Greetings. I'm replacing my radiator this week (shes far gone). I plan to fix up peripheral cooling components while I'm at it (180 tstat, hoses, manual switch for condenser fans, clean/check sensors; clean between condenser grid/radiator, OEM expansion cap) My friend owns his own shop and he recommends a nissen radiator and we are doing the install and condenser work together. Is a nissen going to do the trick to keep my cooling system pampered enough? I am getting a smoking deal with nissen (wholesale no freight) with all the other parts and warranty included. So for my overall cooling overhaul its not going to kill me. Just weary of the nissen.

Nissen vs allmakes?

Thanks

 

Is it an OE style with metal tanks or is is plastic? How much is it?

 

I think Nissens makes an OEM-style brass radiator, not the aluminum & plastic cheaper alternative. In which case, you should be golden.

 

The nissen is full metal brass/copper $460

 

Toss in an Ultra Gauge as well

 

shop I had rod mine recommended buying an alum with plastic bowels over another copper/brass, claims they cool better and won't clog with calcium, plastic bowls are replaceable they are a lot cheaper

+1 on the UG

 

Plastic bowels

Sorry, my childish sense of humor got a giggle out of that.
But seriously, the cheap aftermarket aluminum radiators are better? Intriguing... I wonder if anyone's done a comparison?

 

My local radiator shop swears by copper/brass and hates plastic end tanks. I have a spare OEM radiator and another in the 94 I'm parting. I'll def be keeping one just in case.

 

Got a gauge. Buy a scangauge save a disco! Thanks for the input so far

 

The Nissens radiators are good quality. But sometimes they outsouce (buy private label to meet demand). I bought an aluminum one for my Mercedes, came in a box with Nissens label, but had a small red label on the unit that said International Radiator. Nissens said they do stand behind the warranty of outsourced units.

As for the shop that said "they cool better and won't clog with calcium" - copper heat transfer is much better than aluminum. Now the various manufacturing processes (solder, brazing, crimping) can make parts of one radiator weaker than another. Aluminum has the advantage of weight and low cost, making them disposable. And they both will clog with calcium cooked out of the water.

As for the plastic tanks, most get so brittle no one wants to stand behind any repairs. And such repairs may exceed the price of a new one.

Now for the money, aluminum has the copper beat hands down. And you just can't get copper radiators in every quick replacement size.