Cleaning domestic coil

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Octane

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Seems to me only older than the 1970s trucks had copper/brass.I just looked up cores for my 77 k10 because it's never been replaced.I'll go with aluminum.It'll do.Summit only showed trucks up till 72 as best I could find.Rockauto is limited also.And besides,I hate their stupid website...unholy crap
 

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Octane, my original heater core for my 1981 c10 non ac truck is brass, I’m sure it’s original as this was my fathers truck.
I checked with summit seems they only have brass for the ac trucks .
I got an aluminum replacement from LMC truck and it’s to small to even fill the hole the brass one came from and the original hold downs can’t be used, it came with some foam I guess was to take up the space, to keep the air from flowing around the smaller coil, but there was no instructions on how to retro fit
 

Camar068

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any radiator shops near you?
 

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I’ve looked they all seemed to have died out. All the new stuff is aluminum with plastic cores made to be thrown away.
 

Octane

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Octane, my original heater core for my 1981 c10 non ac truck is brass, I’m sure it’s original as this was my fathers truck.
I checked with summit seems they only have brass for the ac trucks .
I got an aluminum replacement from LMC truck and it’s to small to even fill the hole the brass one came from and the original hold downs can’t be used, it came with some foam I guess was to take up the space, to keep the air from flowing around the smaller coil, but there was no instructions on how to retro fit
All I could seem to locate was aluminum.I assume thats all I can find to use for my old truck.Its not a dd anyway so I guess it be alright.
 

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I’m thinking aluminum is cheaper to manufacture and it can’t be repaired like an old brass one... so you have to get a new one. I’ve heard people say that the aluminum transfers heat better but I’ve also heard they don’t heat as well .... some love them some hate them.... seems to be mixed reaction on those... for the trouble it is to replace one I’d like to do this once and be happy with the results.
 

Octane

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I’m thinking aluminum is cheaper to manufacture and it can’t be repaired like an old brass one... so you have to get a new one. I’ve heard people say that the aluminum transfers heat better but I’ve also heard they don’t heat as well .... some love them some hate them.... seems to be mixed reaction on those... for the trouble it is to replace one I’d like to do this once and be happy with the results.
But for the cost I'd rather replace one than repair an old one.
 

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My very first concern is function. I want heat and defrost to work... my next concern is quality/durability, I don’t want to replace it in a short time the original one is 40 years old and does not leak but I have it out and found mice had made a huge nest against it partially blocking part of it. So I wanted to replace it instead of cleaning it because of issues at a camp I used to smell mouse pee whenever I tried to use the oven and I didn’t want the same experience with the heat in this truck. I had no idea it was going to be this much of a project to find a decent replacement .
At this point I found a radiator shop that’s not close but not crazy far away so if I can’t find a factory style brass replacement I’m going to see about getting mine cleaned and pressure tested
 

JeffK10America

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My very first concern is function. I want heat and defrost to work... my next concern is quality/durability, I don’t want to replace it in a short time the original one is 40 years old and does not leak but I have it out and found mice had made a huge nest against it partially blocking part of it. So I wanted to replace it instead of cleaning it because of issues at a camp I used to smell mouse pee whenever I tried to use the oven and I didn’t want the same experience with the heat in this truck. I had no idea it was going to be this much of a project to find a decent replacement .
At this point I found a radiator shop that’s not close but not crazy far away so if I can’t find a factory style brass replacement I’m going to see about getting mine cleaned and pressure tested
I got my 3 row from speedway motors . Copper brass for 399 was free shipping .for my 1985 Check there dimensions, see if they have what you need . Mine fit great , other than I trimmed the shroud a little to make it fit tight against radiator.
 

Octane

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Wut??
 

16927

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Thanks Jeff, right now I’m looking for a heater core not a radiator, but radiator will be next
Thanks
 

JeffK10America

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Thanks Jeff, right now I’m looking for a heater core not a radiator, but radiator will be next
Thanks
My bad ! That’s one thing I haven’t searched for . I hope you can locate one .
 

JeffK10America

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Thanks Jeff, right now I’m looking for a heater core not a radiator, but radiator will be next
Thanks
Ok I don’t know if you have heard of the (truck shop) concord NC derita rd . They show them for AC and Non AC check them out !
 

16927

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Thanks Jeff I’ll give them a call tomorrow, and I’ll look up haydenauto
 

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