Radiator upgrade, what do you have/recommend?

So ive been wanting to upgrade my radiator for awhile now and today I notice mine was leaking… while i wasnt too happy about it, it may give me an excuse to get a better one. It was newely put in right before i bought it, and it looks to be a cheapo china one. I seems to be leaking out of the tope all around the edges.

Ive been looking at the Mishimoto radiator which is about $210 on eBay. Anyone have any experience with a different brand that they like? Any fitment issues? Ive always wondered if these aftermarket radiators still utilize the stock fans/mounts also!

Mishimoto dual core aluminum radiator for around 200 bucks with lifetime warranty… i got mine from pwjdm and its been a great setup… no leaks awesome fitment easy install… comes with high pressure radiator cap… thatd be my suggestion…

Does it work with the factory fan mounts?

Ill probably end up getting the Mishimoto.

Any other suggestions? I need a radiator asap and i cant make up my mind.

I want to use the stock fans (which is why i havent gotten the Mishimoto) so im trying to find a OE radiator but they all seem to have the same design with the plastic end tanks that are prone to leaking through the top. I need help asap! Which radiator in particular do you have and where did you get it?

Thanks.

i currently have a cxracing radiator, so far so good been running a couple years on it now no complaints cant comment on the fan option since im using a slim one

Here’s my Mishimoto with aftermarket slim fans, I’m really happy with it. Good performance and perfect fitment.

^^^Clean buddy. Thanks for the pic!! Did you use a slim fan for a/c too?

Any advice on wiring? Did you just cut the harness off and splice the fan wires?

Keep it coming guys!

I ordered 2 of these http://www.slimfan.com/92_Honda_Acura_12_Radiator_Slim_Fan_p/hondashroudfan.htm

They come with factory connectors, plug and play.

I would say you could get a universal fan and easily splice the old connectors to it, its just 2-wires.

Did you get the shroud too? Since mines a 90 ill have to get the other fan they have available (with the circle plug) that doesn’t come with the shroud.

Did you use universal mount kit to mount the fan?

Oh my bad, that first link I included wasn’t exactly right. It’s just this fan that you need (x2) http://www.SlimFan.com/89_91_Honda_89_93_Acura_12_Slim_Fan_p/1289hon.htm

And to mount it, one of these universal fan mounting kits like http://www.mishimoto.com/mishimoto-slim-line-electric-radiator-fan-mount-tie-kit.html

i got this 1, it works good and you can use stock fans
https://shop.performanceradiator.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=1_4318_4362_4378_4380&product_id=590

ive also used the cx racing radiator before for a couple years with no problems.

great info in this thread. after seeing the radiator i just got from advance is seeping at the top, i decided i’m going w/ an aluminum radiator…i will subscribe to this for future reference

So i went ahead and bought the Mishimoto radiator. Im pending on the fan situation still. For the moment ill probably use the OEM passenger fan and pick up a fan from slimfan.com for the A/C. Im waiting to hear back from them to see if the fan comes with a mount kit (The main page says that their fans do, but i just want to make sure) And also the pictures of the fans dont include holes to put the zip tie though so im checking to see if it comes with the plastic elbows that you slide onto the fan with the hole in it.

Blah blah!!

Thanks for all the help guys. Ill post back with my results some time in the next week or so.

My mishimoto radiator did not have the top mounting points for the oem radiator. Plus with the limited space, I did not want to risk bending the aluminum radiators fins when trying to squeeze the oem fan in. With both slim fans on, it was still easy to maneuver the radiation in place. There are tabs that come with the fan and you slide into place on the slim fan. This will give you 4 holes for which you can put the zip ties through. I cut the connector off the oem fan and spliced it onto the slim fan wires since my slim fan did not come with the connectors.

^Was your radiator 90-93 specific? They say the mishimoto radiator will utilize the oem fan… anyone else have this problem?

Yeah, the 1990-1993 aluminum racing. Will try to get picks during the weekday.

Yours didnt look like this? This should be the 90/93 spec radiator. What mounts did yours not include? The mounts (studs) that hold the radiator to the car? Or the mounts for the fans? It doesnt include the mount for the a/c fan but it should fit the oem passenger fan fine.

trying to get this radiator to fit in my 90… bought it off craigslist. previous owner said it was for a dc. anyone got some advice to help make this setup fit. its just a little to tall. i already notched my crossmember, drain plug is not allowing it fit, the hood does close tho. has anyone tried putting a dc radiator in a da. and yes i know i should have purchased the da unit. i only paid 80 for this one tho. thanks…

get a DA radiator

Don’t buy autozone spectre radiators. They suck big time…I got me a fluidyne and it works great…lucky I traded mine spectre for it haha…