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1. Cellular Film core, used up until the Seventies; 2. Packed Construction core, which is better at cooling, and is lighter and cheaper to make than earlier radiator cores; 3. Tube & Fin core, also more efficient than Cellular Film cores; 4. X-type Packed Construction core, which uses more tubes and a higher fin pitch to increase the surface area, is the most efficient core available in copper and brass; 5. Upgraded Tube & Fin core, though not quite as efficient as the X-type, this core is more durable and resistant to vibration
came into play and bonnets got lower. Upgraded electric fans help remedy this by forcing more air through the radiator’ s core, plus replacing a fixed fan can increase power as it’ s no longer lost driving the fan directly off the engine.
The source of these overheating issues can usually be solved by replacing the radiator core with an upgraded one with more tubes, a higher fin pitch and usually a completely different system of manufacture. Aaron Radiator, a family business established in 1962, which is a market leader in the reconditioning of classic and industrial vehicle radiators, guides us through the options and technologies available when upgrading a radiator.
Summer 2026 The Engine Rebuilder 37