M42 radiator options

[totheredline]

my radiator and expansion tank are toast. Since I will eventually be tracking the car this summer I would like a little more cooling. Do you guys know of any aftermarket radiators that will bolt right up?

I know an e36 6 pot rad will work with modifications but im still not a fan of the plastic end tanks.

[Asbradley21]

I went mishimoto. All aluminum, no plastic.

[totheredline]

^ Are you running that with an M20 expansion tank?

[bmwm42]

Late m20 radiator with expansion tank

[Asbradley21]

I did this. Zionsville fan shroud w/expansion tank.



Totally worth it. Even though I only got to use the setup one day at the track before my m42 bit the dust anyway.

[AndrewBird]

^^^Spendy.

Late m20 radiator with expansion tank

This would be the cheapest and most effective. Go with a Mishimoto to get an all aluminum radiator. They are only ~$50 more than stock.

[Asbradley21]

^^^Spendy.


[late m20] would be the cheapest and most effective. Go with a Mishimoto to get an all aluminum radiator. They are only ~$50 more than stock.

It was. Although it is a Mishimoto radiator, and not a Zionsville one, which saved a lot. It was a knee-jerk never-going-to-have-this-problem-ever-again-ever reaction.

Although, the day after I put it in I blew my motor at an hpde. But it never overheated! Well, not the coolant anyway.

[petrolhead]

M42 engined E30s use the same radiator as a 328i E36. I bet your problem is somewhere else. That radiator should be adequate. There's a higher pressure cap available (2,0 bar) available for it. Raising coolant system pressure increases cooling efficiency / effectiveness.

Make sure the fan shroud and all other plastic bits around the radiator are in place. They do matter.

Sorry about my english :).

[totheredline]

^ true.

I think Im going to go with the mishimoto E36 radiator with an M20 expansion thank.

and rig up an electric fan.


I also have to figure out some kind of oil cooler. Not sure how thats going to work.

[irish44j]

I'm using an ebay Mishimoto knock-off on the rallycross car (it's the e36m3 size), and using an external M20 expansion tank.

The company that makes it is called "Koyostar" (yeah, the Chinese even steal the Japanese name from Koyo and then make Mishimoto copies, lol). I happen to have some insider knowledge of the parent company and they actually make a lot of radiators and car parts for other "name brands".....so this "copy" is probably spec'd to some other brand that you've heard of, and the Koyostar company is ISO certified, etc etc. So it's not some dude in a sweatshop making it.

But it's been great all season. Well-made, gussets are good, fit was correct, etc. No complaints, and about 1/3 the price of a Mishimoto if you don't care about name brand. YMMV.





Keep in mind this is on a former M10 car, so my mounts are still on the bottom, not up on the sides like an M42 would have stock.

[totheredline]

Looks good! Supposedly an E46 M3 rad will fit but at that point youre just adding weight to the front end.

[irish44j]

IDK, I didn't notice it being notably heavier than the stock M42 rad. The extra weight is just from the separate expansion tank. But really, unless your car is a track car it's a pretty negligible amount of weight.