What makes a better radiator, aluminum or copper/brass?
Brazed aluminum radiators are made entirely of aluminum and are therefore much stronger than copper/brass designs, in which the copper fins are joined to the brass tubes, and brass tubes are joined to the brass header plate, by weaker solder. As a result, brazed aluminum radiator cores are much more durable than copper/brass cores, being better able to stand up to the rigors of internal pressure, exterior corrosion and vehicle shock and vibration, which are often the causes of copper/brass radiator leaks. While it is true that copper is a better conductor of heat than aluminum, the copper/brass radiator is not made entirely of copper. Heat from the coolant must travel through brass tube walls, then through solder bonding, and finally, through the copper fins to the cooling air. In contrast, a brazed aluminum radiator is aluminum throughout. Most importantly, aluminum radiators typically use wider, more efficient tubes than can be made in copper/brass, and fin gauges are typically thick
