60 Aluminum Radiator

[Cecil L.]

I was rummaging through some service bulletins and ran across these which might be of interest to anyone with a 60 aluminum radiator.

[Stewart A.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

I guess Aluminum was at its infancy back in the late fifties and early 60's
Must of had a lot of teething problems getting the metalurgy (not sure on the spelling of that) correct. Its a great product when you can make it last along time. Stewy

[Richard M.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

Cecil, Thanks for sharing.

So.....What do you think, the last bulletin #61-16 effectively states that my radiator can be replaced with a new one. Quote, "regardless of length of service or accrued mileage". I have a 0916 radiator that leaks like spaghetti strainer.

Should I contact my Zone Rep for replacement? If GM doesn't make them anymore, they should buy me a new Dewitt's, right?

[Cecil L.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

Cecil, Thanks for sharing.

So.....What do you think, the last bulletin #61-16 effectively states that my radiator can be replaced with a new one. Quote, "regardless of length of service or accrued mileage". I have a 0916 radiator that leaks like spaghetti strainer.

Should I contact my Zone Rep for replacement? If GM doesn't make them anymore, they should buy me a new Dewitt's, right?

Richard,
Absolutely. I'm certain that GM will honor that written warranty. If you happen to be in the Boston Zone 32 region just contact one these gentlemen listed on page two below.....if you can find them.

[Richard M.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

Richard,
Absolutely. I'm certain that GM will honor that written warranty. If you happen to be in the Boston Zone 32 region just contact one these gentlemen listed on page two below.....if you can find them.

Cecil, I took my '62 to my local Chevy dealer yesterday. After about 5 minutes of heated discussion while showing them the Service Bulletin, they finally agreed to replace it. I just had to pay labor. The estimate was $895.56 for the labor, no charge for the radiator. They found a 0916 in their attic on a shelf, so I said "ok'. Went back late afternoon to get the car back. I felt I got a good deal.

Rich

[Thomas D.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

Cecil, I took my '62 to my local Chevy dealer yesterday. After about 5 minutes of heated discussion while showing them the Service Bulletin, they finally agreed to replace it. I just had to pay labor. The estimate was $895.56 for the labor, no charge for the radiator. They found a 0916 in their attic on a shelf, so I said "ok'. Went back late afternoon to get the car back. I felt I got a good deal.

Rich

Very interesting that a dealer would honor a 48 year old document. It is equally interesting that they charged $895 for labor, which is exactly the price for a new reproduction radiator, and they had one of these just laying around in storage when for years they were pulling $2000 for nos parts. If that was truely an old service part, the date code would have been stamped into the aluminum, and not on the tag. I would check that number to see what you got and if you give me the dealers name, I'll check to see if they bought a new one. My concern is that if you really got an older nos radiator, they typically do not hold up because they were made with salt bath and that rots the radiator if not filling with fluid for a long time.

[Patrick H.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

Very interesting that a dealer would honor a 48 year old document. It is equally interesting that they charged $895 for labor, which is exactly the price for a new reproduction radiator, and they had one of these just laying around in storage when for years they were pulling $2000 for nos parts. If that was truely an old service part, the date code would have been stamped into the aluminum, and not on the tag. I would check that number to see what you got and if you give me the dealers name, I'll check to see if they bought a new one. My concern is that if you really got an older nos radiator, they typically do not hold up because they were made with salt bath and that rots the radiator if not filling with fluid for a long time.

Tom,

I think he's yanking our chain, pulling our leg, you get the idea.

Note the under his signature...

Patrick

[Stuart F.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

Cecil;

Thanks for bringing up a cool subject (no pun intended). My 63 has a replacement Aluminum radiator, in fact, right now it is the only incorrectly dated item on the whole car. In 1975 I went to change anti-freeze and I got a deal on some Zerex (mistake). I had always run Prestone in it since dumping the first charge way back when. Soon after warm up, the radiator begin spewing out through many many little pin hole leaks, as if the Zerex just ate it up. Apparently I induced some kind of chemical reaction, nothing like which was described on Zerex's product label. I fought like heck to get an adjustment for it with Zerex and GM, but to no avail. All I got was my 10 percent discount on parts (new radiator), and have had this 75 dated radiator in my car ever since RUNNING PRESTONE! Each time I run into a De Witt's person at a show I tell them the story and they always laugh and say I'll be back to see them sooner or later. They say no matter how well you maintain your cooling system they slowly but surely build up deposits in the bottom until you begin to loose cooling efficiency and the only thing that can be done is replace the radiator. Well, it's been 33 years now and it still runs cool, so I guess that's pretty good.

Stu Fox

[Cecil L.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

Stu,
Back in about 76 or so, I bought a new overflow tank for my 64 and within a month the outlet on the bottom had almost totally corroded away. I can't remember what I was using for antifreeze, but I changed it and put the old tank back on. I think I had a bad grounding system also which probably didn't help. I wrapped what was left of the outlet tube on the new tank with fiberglass and resin which saved it and I still have it today but haven't used it since.

[Stuart F.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

Cecil;

Now you have jogged my memory. Now I recall, my original tank sprung a leak at the same time as the radiator! That too I replaced with a 75 dated tank with the welded outlet, unlike my 63 which is rolled. I have since replaced the 75 dated tank with a correct 63 dated tank again with the suspect "rolled" outlet. I keep the 75 dated tank around as a spare as I do not trust the 63. If, I guess, you don't mess around with it much taking the hose on and off, it is probably ok. I believe the tank outlet leak and the radiator leaks were just a coincidence and were unrelated, but I am not sure.

Did your 64 have the rolled outlet fitting like my 63, or was it welded?

Stu Fox

[Cecil L.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

That's a detail I just don't remember Stu. I do remember that I paid $1000 for the car without even opening the hood cuz the cable was broke. that's why the guy was selling it. I looked underneath and saw a pan and a muncie so I bought it, trailered it home, reached up from underneath and popped the hood to find a completely original 300hp 4spd....even had the shielding. New battery, gas, and oil change and it was one of the best running Corvettes I have owned. Wish I still had some of them......hell, all of them!

[Loren L.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

Very interesting that a dealer would honor a 48 year old document. It is equally interesting that they charged $895 for labor, which is exactly the price for a new reproduction radiator, and they had one of these just laying around in storage when for years they were pulling $2000 for nos parts. If that was truely an old service part, the date code would have been stamped into the aluminum, and not on the tag. I would check that number to see what you got and if you give me the dealers name, I'll check to see if they bought a new one. My concern is that if you really got an older nos radiator, they typically do not hold up because they were made with salt bath and that rots the radiator if not filling with fluid for a long time.

I have two original 1960 "top tank" aluminum radiators with the date stamp on the tag - are you saying that you have a proble with that or contrary evidence?

[Thomas D.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

I have two original 1960 "top tank" aluminum radiators with the date stamp on the tag - are you saying that you have a proble with that or contrary evidence?

I'll answer that with a story. Before we made the the 3007436 for the 65-396 & L88 cars, I would buy nos ones when I could find them. I bought one at a show in Bloomington (when it was at the old fairgrounds) that was still shrink wrapped to the cardboard. I redated it and sold it to a customer, never expecting it to leak. It did, in several places. A couple years later a gentlemen bought an nos one like the above at Carlisle, I think he paid $1500, and he sent it to me for re-dating. I tested this one first and it had multiple leaks too. I've never bought an nos radiator again and now we make the 65BB from scratch.

All the original Harrsion aluminum radiators were made in a process called "salt bath". This is exactly what it sounds like. Salt is heated until it turns into a liquid state, and the complete radiator is submerged into the molten salt and that brazed it together. The radiator was then flushed with water to remove as much residual salt as possible but traces of salt remained. 99% of the radiators that were made were filled within months, with inhibitors packages. During the first flush, the rest of the salt was washed out. I think (just my theory) that some of the nos radiators just rotted out due to the remaining salt deposits. This may even be worse with top tanks, since the exterior is not painted and it might corrode from the outside. I guess you should have sold those babies to me years ago when I asked for them If you are concerned, I'd just have them tested to see if there is a problem. Maybe they are ok and I just had bad luck.

I did invest into new tooling to make all the top tank designs, from flat top, to ribs, with or without sight plug. So I feel our top tank radiator today is dead nuts on. Some people will not buy a repro ever and your top tanks will make someone very happy but I can't image why anyone would pass up a new radiator with a 3 year warranty.

Not to turn this into propaganda thread but our new process does not involve salt or corrosives of any kind. The furnace brazed cores can sit in storage forever without concern. If anyone signs up for our plant tour during the Michigan regional, they can see what we do.

[Richard M.]

Re: 60 Aluminum Radiator

Tom, Great info. Thanks for sharing this.......

I can relate. I bought a nice used 62 radiator form a swap meet in Daytona last fall. Leaked like swiss cheese when I got it to the radiator shop. The shop owner told me the worst thing was to store aluminum radiators dry, as you said, as they'll deteriorate without coolant/rust inhibitors in them. Now we know why.

ps Yes I was just kidding around with Cecil earlier. You must've missed the "wink" icon. Sorry I "gotcha"!
pps BTW, I bought one of yours in Dec when you had the special going on. Haven't installed it yet, long way to go. It certainly is very nicely done.