leep33•1d ago

Swung by a junkyard in Tulsa and changed my mind about aftermarket radiators

I always figured OEM was the only way to go for cooling parts. But a guy there showed me a 1992 F-150 with a two-row aluminum radiator that had been in for 8 years without a leak. The thing looked better than the stock one sitting next to it. Has anyone else had good luck with the cheap all-metal ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason_kelly81d ago

Grabbed a cheap all-metal radiator for my 87 Chevy about five years ago (complete gamble, honestly) and it's still holding up fine. I was nervous at first because everyone told me aftermarket stuff was junk. But the thing is, these old single-row plastic tank radiators just don't cut it for towing or hot weather. The two-row aluminum one I got actually cools better and hasn't so much as seeped at the seam. I'd still be picky about brand names, but the horror stories online seem overblown.

nancy39120h ago

Yeah, but that "all-metal" thing is a bit off (most aluminum radiators still use plastic tanks on the sides, just not the core). Yours probably has metal tanks though, if it's an all-aluminum one.