I'm getting my Evaporator replaced...

No one has these in stock... so I bought one / ordered one at the local auto parts store and another one from Ebay.

ebay $100 shipped...
Looks all aluminum... made in china...

Factory Air $160 local...
tubes look aluminum, but body is gold color... brass? Copper? Anodized???
Doesn't say where it's made... so could also be china...
Do you know what it's made of?

I know that aluminum dissipates heat better than brass or copper...
Is the factory air one aluminum with something to make it godl???

Help... which one and why?

Going Saturday to get 1 installed... summertime in FL with Black T-top...

Raf

 

Then why are computer heatsinks being phased over to copper construction over aluminum, and why does a copper heatsink cool a CPU better than an aluminum sink of the exact same design?

Copper is heavier and considerably more expensive. When I scrap copper every once in a while, I get upward of $3 a pound most times. Aluminum brings around $1. Remember, that's the price I'm getting payed when I sell scrap metals to a recycler. Cost for usable copper is considerably higher. A $500 aluminum radiator would cost $1200+ if built out of copper. It would also weigh a hell of a lot more.

Aluminum radiators are used in performance cars because they are multi core radiators with more surface area than the stock brass parts. Most new car manufacturers use aluminum for all heat dissipating needs. Cheaper than copper and lighter.

Without seeing the core in person, there's not really a way to tell from one that is a yellow metal and one that's coated with a yellow coating. It's only somewhat safe to assume that a company wouldn't coat an aluminum evaporator with something that WILL reduce its efficiency and cost them more to produce.

 

I'll let my mechanic decide...

How about life, which will last longer, aluminum or other?
The aluminum seems more fragile...??

Raf

 

To be completely honest, I'd say the aluminum one would develop leaks more quickly. However, the real cause for most heat exchanger failures is poor manufacturing tolerances.

 

I was thinking the same about the aluminum one... and being this is an expensive job to just replace it....

Raf

 

as best as i can remember, aluminum has been the choice for evaporators from the factory for at least 30~35 years. i believe there were some import evaporators that were made of copper or brass back during the late 70s & maybe into the early 80s.
i would stay away from an evaporator made in china, & compressors too.