Replacement radiator suggestions/recommendations

[Spike Strip]

If you use an Aluminum radiator you must switch to the TOYOTA RED coolant instead of the normal Green to help prevent the Galvanic corrosion.

I personally prefer a big HD brass radiator like the CSF or Spectra

 

[Mace]

Aluminum radiators do not require Toyota Red coolant.. The normal Green stuff at the store does just fine..

Correcting Coolant Confusion

 

[Spike Strip]

I've seen quite a few Alum rads installed on LCs that end up leaking because of electrolysis at the welds. Maybe it's the cheap rads, dunno. But have you ever looked at the ALUMINUM thermostat housing of a cooling system that's poorly maintained? Where does that Aluminum go?

But that article makes good points....

 

[Mace]

All aluminum thermostat housings and water pumps will degrade if crappy (or no) coolant is used or if super high TDS water is used to supplement it. The weld leaks on AL radiators that I have seen were from the radiator flexing and embrittlement of the metal due to the heat affected zone. For non welded AL radiators, the epoxy's used tend to fail as well. (edit, generally, it is the mounting design that is at fault in these cases. Radiators do not like to be hard mounted).

Plastic tank, aluminum radiators, get non toyota red coolant all the time. The one in my superduty (over 200K miles) has not leaked a drop. Coolant color is green..

If you want to pay for the Toyota Red, then by all means please do so. But you're not getting anything out of it..

 

[hatleye]

mine has a ron davis, can't comment on price.....but even with the LS3, it runs cool in the hottest environment.

 

[Zack1978]

Just a note that many Toyota dealers no longer stock Toyota red, rather they have fully switched to the Toyota SLL Pink coolant. This past summer I wanted to do a coolant change in my 2000 Celica GT-S, which was originally equipped with red and it was a difficult process to find the red. Only one dealer out of five that I called actually was able to get me the red, and I used that dealer to do the coolant change. The Celica is a PIA to change the coolant in and bleed so I let the dealer do it.

 

[Zack1978]

mine has a ron davis, can't comment on price.....but even with the LS3, it runs cool in the hottest environment.

Do you have the grounding kit that they recommend? If so, does it make a difference?

http://www.rondavisradiators.com/Grounding Kit Cut Sheet_v2.pdf

 

[IBFJ62]

Sorry, haven't had a chance to snap that photo yet, but I will comment on the welds on the Champion. I'm stinking jealous of them. Beautiful..

 

[JamesR]

That's good to know. I'm a little hesitant to go with a part I'm not familiar with but if others use them with no problems it must be okay.

 

[IBFJ62]

Lagging. Here's that photo of the Champion in the rig.

 

[xxTRIPxx]

Another CSF 2708 happy customer here as well......

i cant find the 2708 (what year you got?)

only one i can find is a 2709...

will i still need to add external transmission oil cooler or secondary heat exchanger?