radiator recored? When was the last time you took one in for a repair? It's $130 for a new one. Install new and send the old one to the recyclers

 

Sorry mate but aluminum has better thermal properties than plastic. Their called racing rads for a reason. Those American Nascar guys don't use plastic tanks on their radiators. Anyone can tell you that. A bigger aluminum rad is always gonna cool better than a standard $150 plastic rad. More aluminum. Bigger size. Better radiator.

You also got a fragile plastic nipple on stock D rads that breaks off easy when your changing something.

 

This and price was my motivation for replacing mine with an all aluminum. I wouldn't say that the tank being plastic or aluminum is going to help much with cooling, more rows/thickness would if that is actually the case but I didn't measure mine.

 

"A fool and his money are soon parted"

 

UK manufacturer AlliSport sells the V8 aluminum rad for 580 quid/$745 and that's without shipping cost... https://www.allisport.com/shop/perfo...secondary-air/

Go with a Nissens.

 

Ok mate. So Im a fool for getting 100% aluminum rad and your quoting the Bible at me? Ok buddy.