[gT-BMW]

anybody using an ebay radiator for there e90? seems to be more cheaper and durable than oem.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

I seriously doubt its durability.

[e90yyc]

Curious what makes you think they are more durable than OEM?

My OE rad has 280,000 kms on it.

[hassmaschine]

Based on what exactly?

[gT-BMW]

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

I seriously doubt its durability.

i seriously doubt you ever tried one

Originally Posted by e90yyc

Curious what makes you think they are more durable than OEM?


My OE rad has 280,000 kms on it.

great. so you know yours is not new.
i have one on my integra since 00. it is a civic half core radiator too. dont know the mileage. It is boosted. honestly i have more issues keeping the motor together than having any radiator issues.

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

Based on what exactly?

metal doesnt break off or crack like plastic end caps?

[hassmaschine]

Thats a what, 1 in a million failure? How many 200k+ mile E90s have the original radiators? 99.99%?

But you think a $100 chinese radiator will last longer?

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Originally Posted by gT-BMW

i seriously doubt you ever tried one



great. so you know yours is not new.
i have one on my integra since 00. it is a civic half core radiator too. dont know the mileage. It is boosted. honestly i have more issues keeping the motor together than having any radiator issues.



metal doesnt break off or crack like plastic end caps?

Tell you what. Outfit your performance car with cheap generic parts off eBay using the basis of "it's metal." Let me know the long term results of that decision.

[desertman123]

Yes, metal > plastic in terms of long term reliability, in general. Metal tends not to fatigue so quickly due to heat cycles, and is much more ductile/less brittle.

Is this radiator a good quality metal? Strong welds (with a quality filler)? IE no impurities present during manufacturing.

Will it corrode internally, or suffer from electrolysis? Keep in mind we do use a Magnesium alloy motor so any corrosion is not taken lightly.

I'm at 118k mi, 2008 MY in Florida with my original rad. No issues.

[gT-BMW]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

Thats a what, 1 in a million failure? How many 200k+ mile E90s have the original radiators? 99.99%?

But you think a $100 chinese radiator will last longer?

yes. this is a diy forum where we share ideas right? no need to be ignorant about it. plastic cracks and breaks bro. Its not just mileage that kills them, its also father time.

so can you explain why it would be a bad idea to run one? other than its an e36 rad, with a little fab it can fit.

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

Tell you what. Outfit your performance car with cheap generic parts off eBay using the basis of "it's metal." Let me know the long term results of that decision.

I did. Back in the day building a fast car for cheap, i used alot of ebay parts. Ive never had an issue with the cheapo ebay rad.

I still think that cheapo rad is more durable then any autozone rad.

This is a popular discussion in the import forums like honda and nissan. you will find that it gets the job done. worked for me so thats why i started this thread. It almost looks like to be a no brainer because most of us if not all of us is running chinese water pump and t stats.

So is that why theres alot of hate on that cheapo rad? nobody is running one because its ebay chinese part or not oem part?

[e90yyc]

Far as I can tell Welcome to NBA Jam was just offering his thoughts in response to your statement that it "seems to be more cheaper and durable than OEM." I'm still curious how you arrived at that conclusion.

Everyone here is just trying to help, bro. If you've already made your mind up that you're going to use this rad, then why argue with people whose opinions don't align with yours? Buy it, install it, and give us a review of it in another post.

It's important to appreciate how the overall quality and longevity of a part is a function of far more than just the materials its made from... I think that's what Hass and others here are trying to say.

I'm not trying to be a dick, I just never understand when people put out the feelers on a given thing, get feedback that doesn't support the idea, and then get twisted up about it.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Originally Posted by gT-BMW

yes. this is a diy forum where we share ideas right? no need to be ignorant about it. plastic cracks and breaks bro. Its not just mileage that kills them, its also father time.

so can you explain why it would be a bad idea to run one? other than its an e36 rad, with a little fab it can fit.



I did. Back in the day building a fast car for cheap, i used alot of ebay parts. Ive never had an issue with the cheapo ebay rad.

I still think that cheapo rad is more durable then any autozone rad.

This is a popular discussion in the import forums like honda and nissan. you will find that it gets the job done. worked for me so thats why i started this thread. It almost looks like to be a no brainer because most of us if not all of us is running chinese water pump and t stats.

So is that why theres alot of hate on that cheapo rad? nobody is running one because its ebay chinese part or not oem part?

Being made in China isn't the problem. Many parts are made in China. It's the manufacturer that makes the difference. Different manufacturers have different quality standards. Reputable manufacturers with long histories of producing parts for numerrous OEMs or in racing applications have well-funded and strict quality control.

Unknown manufacturers building parts to merely mimic other parts and get the job done have low quality control standards.

Nobody is running this radiator because generic parts off of eBay have a history of poor fitment, quality control, and reliability. For something so crucial to the engine's operation, I would purchase another OEM radiator before buying anything off of eBay.

People looking to upgrade their radiator will purchase either the CSF Aluminum Radiator or the Mishimoto Aluminum Radiator. Mishimoto has a history of being very transparent with their design and engineering process, making entire blogs covering the development of their parts and receiving user input to change the product along the way.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by gT-BMW

yes. this is a diy forum where we share ideas right? no need to be ignorant about it. plastic cracks and breaks bro. Its not just mileage that kills them, its also father time.

so can you explain why it would be a bad idea to run one? other than its an e36 rad, with a little fab it can fit.



I did. Back in the day building a fast car for cheap, i used alot of ebay parts. Ive never had an issue with the cheapo ebay rad.

I still think that cheapo rad is more durable then any autozone rad.

This is a popular discussion in the import forums like honda and nissan. you will find that it gets the job done. worked for me so thats why i started this thread. It almost looks like to be a no brainer because most of us if not all of us is running chinese water pump and t stats.

So is that why theres alot of hate on that cheapo rad? nobody is running one because its ebay chinese part or not oem part?

On diy forums we certainly share ideas, but it’s in poor taste when you pass an opinion as fact. That’s what you’ve done here. If it’s your opinions fine , but don’t try tell my why you’re right with so little facts.

[BSM n54iS]

I'd like to know just how much more cheaper they are

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Originally Posted by BdSM n54iS

I'd like to know just how much more cheaper they are

Between $30 and $60 depending on your source.

[gT-BMW]

Originally Posted by tlow98

On diy forums we certainly share ideas, but it’s in poor taste when you pass an opinion as fact. That’s what you’ve done here. If it’s your opinions fine , but don’t try tell my why you’re right with so little facts.

Dude there is only ideas in this thread there is no facts in here. And i wasnt trying to tell you guys anything. i just want to make something clear here. I will run this rad whenever mine fails. I didnt ask for opinions if I should run it. I WILL RUN IT. I was asking if anybody else was running one.

e90yyc tried to council me lol canadians i tell ya

nbajam doubts its durability, was just asking why he thinks that and he just shared with us what he thinks, but he doesnt have personal experience with it. that is an opinion thanks for sharing.

hassmachine asked based on what? I say based on its got plastic end caps as failure points and then sees the video and says thats the only one that fails out of 99.9%? based on what exactly, you should be asking him where he got his info from because for those that dont know how to work on there own cars, he made you guys with oem rads with high miles feel warm and squishy inside. but in reality you do. because its gonna happen.

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

Being made in China isn't the problem. Many parts are made in China. It's the manufacturer that makes the difference. Different manufacturers have different quality standards. Reputable manufacturers with long histories of producing parts for numerrous OEMs or in racing applications have well-funded and strict quality control.

Unknown manufacturers building parts to merely mimic other parts and get the job done have low quality control standards.

Nobody is running this radiator because generic parts off of eBay have a history of poor fitment, quality control, and reliability. For something so crucial to the engine's operation, I would purchase another OEM radiator before buying anything off of eBay.

People looking to upgrade their radiator will purchase either the CSF Aluminum Radiator or the Mishimoto Aluminum Radiator. Mishimoto has a history of being very transparent with their design and engineering process, making entire blogs covering the development of their parts and receiving user input to change the product along the way.

very well said. But i strongly believe nobody is running this ebay rad because 1) there isnt one designed for e90 yet and 2) its not something that fails very often. but if it does theres an e36 radiator in which i will be running when mine fails.

I'm glad dessertman bought up the electrolysis issue because that isnt caused by different metals, but if you do get that is a big issue for our cars because like he said of the magnesium block.

electrolysis only happens if you run the wrong coolant for your car. such as running just straight water. if you run water and it heats up past 130 degrees it will deposit minerals in your coolant system like your water pump. If that happens all it takes is .001v to ruin our coolant system/engine.

If you run distilled water you will never have that problem.

As for me like i said ive been running straight tap water in my cheapo ebay rad in my boosted integra for 15+ years, survived many catastrophic engine damage such as cracking a sleeve and pressurizing my coolant system to the point that my rad hoses swollen up and burst but that cheap ass rad didnt burst. it still running. it still works.

[IllSic_Design]

FWIW my oem rad failed at 138k, started leaking at the plastic end caps.

[e90yyc]

What does any of this have to do with being Canadian? I’m a dual citizen, but who gives a shit. Zero relevance to any of these discussions

[halik008]

Would I use aluminum chinese radiator? Yes as I already have on other cars. Would i bother modifying one to fit E90, hell no.

[Eddien123]

I think you posted here hoping to find support of your logic but when no on reciprocated you got upset. Logically, if it was that good then people would be using it. Even if my oem failed at 150k I'd just put another oem in to 300k.. I mean really is that worth risking a potentially shit eBay part for what?? $50