Nissens (?) Radiator

[Guyton Buzz]

93 300 CE Cabriolet - 155K - "new" to me - replaced my 303K 92 300TE. Replaced stat with 83C one. Temps staying just above the "80" index mark on the highway, to maybe "center of the 8" number. When stopped, temps move quickly toward 100C mark, then back down, not enough to bring on electric fans. From cold start in 40F temps, would have 80C temp on gauge in one mile.

While changing hoses, reverse flushed rad. Also ran a gallon of white vinegar in cooling system for 500 miles. Still saw crud on fins when you peer down the lower hose opening. When drained and flushed with distilled water, refilled with 50/50 coolant and could not get an entire single gallon into the vehicle.

Checked on line for rad prices. Some are in the $130's, but not big name brands. Some web site have plenty of bad experiences posted about them. Some say the Behr is no longer made in Germany, but somewhere else (had a Behr, so it had been changed by PO possibly). Decided to go with "authentic" Nissens from trusted supplier, who I WILL continue to buy from.

Free shipping from Arizona. About $153. Double boxed shipment arrived, rad had these stickers on the box, but one inside on the rad that said "International Radiators". Unit was complete, had a minor assembly line dent in upper mounting edge, box undamaged. Finish work was "lesser" than the Behr. Unit was pounds lighter than the Behr, but I put this to the calcium buildup inside the old one. Did not have metal liners inside larger hose openings, but plastic was thicker.

Installed smoothly, lined up well. Note to any rad users, make sure plastic side tanks don't rub on anything when mounted. Took a good while at idle to warm up, made a 20 mile loop at 60 mph and temps fine, when stopped they would rise maybe twice the width of the gauge needle. Turning on the heater no longer made a five degree drop in coolant temp.

So, I figure I had a sludged up rad (chemical reactions take place over time 24 hours a day, just faster under heat), a lot less cooling than I should have, and I'm glad I have a new rad. As for International Radiators and "real" Nissens, I imagine like a lot of things it may be made in a very populous country not known for respect of intellectual property rights.

Pix of labels, insides of old Behr unit. If you can see crud on the end of the fin tubes, then there is a lot more inside. If previous owner used stop leak super sealer, a lot of those passages could be closed off.