QUESTION: Why are aluminum radiators better than copper/brass?

Answer: It is true that Copper does dissipate heat better than aluminum, but the benefits are in the enginerring. Because aluminum is much stronger than copper aluminum, core manufactures are able to make the tubes up to 1.50" wide, opposed to .50" wide for a copper tube. The benefit of this extra tube width comes from the additional contact that is created between the fins and the tubes, as there are less spaces or voids between the tubes (due to a fewer amount of tubes). If you take a look at a cut away section of copper brass radiator that is 2.25" thick(4 row), then multiply the number of tubes in a row by the width of the tubes you will find that there is a total of 1.50" of "contact" between the fins and the tubes on every row. Now, do the same evaluation on a 2.25" (2 row) aluminum core and you will find that there is 2.0" of "contact". That is 33% more "contact" than the copper brass. This is critical as the fins accomplish a large percentage of the heat dissipation. The less contact between the fin and tubes, the less effective the fins.
Another benefit of the wider, aluminum, tubes is that a larger volume of coolant is now placed inside the core, were the heat dissipation is occurring.
Between the additional contact between the fins and tubes, the additional fluid in the core, and the additional contact between the fluid and the tubes you can expect to see at least a 25% increase in the heat transfer capabilities of an aluminum radiator over a copper/ brass of the same thickness.
In addition to performance benefits of the aluminum radiators is the obvious weight difference which can be as much as 50% in many cases.
Another great effect that you see with these bigger tubes is that the flow rate of the coolant through the radiator will be slower, allowing for more CFM of flow through the core. This is similar to water flowing through a river....it's moves really fast through the narrow parts, slower through the wider deeper parts.
When considering a new radiator, ask a lot of questions. A good radiator is the primary way to protect your engine from excessive heat.
Before we begin, think about how much you have invested in your engine ....yes, perhaps thousands of dollars!

QUESTION: Is a "cross flow" radiator better than a "down flow" radiator?

Answer: No, not necessarily. The important factor is the amount of heat dissipation surface the core has. The coolant flow direction is not important. In most application we can put more cubic inches of core in a down flow radiator than our competition can put in a cross flow. Many aluminum radiator manufactures make "cross flow conversions" for many original down flow radiators. Although these radiators will cool better than the original copper/ brass, they do not look, mount, or fit like the original These cross flow conversion can require anything from new hoses to major sheet metal modifications. Cross flow conversions are the easiest and cheapest to design and manufacture. An installer must consider the cost of additional modifications that are needed when considering a cross flow conversion. Although Wizard Cooling is fully capable of producing cross flow radiator our primary focus is to design a build a radiator that will be configured like your original, fit the original radiator mounts, and cool what ever horsepower you have.

QUESTION: Will using a lower temperature thermostat help my system run cooler?

Answer: No, running a lower temperature thermostat will not bring down engine temperatures, it only controls OPENING TEMPERATURES. The only "benefit" is that you have now increased the amount of time it will take for your vehicle to reach operating temperature. A thermostat is supposed to modulate, just like the thermostat in your house turns the furnace on and off. When the coolant reaches the thermostat setting it opens and lets coolant go through the radiator. The radiator, if capable, will drop the temperature down to a point the thermostat modulates.

QUESTION: Should I change my water pump?

Answer: Generally speaking, no. The OEM manufactures have put a lot of time and testing into flow rates to calculate maximum performance to match the engine with the radiators. The test results show a DEFINED window of efficiency, anything less and anything more CAN be a deterrent to cooling. A higher flow water pump should be considered after ALL of the following:
-you are using an aluminum radiator
-you have determined that the temperature difference between the radiator inlet and outlet IS sufficient (Contact Wizard Cooling support if you need help with this)

QUESTION: Should I use a coolant additive?

Answer: Additives on there own are very rarely enough to solve any cooling issue, but can help. We do recommend that you consider using an additive with corrosion inhibiting properties to increase the life of your radiator by reducing the effects of galvanic erosion and electrolysis.

QUESTION: Should I run a higher-pressure cap?

Answer: Running a higher pound pressure cap than standard will only serve to increase boiling points, which does benefit the cooling system to a small degree, but it can increase the degradation of the major cooling components, particularly the radiator. In short, run the least amount of pressure necessary.

QUESTION: Do electric fans really work?

Answer: Yes! Today's electric fans have the capability of pulling and/or pushing more air through your radiator while you're at a stop light than your original motor driven fan can pull through while driving at 50 miles an hour. Another fact to consider is that by replacing the motor driven fan with an electric fan YOU WILL GAIN HORSEPOWER. One important thing to understand about electric fans is that they are not all created equally. All fan companies market their fans with zero static pressure (held up to thin air, not against a radiator). The amount of air that is actually moved by the fan when against a core will drastically vary depending on the fan motor. Some fans are wired for torque, some for speed. Example, 2-16" fans from different manufactures may each have a rating on the box of 2500cfm. One is $50 the other is $125. At first glance...it's a no brainer....buy the $50 one. You get installed only to disappointed, only to conclude that "those electric fans don't work". The reality is that under the airflow resistance that was created by the performance radiator, condenser, external oil cooler, etc., the fan was actually pulling a small fraction of it's marketed 2500cfm. It is critical when buying electric fans to buy the right fans for your application. In many cases the mechanical fan will work just fine. If you convert to electric fans, make sure you buy fans that are wired for torque and can handle the resistance of the performance core as well as any other items you put in front of that. A higher priced, "torque wire", fan will lose some of the marketed air flow rate but it will not be nearly the same percentage as the cheaper fan that is wired for speed. You get what you pay for!

QUESTION: What makes the Wizard cooling products so unique?

Answer: Our customers insist on these important standard Wizard Cooling features:
· Designed to fit like the OEM radiators.
· Our products are designed to fit the original radiator mounting positions.
· Requiring no sheet metal modifications by the installer.
· If the original radiator was a down flow, our radiator will be a down flow.
PLUS these Wizard-specific benefits:
Show quality TIG welds, NO EPOXY, Furnace brazed high efficiency cores, Billet filler necks, Cores as thick as 3.25", Performance Electric fans as high as 3000 CFM.

QUESTION: Can you build one for my car?

Answer: Yes, we can custom build a radiator for any vehicle. Any year, any make, any model.