Should You Have Your Broken Radiator Re-cored Rather Than Replaced?

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Whether the engine you are running is fitted to a small car or an aircraft carrier, it will require at least one radiator to disperse running heat and prevent excessive temperatures from damaging engine components. Unfortunately, radiators are not immune to damage themselves, and most engine operators will have to endure having their broken or failed radiator replaced at least once in their lives.

However, these is an alternative to a full-blown replacement of a malfunctioning radiator. This alternative is known as radiator re-coring, and this process can save you both time and money in the right circumstances.

What is radiator re-coring?

The 'core' of an engine radiator is essentially its business end, and it contains the coolant pipes and cooling vanes that produce the radiator's cooling effect. When a radiator is re-cored, this array of pipes and vanes is removed and replaced with a core that is either identical or more efficient. Other parts of the radiator that remain in working condition, such as its coolant tanks and holding brackets, are left in place, and the newly re-cored radiator can subsequently be directly refitted to your stricken engine.

What are the advantages of radiator re-coring over replacement?

If your radiator can be repaired with re-coring, choosing this option can have a number of benefits when compared to a full radiator replacement:

• Price: Re-coring a radiator is generally considerably cheaper than purchasing and installing a brand new radiator model, particularly if finding a suitable replacement radiator is difficult.
• Compatibility: Having your existing radiator re-cored ensures that your 'new' radiator is entirely compatible with your engine and can be refitted and put back into operation without any modifications. This is particularly useful when dealing with rarer radiator models (such as those found in classic cars) that are often incompatible with newer, more efficiently-designed models.
• Cooling improvements: In many cases, cooling specialists can design a new core or your radiator that is far more efficient and powerful than the original model. As such, having your radiator re-cored can lead to surprising increases in engine efficiency and temperature control at a price considerably lower what an entirely new radiator would cost.
• Speed: A new core can be manufactured for a radiator surprisingly quickly, and many re-coring specialists keep a supply of ready-assembled cores that can be fitted to your broken radiator immediately. Having your radiator re-cored can therefore be significantly faster than waiting for a new radiator to be delivered by a manufacturer or aftermarket dealer, allowing your engine to get back up and running as soon as possible.

What about the disadvantages of choosing re-coring?

• Not always cost effective: If your engine is a particularly common model, replacement radiators may be cheap and plentiful, making re-coring largely unnecessary.
• Limited warranty: A re-cored radiator may also have a shorter warranty than a new replacement model.

Consult with professionals who perform radiator services to determine the right option for dealing with your broken radiator.

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28 April 2017