Electrolysis, not to be confused with galvanic corrosion, occurs when a stray electrical current finds its way into your cooling system. For example, an exposed wire touching your radiator or a missing ground connection on an electrical source. This causes a chemical reaction that results in severe corrosion damage to any metal components your coolant comes in contact with. Electrolysis will create this damage very quickly. Some symptoms include numerous pinhole leaks showing up, discoloration, and flaking or pitting. Radiator failure due to electrolysis voids any warranty.

While we have no wish to void anyone’s warranty, there are certain situations that cause damage to the products and results in premature product failure through no fault of the product’s materials or construction. These issues include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Improper Installation – Failure to properly install the product will void the warranty. This can include failing to use any required replacement grommets, forcing the product to fit (we manufacture everything according to OEM specs, so fit should not be a problem), mounting the product to the vehicle in a way for which it was not designed (example: drilling additional mounting holes that results in damage/weakening of the mounting brace), stripping threads, etc.

• Failure to Flush Old Coolant or Using Improper Mix of Antifreeze/Distilled Water – When you replace your radiator, you must replace the coolant. The old coolant can carry particulates that can damage the new radiator. This is especially true if you do not replace your coolant regularly since the protective additives in the coolant breakdown over time. Also, using just water as your coolant will damage your radiator as will using tap water instead of distilled water. You should always replace the coolant with a 50/50 mix of distilled water and antifreeze and only use new coolant in a new radiator.

• Physical Damage, Obvious Abuse, or Improper Maintenance – If your product is damaged in shipping you should tell the delivery person that you are “refusing delivery due to damage.” This will help us get a claim filed with the shipping company, get you a replacement, and keep your warranty active. Occasionally a product can be damaged in the box with no obvious sign of damage to the box itself. This is called “concealed damage,” and you must inform us right away. The shipping company will usually want to inspect the damage, so please leave everything as is to make the claim process as smooth as possible. (Shipping damage is not covered by your warranty but is covered by our agreements with the shipping company. Always contact us immediately if you notice damage from shipping.) That said, if the product is damaged due to mishandling, improper maintenance (such as replacing coolant/oil), damaged due to a collision, etc., this will void the warranty.

• Too Much Pressure in System – An over pressurized system will cause damage to the tubes (known as ballooning) and possibly tanks. Over pressurization can be caused by using the wrong radiator cap on a radiator or a blockage in another part of the system (not limited just to radiators).

• Improper Accessory Installation – Improper installation of accessories such as fans can void your warranty if it results in damage to the product. Fans and shrouds should never attach directly to the product’s core as the fins/tubes are not designed to support weight. Attaching any wiring or other items directly to the unit can also result in damage that will void your warranty.

The answer for this can get a little complicated as it depends on what type of features your existing unit has. Some of the basic measurements include the following.

1. Header to header measurement – The header plates are what the tanks mount to (typically either welded or bolted together). This measurement is the distance across the face of the unit between the two tanks and does not include the tank or the header plates.

2. Side to side measurement – This measurement is taken across the face of the unit from one side to the other. If your unit has side support rails, they should be excluded from this measurement (similar to the tanks being excluded in the header to header measurement).

3. Thickness – This is the measurement of the depth of the core. The easiest way to measure this is to take a small piece of wire and push it through the fins on the core until it reaches the back of the unit (it should be flush with and not protrude past the rear of the unit). Make a mark or hold on to the wire where it entered the core, pull the wire out, and measure the length of the wire that fit inside the core.

There may be other information we need for a custom build, such as number of bolt holes, tank dimensions, inlet and outlet positions, etc. We can normally walk you through this over the phone, but if you’re not comfortable trying to get all of this information you can always send the unit to us. This allows us to get all the details we need. If you have questions about getting a custom built unit, please give us a call.

Aluminium Metal Properties:

• Base heat transfer ability is lower
• Stronger metal
• Light weight Aluminium Construction
• Built with wider tubes thanks to metal’s strength
• Uses fewer rows of tubes (one or two rows) resulting in thinner, lightweight core
• Better air flow through core and more surface contact between tubes and fins
• Brazing process produces all aluminium core
• Uniform heat transfer due to all aluminium core.

Copper-Brass Metal Properties:

• Base heat transfer ability is higher
• Weaker metal
• Heavier Copper-Brass Construction
• Built with narrower tubes due to weaker metal
• Uses more rows of tubes (three or four rows) resulting in thicker, heavier core
• Less air flow through core and reduced surface contact between tubes and fins
• Lead/tin solder used produces mixed metal core
• Heat transfer ability reduced due to solder.