Fair price for radiator?

[Iceni John]

I spoke with Delbert at Stanton Radiator today about recoring my radiator.   He quoted me $3,425 for a brass/copper core 33" wide x 28" high x 4" thick (about 938 sq.in.), with 7 rows of dimpled and staggered tubes, heavy headers (thicker than normal), and with multiple-louvered flat fins.   The bare core is $2,592, and bolts/gaskets/assembly are $600 more, totaling $3,425 including tax.   I mentioned this forum and its illustrious owner's name (Hi, Gary!), so let's hope that Delbert knows the value of positive recommendations among us busnuts.

So, is this a fair price?   I've got only one other price so far, but it was for something different than what I want and need, and I suspect the quoted $2,530 does not include everything.   Neither bidder makes their own cores in this size but buy them instead from jobbers, in Delbert's case a company in San Bernardino CA.   I told Delbert that I need absolutely the most cooling possible, so I hope his radiator will meet that need.   Are there any other radiator shops in the greater Los Angeles area that would be worth asking?

Thanks, John

PS  - Delbert had mentioned to me earlier that he has a core for an Eagle.   Anyone here interested?

[Scott & Heather]

Diesel radiator in Illinois will recore an 8 tube for about $1500 give or take. Your price is the highest I've ever heard of. Keep shopping


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[Dave B]

I paid $2,200 four years ago for a new core for my 91 Prevost.  The other quote was $3,200.  I removed the radiator and re-installed it.  I also removed both tanks and they re-assembled the new unit and tested it.  There are places on the net that sell cores too if you want to assemble it yourself.

[chessie4905]

http://www.generalradiator.com

http://detroitradiatorcorp.com/?gclid=CN_I1eTo8s0CFUpahgodPCcAxw

[DoubleEagle]

It looks like its not cheap to run a bus in California. Is there anything wrong with your current radiator? If not, and all you want is additional cooling, it might be cheaper to add a second one if you have a place to put it, or have a misting system.

[Iceni John]

It looks like its not cheap to run a bus in California. Is there anything wrong with your current radiator? If not, and all you want is additional cooling, it might be cheaper to add a second one if you have a place to put it, or have a misting system.

Is anything cheap in California?

I think my radiator is original, i.e. 26 years old.   It has a large cold spot, plus some fins are broken, so who knows what else is wrong with it now (or what may fail in the future)?   At this point I want the maximum possible cooling  -  I'm also having a new fan made by Multi-Wing, and a new hydraulic fan motor by QCC to replace my Webster YC that's leaking and worn internally, and I'll also install a Derale 65k BTU remote transmission fluid cooler to reduce the heatload into the coolant.   I'm also thinking about wrapping the exhaust pipes which should also help.   Lots to do!

I don't have a good space for an additional radiator, so that's not really an option for me.   Misters are not the way to resolve my overheating issues  -  they may slightly help, but I don't want to rely on them for everyday driving.   So, it's big money time for me!   After I get all this done, I won't ever need to deal with cooling issues ever again, I hope.

John

[luvrbus]

You can save a LOT buying in Vegas,I know where the Eagle radiator came from it was not a good job on a re core for the price he paid so he had one made in Vegas after he got most of his money back and still saved 700 bucks.Call Gary at B&B and he will give the number of the guy in Vegas   

[TomC]

I had my radiator increased from 5 row straight fin to 6 row serpentine fin for $1,600.

[Iceni John]

You can save a LOT buying in Vegas,I know where the Eagle radiator came from it was not a good job on a re core for the price he paid so he had one made in Vegas after he got most of his money back and still saved 700 bucks.Call Gary at B&B and he will give the number of the guy in Vegas   

OK, thanks, I'll call him and see what he can do.

So, Stanton's Eagle customer was unhappy with it?   Interesting.   I'm still trying to find which company actually makes the cores for Stanton.   I would prefer to deal with an actual manufacturer if possible  -  I thought Stanton made their own cores, but all they do is assemble radiators.   If B&B is cheaper enough it's worth having one trucked from Las Vegas.

Another thing that makes me slightly wary is that Delbert recommended I go to 160 degree thermostats "because they cool better".   Really?   Once the thermostat is fully open, whether it's a 160 or 180 or whatever, surely the radiator is getting full coolant flow anyway, so a lower thermostat won't better cool an engine that's already at operating temperature?   It just lets a cold engine warm up quicker.   Am I right?

Thanks, John

[Iceni John]

I had my radiator increased from 5 row straight fin to 6 row serpentine fin for $1,600.

Tom, who did your radiator?   Who does Freightliner use?

Thanks, John

[luvrbus]

Yea John he wanted to patch a tube in a new core so we gave him the tanks and every thing and started over he would not refund the entire amount so he took it and still ended up 700 to the good after buying a new one  .Gary gave him the side brackets with the top and bottom tank 

[Iceni John]

I think I found who makes Stanton's cores  -  I think it's Thermal Solutions Manufacturing in San Bernardino CA.   I wonder if they will make what I need  -  maybe it's their R Core Type: https://www.showmethepartsdb.com/BIN/documents/Thermal/CoreFinTypes.pdf    I see no reason I can't do the disassembly and reassembly work myself.   It ain't rocket surgery . . .

John

[Iceni John]

Yea John he wanted to patch a tube in a new core so we gave him the tanks and every thing and started over he would not refund the entire amount so he took it and still ended up 700 to the good after buying a new one  .Gary gave him the side brackets with the top and bottom tank 

It seems that Delbert may not be someone I want to give my money to.   Too bad  -  he's local(ish).   I'll still call Gary at B&B.

Nothing's easy!

Thanks, John

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

I used Stanton Radiator as per my article in the August issue of BCM and I was very happy with their work.  Dilbert was recommended to me by a local repair shop and I thought they did a great job.  It may have been a bit pricey, but so is a new Series 60 if it blows out in the middle of the desert on a hot summer day.  I wasn't going to cut corners after the previous owner shoehorned in a Series 60 just a few years ago at the cost of $45,000.  My total bill from Stanton Radiator was about $4500 for a brand new core all welded up along with a skid plate on the bottom to hopefully prevent this from happening again.

[luvrbus]

I wouldn't pay his prices the same radiator he charged Joe $2800 for he had built in Vegas for $1700.00  and it doesn't leak