what is the best radiator besides oem

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Check radiatorbarn.com and see if they have a CSF for your model year. These are good radiators. Lots of Jeep guys run them after the crap OEM plastic ones crack.

I think they went out of business.
 
Dealers call on aftermarket suppliers to check if they have the OEM unit in stock. It's how it works when Trad stock runs dry. Some aftermarket suppliers stock OEM parts. Check with radiator barn, or eighteen hundred radiator (ask for a xxxxxDE). If it's DE at the latter source, it's OEM.

eighteen hundred probably bought out radiator barn though.
 
Not only is that not OEM, but the price is high. Retail would be $381 for a CSF and I could have it today. Not that I need one.
 
APDI is a big no go! Never, ever buy an APDI radiator for anything. It could be a CSF though, you never know. Aftermarket distributors will buy from each other to fill inventory gaps. You might get a Koyo from Pacific Best, you might get junk.
 
The original post calls for the best available. But then he wants one that is cheap. This confuses me. I had the OEM which lasted me about 200k. I now have a CSF that was put it when I wasn't in town and my wife needed to just make a decision. I have the sneaking suspicion it's now the cause of the mysterious leak I can't trace. When it's time to replace I am leaning heavy towards a Ron Davis all aluminum at $800. I would qualify that as "best" save for the OEM rad.
 
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Not only is that not OEM, but the price is high. Retail would be $381 for a CSF and I could have it today. Not that I need one.

Oops. My bad.
 
The original post calls for the best available. But then he wants one that is cheap. This confuses me. I had the OEM which lasted me about 200k. I now have a CSF that was put it when I wasn't in town and my wife needed to just make a decision. I have the sneaking suspicion it's now the cause of the mysterious leak I can't trace. When it's time to replace I am leaning heavy towards a Ron Davis all aluminum at $800. I would qualify that as "best" save for the OEM rad.

That's a whole different ball game. Aluminum dissipates/transfers heat much better than copper/brass, and a custom radiator can have as many rows as you want, in various row width and thickness, as well as orientation (vertical v. horizontal).

I agree, oem can not possibly be the best out there. I know the CSF in my wreck cooled the same motor better than the oem in there now. I would have transferred it over, but the filler neck was bent.

For the leak, I'd check the two heater cores and the lines.

I didn't see many copper/brass CSF's being returned in my tenure of rad sales.
 
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I have a CSF model W0133-1599468. About 10k in miles on it and seems fine, no issues here in Phoenix with the heat and sitting in traffic. 3 row and all metal. Watch the shroud retainer clips, you may have to bend them a bit to get a snug fit.

Prices are $315 with free shipping from Amazon and $325 from parts geek.

Certainly not an expert but I can't complain about it so far.
 
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Aluminum does not transfer heat better than Copper. Copper has a heat transfer coefficient (k) of 398, compared to aluminum's heat transfer coefficient of 237. A higher coefficient for a particular material means that heat will more rapidly be transferred through that material. Brass has a pretty poor heat transfer rate (110), so unless we know exactly what the copper/brass alloy is, it's harder to compare. Even a 50/50 mix and an average k value of 254 (not sure the math works out exactly like that, but it's probably close) would still transfer heat better than aluminum.

Aluminum is often a preferred material for high-end radiators because of its strength, weight, relative ease of manufacture, etc. Better cooling of an aluminum radiator over a copper/brass version is more likely due to a better design - air flow, more rows, optimum coolant flow, etc.
 
Thanks, I don't get scientific on stuff, I measure by core temp. However, set the two in the sun, copper/brass and aluminum side by side and see which burns your hand when it's 100 degrees outside.

Your science fails.
 
WOW thanks to everybody for the info that's great so reading all the different quotes I am looking at around the 290 to 350 range on the radiators which I was aware just looking for input from all who would right back. Thanks I will make my mind then let you all know the out come and then post pics of the install. Because once the old one comes out I am doing a bunch of other work since it will be a part.
Also I keep looking at the koyo web site and typing in 92 land cruiser and I get 93 and above. So thanks for the quick responses and info. Plus for one comment made not to make it confusing looking for a good low costing radiator not a 800 dollar radiator.
 
Thanks, I don't get scientific on stuff, I measure by core temp. However, set the two in the sun, copper/brass and aluminum side by side and see which burns your hand when it's 100 degrees outside.

Your science fails.

Are they both the same color? A black radiator vs a polished one will always get hotter in the sun.
 
WOW thanks to everybody for the info that's great so reading all the different quotes I am looking at around the 290 to 350 range on the radiators which I was aware just looking for input from all who would right back. Thanks I will make my mind then let you all know the out come and then post pics of the install. Because once the old one comes out I am doing a bunch of other work since it will be a part.
Also I keep looking at the koyo web site and typing in 92 land cruiser and I get 93 and above. So thanks for the quick responses and info. Plus for one comment made not to make it confusing looking for a good low costing radiator not a 800 dollar radiator.

We installed the $130 aluminum radiator today. Fit and finish was good. The welds weren't up to Ron Davis standards but werent bad especially considering the price. I have the same style rad in my crawler and it's been fine.
 
I didn't see many copper/brass CSF's being returned in my tenure of rad sales.

The CSF I put in my 91 about ten years ago was leaking like a sieve within three years. Maybe they're better now, but I'd have a *really* hard time making myself buy another one.
 
I did the sheppard auto early 80's all aluminum for under $100 shipped, just have to mod the shroud and adapt the HG over pressure hose into the inlet, been running now for over a year not a single issue.
 
Are they both the same color? A black radiator vs a polished one will always get hotter in the sun.

Sure, but have you ever seen a copper/brass radiator that wasn't painted? The paint acts as an insulator, which you don't want.

The CSF I put in my 91 about ten years ago was leaking like a sieve within three years. Maybe they're better now, but I'd have a *really* hard time making myself buy another one.

They must have upped quality control over the years, we didn't get many CSF's back because of failure. We didn't get many back because of fitment either. Maybe 20 returns in three years, for all makes and models, and we sold at least a hundred radiators a day, during winter.

I like their product and would not hesitate to throw one in mine if need be.
 

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