Core thickness, tank material and inlet and outlet positions all have to match the application.
Plastic-tank radiators with an aluminium core are the common original design. All-aluminium radiators are stronger and repairable but are listed as a distinct product and do not fit every application without modification.
Most radiator failures start at the seam where the aluminium core is crimped into the plastic tank, or at the transmission cooler fitting inside the tank on automatic vehicles. If the transmission fluid and the coolant have mixed, the radiator is not the only part that needs replacing.
Radiator caps are listed here as well because the cap sets the system pressure, and a cap that no longer holds pressure lets the coolant boil before the gauge shows overheating.
