Decided to replace the original radiator b/f winter. I noticed the shape it was in when I had to replace a rusted lower hose clamp. Clamp was so loose coolant was slowly seeping out between the hose and the radiator outlet pipe end.
Radiator is not leaking yet, but not looking good either, core looks intact, but a lot of the small radiator fins are flaking away or gone, 25 years in the Midwest and being basted in salt will do that.
Now the question: OEM version was copper aluminum with plastic tanks, and now obsolete.
I’ve seen the cheap “Toyo Style” versions on ebay, and they don’t look very confidence inspiring.
I have a used all-aluminum half-radiator which looks nice and in good shape, but probably will not last here (the snow/ice/salt stay on the roads even if you don’t drive in the crap).
Only other type I’ve seen doing a quick search is the Nippon-Denso brand, which looks coated or at least painted, but it is now no longer locally stocked, and i don’t know if it is a fair replacement for the Cu/Al versions…
I’ve had good luck with all metal, dual core OE style ones from Radiatorbarn.com But that was back when an aluminum “racing” radiator was $400+. Now it seems you can find decent quality aluminum ones for much cheaper - Mishimoto comes to mind. I wouldn’t hesitate to run a Mishimoto or Koyo in my car but I’m currently running a Fluidyne as it came with the a shell I bought.
Regardless, I’d go full size and not half. In my very limited experience those half radiators have been nothing but trouble, plus they look shitty IMO.
[QUOTE=Colin;2320606]…Now it seems you can find decent quality aluminum ones for much cheaper - Mishimoto comes to mind. I wouldn’t hesitate to run a Mishimoto or Koyo in my car but I’m currently running a Fluidyne as it came with the a shell I bought…[/QUOTE]Yes ($100+), and perhaps they are better quality now, I have not seen the recent ones. Dual core full size, IF it fits w. the second fan (not sure if that one is for the condenser only, or if it does double duty with the regular radiator fan on hot days).
The trouble with the typical all aluminum un-coated, race-style radiators in the Midwest and NE, the salt eats them up in a few years. Not the core so much, but the fins. Same thing that creates the white aluminum oxide on the intake, valve cover, and distributor, just rots those fine fins away in no time… even if you don’t drive the car on snow and salt days.
and yeah, I think full size is the way to go for me on this car…
Edited to add a couple pics. Radiator worse than I first thought, and this car was only used as a DD for the first six years of its life (!)
Living in the Midwest with road salt:
The hose clamp is rusted to the point of exerting no tension on the hose, hose is loose, so at normal engine temps and pressure, coolant leaks between the hose and the radiator outlet.
The Effect of Salt on OEM Acura Radiator Core and Frame (should have been a movie, )
I have a full size Mishimoto and I love it. No problems for me but I live in Idaho where its very dry and salt isn’t as much of a problem. Figment is great and its big. I was able to use the factory fan but needed to use a slim fan for the a/c side. I got my slim fan from slimfan.com. Those fans have OEM plugs for basically whatever Honda you need so no splicing plus they’re cheap and work well!
[QUOTE=Boostpyro90;2320622]I have a full size Mishimoto and I love it…[/QUOTE]Yah, the pics of those look really nice, and I saw one on a friends car (not a Honda). Not sure how that one would do with snow and salt, but a typical radiator with un-coated fins does not last long in this area.
You said you used the stock radiator fan, and you strapped the slimfan on the side where the condenser fan used to be??? The Mishimoto pics show only a single support on the passenger side (which is fine if you are only keeping the one fan) and nothing on the driver side where the condenser fan is located.
The pic on that slimfan.com site shows the slimfan mounted on the psgr side, where the oem radiator fan is now.
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