Radiator Chat

[e1_griego]

In my continuing mission to un-ebay my car, I've found a griffin radiator for a good deal to replace my (totally awesome! (tm)) CXRacing radiator.

The griffin is pretty much the same size as my ebay one - 1.5" thick, single core -- but from what I have read, they're great quality pieces. I've also read that the Griffin > Koyo.

Basically interested in what people think/what people are running.

[djsilver]

Griffin is well regarded in the racing business. They must be good. Their website sucks for finding products but they have video tours of their manufacturing facilities. http://www.griffinrad.com/

[a_ahmed]

I've got a griffin, works great so far.

[Matt93SE]

Any idea what the external dimensions of our radiators are? I never bother to measure.. but instead of spending $500 for a semi-custom radiator for a 240, why not look at something from a Mustang/Camaro/dirt stocker in the dirt track catalogs? they sell quality alu radiators in a bazillion sizes and thicknesses and water outlets and etc for about $200-250.. just a thought...

[Ruff Ryder 6]

Other than the desire to "un-ebay" your car, what other reason are you switching from that radiator? Leaks? Clogging? Overheating? or is this just a piece of mind thing?

[e1_griego]

Peace of mind. Doing 2 small lapping days at the end of next month 4 hours from home, then 3days of driving at packwood July 4th weekend (hot!) about 3.5hours from home.

Car runs cool now, but I've seen a couple threads pop up lately on ebay radiators breaking and I'd rather just get rid of sub-par parts, especially those in the cooling system.

[e1_griego]

Mostly I like making threads like this and having people weigh in so that some sort of archive exists on here for questions like this. I bought the radiator anyway since it was a deal I couldn't pass up.

[Bumnah]

I bought myself a Koyo. I needed an SR radiator to go with my SR swap. I think I paid $330 shipped? Can't remember, years ago. I wanted a bling bling PWR, but couldn't afford it. I'm running FAL 220 fans, and FAL fan controller. I paid $10 for the fan controller setup shipped, brand new.

Last summer the inline fuse blew on the FAL power cable, so the fans didn't turn on. I wasn't paying attention, and for weeks it was like that. In 95+ VA weather my car stayed cool, even in traffic.

My cooling upgrades are as follows:

Koyo SR radiator
FAL 220 fans and controller
Samco radiator hoses
Nismo thermostat.
Redline Water Wetter in the spring/summer, I add some pre mixed Honda coolant in the winter.

[floodo1]

Ron Davis, my answer to all questions in any way related to radiators
"which radiator should i buy" "ron davis"
"my radiator is cracked" "buy ron davis"
"my radiator looks dirty" "get a ron davis radiator"
"i dont even need a radiator" "get a ron davis"

[SoSideways]

A friend of mine has a CX radiator, and this past Friday we went romping through his section of town in his 240.

Granted, he's only got a rebuilt KA-DE with forged pistons in it, he beat the crap out of it everywhere he went.

And by beating the crap out of it, I mean like, he goes to redline on the first 3 gears power shifting...

Anyway, at one point, in the middle of beating his car up, we heard some clanking around, and he said he couldn't really steer much, especially in low speed conditions.

Long story short, we get back to his house, and I discovered that his power steering pump tension bolt was just hanging there off of the bracket, so the bolt was clanking off of the bracket making a weird clanking noise under vibration, and because of that, the belt was way loose, which, on the KA means the water pump was also affected.

So, even with his water pump basically barely moving, his water temp stayed at around 185 degrees, but it was started to creep up to like 190... his fans didn't even come on yet, which he said he rigged to come on at 190 via a fan control on the rad hose.

Just one semi-success story for the CX rad, that's all.





Personally, I was looking at the Koyo N-Flow, or if not, definitely a Griffin.

[veilside180sx]

The Griffin cores are very good. I personally prefer them to the Koyo, and they Griffin makes excellent intercooler cores as well.

[KA240SX808]

Sorry to thread jack but has anyone used the Fluidyne cores?