Looking for a radiator for an Alco S series switcher. Anybody know of one slated for scrapping?

dave

I don't know of any off the top of my head, but, do you need a radiator for a 600HP (no turbo, S1, S3), or a 1000HP (turbocharged, S2, S4) unit? The radiators are much larger on the 1000HP units.

Jeff

Do you need the whole radiator assembly or just a couple of sections?

While we're at it,

Oil or water sections (or both)?

JR

Nonturbocharged S3. I think......I'm not the diesel guy, just helping source parts. I was told the only difference between S1 and S3 was truck style, but I'm not the expert.

Sections was mentioned, so I'm thinking that would work assuming they are not all bad. How many is not yet known. We're just now getting hands on and comfy with what we have acquired. Additional needs will probably make themselves known.

So, maybe we need to think about units being scrapped that various parts starting with radiator sections mi9ght be salvaged from?

"Among our weaponry........"

dave

There is a difference, actually several. Some sections are thicker than others, horsepower related, but the most important difference is that the oil sections are rated for more pressure than the water sections. As George Hockaday told me once, you can use the oil sections for water, but not the other way around.

I've asked out internal combustion crew for more specific details. Thanks for the information.

dave

We replaced the radiators in our T-6 about a year and a half ago. We bought brand new cores from a company in Texas, they were an exact match for the originals and were very reasonably priced. I'll look for the contact info. If the header (tank) size is the same for a T-6 and an S1 , we have extra gaskets.

Thanks Gary - you could pass the info along to Will when you annoy him in Spencer.

dave

Will do....

There is no similarity between the radiators for a T6 (251 powered) and the S-1 thru S-4 models (539 powered). A T6 radiator is a one piece unit similar to what you have in a car or truck radiator. The radiator for 539 powered locomotives consists of similar sections about 1 foot square and 5 to 6 feet high connected in series, where the liquid flows from unit to unit.

As was previously mentioned in this thread, some sections cool water; some cool lubricating oil. You can use an oil section to cool water but you cannot use a water section to cool oil.

I have been working around the Alco 539 powered locomotives for over 20 years and I do not know where any of you are coming up with the idea that some radiator cores are for water and some are for oil and you can not use a water core as an oil core.

Alco S4 parts Manual:

DRP 1511 water cooling system;

Radiator core; part number C67A4 18 used.

DRP 1319A oil cooling system;

Oil cooler core; part number C67A4 4 used.

That is the same number, same core. If they were laid out on the floor, you could not tell the difference.

An old water core may be weaker with age, if no water treatment has been used. I have seen a few that the core was only about half the thickness of others. Many were made by Young Radiator company, but others have been used.

The cores we've dealt with over the years were marked IIRC with the oil or water or both. Its been a long time since I've had to deal with it, but I seem to recall something very similar to what WM303 reports.

ETA