Any long-term opinions on Nissen's Radiator?
 

Anybody have a Nissen's radiator without the neck reinforcement in their car for more than a few years? Is it holding up? Has it cracked or failed? Is it making you nervous?

I need to decide whether to keep and use the one I just bought or return it and pop the extra bucks for the Behr.

I was under the mistaken impression that both brands had reinforced the neck area, but apparently only Behr has done so.

I'd appreciate any feedback.

Thanks again,

Gary

Well here's my 2 cents.

I've never owned a Nissen, but have spoken with more than one person who has. None felt the quality measured up to the original Behr. In one case, temp. gauge readings went up a bit. I suspect the capacity dimished somewhat in that particular case.

If I were in the market for a new radiator, it would choose Behr.

On a side note, I recently purchased a Wahler thermostat over the WEB, so I didn't get to see what I was buying up front. The construction, finish, etc. is VERY cheap compared to a Behr thermostat.

When it comes to cooling system parts for my MB, there's one company - Behr.

Sleeving Nissens Radiator Neck
 

Any opinions on sleeving the Nissens radiator neck? (just for peace of mind if nothing else) I seem to recall reading a post where someone had done it, but I can't remember where I saw it.

Can someone tell me what material the sleeve is made of, and the thickness?

Do you think it could be done with just a slight interference fit, or would it be better to glue it in with JB Weld or some such?

Gary

It depends....
 

...on how long you intend to keep your car. If you intend to keep it for a couple of years, Nissen should be fine. If, however, you intend to keep your car for longer than that, I'd spring for the extra money. My mechanic put a Nissen rad in his 300E and it seems to be OK. On the the other hand, he says that he has seen a few Nissen come back because they leaked.

On my 16V race car I bought a Nissens radiator & the engine ran hotter & after 2 events it started leaking!! Back to Behr for $100 more than the Nissens BUT more than worth it!!!

My car is a 1986 & only 1 year ago I decided to replace the original radiator!! ONLY mistake was not to buy the OE part first!!
We all learn by mistakes.

As you can see, the preponderance of the evidence is to go with a Behr. I would wholeheartedly agree. People have burned up perfectly good engines when their radiator necks snapped off while at speed. You can lose virtually all your coolant in a matter of seconds under those conditions, and by the time you realize it it may be too late. Not worth the risk.

Same thing happened to me when my Behr neck snapped. I was told the Nissen was all aluminum but when it arrived the neck was not reinforced. I already had my car down for a week and did not want to wait another week or so for the Behr to arrive so I kept the Nissen.

No problems with the Nissen, no leaks and the fit/finish is ok, I agree that the Behr is a nicer unit. No temp increases either, seems to be the same