Best replacement radiator for the money today...
- Thread starter 2001LC
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I try not to check any Honda sites. Honda from the factory is defective. Take a look at the Fast Lane Trucks (Taco, Frontier, Colorado and Ridgeline comparison). They show a 2016 ridgeline going on a trail with a small incline. With less than a mile, the trans temp goes to max!
Honda is all plastic.
I'm not so worried about the radiator's cooling capacity/performance. I'm more concerned about oil cooler design and I'm betting they use the same design for both the Ridgeline and 100. The dimensions are likely different though. The thread is focused around the Strawberry Milkshake of Death (SMOD).
Update here (want all info to be correct and up to date).
Just got my radiator today (took 12 days from the time I ordered it.). Grrrrrrr!
Seems the Spectra brand radiator(s) are now made in China, just like the Denso.
It looks well built, but I will compare it to the OEM when I take it out. Will report back on fit and function.
Due to a dealership repair by the PO where the tranny oil college inlet nipple was smashed, brand new Denso radiator for the LX. Way cheaper than the OEM, which is also a Denso
Denso is made in Taiwan.
I have it in the truck, looks to be good quality and at 1/3 the cost of OEM, I'm happy
OK, new radiator is in.
Went with the Spectra instead of the Denso. It was an exact fit. Identical (visually) to the OEM I took out. Everything in the right place, dropped right in, bolted right up. Just need to go test drive it.
Spectra (CU2282) for 99 LX 470.
Went with the Spectra instead of the Denso. It was an exact fit. Identical (visually) to the OEM I took out. Everything in the right place, dropped right in, bolted right up. Just need to go test drive it.
Spectra (CU2282) for 99 LX 470.
- Thread starter
- #129
Denso may be one of the best replacement, but is not OEM. See post #35:Due to a dealership repair by the PO where the tranny oil college inlet nipple was smashed, brand new Denso radiator for the LX. Way cheaper than the OEM, which is also a Denso
Best replacement radiator for the money today...
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I finally got around to installing the Denso 221-3152 radiator in my '98 LC today. The Denso is a perfect fit and appears to be a well-made product. It took about an hour. This thread was super helpful:
Radiator Change Today- Questions
Radiator Change Today- Questions
Update: Radiator has been in for over a month now. Seems to be doing a good job. The real test of course will be this Summer when the radiator must perform in the sometimes brutal Texas heat.
Will report back then, but the Spectra (thus far) does seem to offer another choice...besides the Denso unit.
After reading that 7 page ridgline owners thread I think I'd go with the one with the best fluid isolation. I don't think it matters one bit which one you use if you just get a new one every few years. Those honda dudes are fanatical in that thread. Edit,,, 9 pages
Mishimoto makes a good product, I used one of their coolers on a previous vehicle and their customer service was great when my kit was shipped with missing pieces. I’ll be adding this to my list...
From reading the description seems like it’s OEM style.
So many recent reports of failing Denso radiators has me considering other options. With the internal leaks, and tank splits it's not worth the risk to install one until the reports of these early failures subside. I asked a parts counter seller ( national chain) if he had seen any Denso radiator issues; he smirked and nodded his head- yes. Are the failures a manufacturing problem: lack of a QC step like pressure testing, or poor vendor process, or a packaging problem where the radiator is damaged/compromised in shipping from being handled multiple times from import to break bulk, to distribution to multiple carrier hubs before its eventually tossed on the steps at my house. Who knows for sure. One thing I know, I will not mail order a radiator again unless I know its in bombproof packaging. Too many chances for handling damage between warehouse and my front door. I want to be able to pull it from the box at the parts store inspect and accept or decline.
Being a research nerd, I went back and researched specs and many web posts on several brands & options including OEM. I centered in on the Spectra product because of the price point, 2 year warranty and good initial reports here in the forum on Spectra fitment and reliability. There are two radiator options from Spectra for the 100 series: CU2282 (98-2002), and CU2755 (03-07). Catalog info states CU2755 is a 1 row radiator, vs the CU2282 which is stated as a 2 row radiator. Spec's indicate thickness of the CU2754 is 2.0625" wide and the CU2282 is 1.75". Maybe a misprint? My thought was thicker radiator=more rows so I called tech support to ask. Helpful folks at Spectra, but he admitted that it seems to possibly be a catalog error and couldnt confirm. FWIW I asked the manufacture origin of the 2282, its made by several vendors from 5 different countries, the 2755 one: Indonesia. If there was any room for production quality variance the 2282 would see it first, but the fact that there are few reported issues is a good indicator of overall QC. Another interesting data point is the trans cooler in the 2755 is concentric (long tube type heat exchanger), vs the stacked plate style heat exchanger found in the Denso and according to the specs I saw on rock auto's product description the 2282 is also plate style (9 plates).
None of the national parts chain stores listed on Spectra website actually had inventory, all fulfillment seems is through Spectra's warehouse and DS to the store or customer. FWIW anyone shopping for one, PEP Boys had the best deal on in store pick up on the CU2755: $170.25 after a 25% instant discount ($229 msrp). Thats as cheap as Rock Auto, and in my case the paying local tax for in-store pick up was less than the rock auto mail order shipping charges. Just have to wait a week for it to arrive to the store. Plan ahead.
OEM: Its always my preference, but the price is prohibitive. There are two options for OEM radiators depending on model year.
Part MSRP
Radiator OEM 03-07 16400-50290 $601.80
Radiator OEM 98-02, 05-07 16400-50360 $456.39 (Mexico spec for 05-07)
Weird that 03 & 04 are excluded from -50360, why?? I called my parts guy at Toyota and he asked for my VIN to determine which radiator to choose for my 05, and of course it came up with the -50290 more expensive model. He couldn't tell me the differences only that it had to do with North American spec vs Mexico spec., EPA something or other. What could possibly be different in the more expensive option that would be an EPA mandate wouldn't supersede to the earlier years? I know the earlier models had an electric fan, so maybe that accounts for some minor difference in mounting brackets? Anyway even the discounted price of an OEM radiator is more than 2.5x price of aftermarket so in this case I will roll the dice with Spectra and see how it goes. It would be great to know what the differences are between the two OEM options: tank design, configuration/construction 2row, 3row? , measurements, TOC differences if any etc.
Being a research nerd, I went back and researched specs and many web posts on several brands & options including OEM. I centered in on the Spectra product because of the price point, 2 year warranty and good initial reports here in the forum on Spectra fitment and reliability. There are two radiator options from Spectra for the 100 series: CU2282 (98-2002), and CU2755 (03-07). Catalog info states CU2755 is a 1 row radiator, vs the CU2282 which is stated as a 2 row radiator. Spec's indicate thickness of the CU2754 is 2.0625" wide and the CU2282 is 1.75". Maybe a misprint? My thought was thicker radiator=more rows so I called tech support to ask. Helpful folks at Spectra, but he admitted that it seems to possibly be a catalog error and couldnt confirm. FWIW I asked the manufacture origin of the 2282, its made by several vendors from 5 different countries, the 2755 one: Indonesia. If there was any room for production quality variance the 2282 would see it first, but the fact that there are few reported issues is a good indicator of overall QC. Another interesting data point is the trans cooler in the 2755 is concentric (long tube type heat exchanger), vs the stacked plate style heat exchanger found in the Denso and according to the specs I saw on rock auto's product description the 2282 is also plate style (9 plates).
None of the national parts chain stores listed on Spectra website actually had inventory, all fulfillment seems is through Spectra's warehouse and DS to the store or customer. FWIW anyone shopping for one, PEP Boys had the best deal on in store pick up on the CU2755: $170.25 after a 25% instant discount ($229 msrp). Thats as cheap as Rock Auto, and in my case the paying local tax for in-store pick up was less than the rock auto mail order shipping charges. Just have to wait a week for it to arrive to the store. Plan ahead.
OEM: Its always my preference, but the price is prohibitive. There are two options for OEM radiators depending on model year.
Part MSRP
Radiator OEM 03-07 16400-50290 $601.80
Radiator OEM 98-02, 05-07 16400-50360 $456.39 (Mexico spec for 05-07)
Weird that 03 & 04 are excluded from -50360, why?? I called my parts guy at Toyota and he asked for my VIN to determine which radiator to choose for my 05, and of course it came up with the -50290 more expensive model. He couldn't tell me the differences only that it had to do with North American spec vs Mexico spec., EPA something or other. What could possibly be different in the more expensive option that would be an EPA mandate wouldn't supersede to the earlier years? I know the earlier models had an electric fan, so maybe that accounts for some minor difference in mounting brackets? Anyway even the discounted price of an OEM radiator is more than 2.5x price of aftermarket so in this case I will roll the dice with Spectra and see how it goes. It would be great to know what the differences are between the two OEM options: tank design, configuration/construction 2row, 3row? , measurements, TOC differences if any etc.
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