Lets talk radiators. Behr VS Nissens VS Mishimoto

[BLACKCHARM88]

Have a BEHR in mine and as much as I rag on her she has never went past the half mark on temp

[Mishimoto]

I'm currently in the market for a rad to supply a cooling foundation for my m30 swap.

I immediately thought about going Mishimoto due to the descent reviews some members have had with them.
Unfortunately it seems Mishimoto revamped their design on the E36M3 rad making it difficult to work with fitment wise on the e30 (See JGood's review on Product review also)

So, unless I find an EARLY model Mishimoto rad- would you recommend nissens over Behr, Behr over Nissens?

I believe that BMW uses Behr straight from the factory.

thoughts?

Thanks for considering our radiator for your 30. As you mentioned, we developed a brand new x-line radiator for the E30/E36 models. That being said, our standard aluminum radiator for the E30/E36 is not being discontinued. These two radiators provide an option for our customers, depending upon their cooling system setup, environment, and vehicle use.

JGood was using our Z3M radiator and had an issue with the overflow nipple location. We worked with him to identify the issue, and we sent him a radiator with the appropriately located nipple. Additionally, our product design was modified slightly to provide better fitment in that area of the radiator.

Let us know if we can answer any specific questions about any of our radiator options for the E30.

Thanks

JGood was using a Z3M radiator I thought? The thicker one, not the normal e36 one.

That being said, I put an e36 mishimoto in my e34 and it lasted about a year before it started to leak. Got a replacement one for $35 though (shipping), no questions asked.

You are correct in regards to JGood. I apologize for the issue you had with our E36 radiator. Hopefully the replacement unit is working out for you! If you continue to have problems, please let us know.

The Mishimoto I purchased for my Mini blew after less than a month, then after paying for the warranty replacement I had to wait 3 months before I finally called to find out that it was back ordered for another 3 months...

No refund, apology, discount, nothing at all...

Although it may be too late, I truly apologize for the situation you encountered with our Mini Cooper radiator. I understand that is a lengthy installation process, so I am sure you did not enjoy having to replace several radiators in such a short period of time. Sending you a PM about this shortly.

Thanks
-John

[Aleman]

I put a Nissens in my E30 a couple years ago. Bought it from BMA for cheap, and never had any issues with it.

[tinkerputzer]

Will the z3m s54 radiator allow enough clearance for a m20's mechanical fan?

[Herr Faust Schinken]

i think i have a behr I'm not sure, its new and it works great

[SkiFree]

Here's what I'm working with. It's about 3/8". This is a m20 rad for mocking. I get the feeling I'm pretty far back around position 3. Any idea how much thicker the z3 one is? b34 btdubs on this one. I don't remember what incarnation Mr. Burns was swapping in.

No you've got me curious, I recently had aluminum radiators made for the E9 coupe. I'm wondering if it might be a good choice here (dimensions were different/similar to e9/e12/e28 radiators).

[glnr13]

in heavy stop and go traffic during the summer and the heat wave a few weeks ago in LA + a pep boys 14" fan i barely crept over the half way mark with the nissens and the behr e28 radiator.

The e28 radiator didn't cool my m30 very well fwiw, but it probably is a hell of a lot more hot/humid down here

did you have ac/condensor?

[Ether-D]

The pulley to radiator clearance is about the same, but yeah. I'll most likely end up doing wasted spark on MS2.

[nando]

switch to MS3 and run COP. then you don't need that silly cap/rotor any more. :p

[Mr. Burns]

Ether that's decent. Throw on the plugs and you might make it.
I'm as far back as I can go insofar as the the engine/firewall will permit.
I'll hammer in another inch or so up around/below fan panel for good measure.

Jb325is im running a b35

[Ether-D]

Here's what I'm working with. It's about 3/8". This is a m20 rad for mocking. I get the feeling I'm pretty far back around position 3. Any idea how much thicker the z3 one is? b34 btdubs on this one. I don't remember what incarnation Mr. Burns was swapping in.

[Jb325is]

It is considerably thicker, but that's the problem with the e28 radiator. You either get the clearance, or better cooling. I would move the motor back and run the biggest radiator you can. Are you swapping a b34 or b35?

[Mr. Burns]

Z3M S54 rad...
what are the dimensions like in comparison to the E28 535 rad?
I need as much clearance as possible

[Ether-D]

Kickass. Thanks!

[slammin.e28]

stock radiators are fine. for the cost ($120?) they'll last 5x longer than Chinese aluminum radiators (even if they come with a warranty).

I'd go with the Z3M S54 radiator if you want extra cooling capacity.

I put these in all my cars....even the e34....yes it fits with OEM parts too.