Butter soft fins on alloy rads?

[Pmustang]

I never had an alloy rad before and recently bought one.

Can I ask, are the fins supposed to be like tissue paper? Now I know rad fins are soft and allow is a soft metal but you breath on these things and they fold over

I would have never known but it arrived damaged and I tested to see if they could be straightened and they are so thin it's impossible

Cheers for your info

Peter

[Pmustang]

Bump

[mikemstang66]

yup , aluminum is very soft when thin , get a fin tool (looks like a fork) plastic one .
makes straightening them alot easier.

[mikemstang66]

something like this

[Pmustang]

Thanks for the advice, appreciate the photo. Just making a note, I was using a round wooden toothpick, very gently and just the motion of passing it through the fins (CAREFULLY!!) made them wrinkle behind the toothpick. When I say like tissue paper I mean like tissue paper. Not very pleased with the overall quality. May have to splurge on a griffin rad if they are any better. That tool although cool would tear the fins on this rad, they are that soft

Cheers. Peter

[slim]

Peter. Can't resist picking on you...
What do you mean alloy? Could be copper alloy with tin= bronze, copper alloyed with zinc= brass, iron with carbon= steel, plus chrome and nickle= stainless!

Seriously did you get a super bargain price radiator?


Slim

[Pmustang]

Why stop now, everyone picks on me :-)

I'm a woodworker. What the heck do I know about metal. Haha. Everyone here calls anything made of aluminum "ally" I think alloy sounds more edumacated.

It's a champion brand.

Honestly can't believe how delicate the fins are plus the construction looks like a 12 year old made it in shop class. I guess that's entirely plausible due to where its made.

Peter

Peter

[gimpystoy]

Peter: I have to chime in on your "ally" lang comment. I work with a chap born & raised London East End. we have a tme translating motoring terms for each other. He's lived in US 17 yrs. He's an enthauast. RAC member.

[Pmustang]

Boot is Trunk
Hood is a convertible top
Bonnet is hood
Tyres are tires
Wing is fender
Shockers are shocks
Dizzy is distributor
Ally trim is the Aluminum stuff and they say Aluminum as Ali-Lee-Num-inum

London East end has a whole other language called Cockney Rhyming slang. In its pure form you nor I would not understand a work.

As they say. " two countries separated by a common language"

[supershifter2]

my griffin aluminum radiators are really soft. aluminum is softer then copper/brass

[22GT]

Originally Posted by Pmustang

I never had an [aluminum] rad before and recently bought one.

Can I ask, are the fins supposed to be like tissue paper? Now I know rad fins are soft and allow is a soft metal but you breath on these things and they fold over

Normal. Even factory aluminum radiators are delicate. If you clean a used radiator, don't use an air gun to dry it.

[Candoo]

My griffin was getting wipped out by bugs. What I did was install an aluminum mesh in front of the rad which I also mounted my transcooler on. Works very well.