[wompus]

Radiator on my 2008 328i 6MT e90 lost one of the hose connections last night, and so I need to replace the whole radiator. I've been looking at options online, and beyond the OEM plastic radiator I can't seem to find anything else. I'd like to upgrade to an aluminum radiator to avoid this issue in the future, but I haven't found any for the N52 yet. I was curious if an aftermarket aluminum radiator for the 335i N54 would work, does anyone know what kind of differences there are between the cooling systems of the 335i and 328i?

[6cylinder]

For the E90 328i radiator I find in the accessories the products:
NISSENS 60786A
VAN WEZEL 06002303
NRF 53473 or 56129

For all manufacturers the radiator fin material is made of aluminum

[fazm]

Get the CSF aluminum radiator. Model 7001, I believe.

[AllBlackBimmer]

I thought all of them were alum? Maybe not?

But I need to replace mine too - 138k on my car
I will replace the rad hoses… anything else i should replace while In there if doing the rad replacement?

ECS and FCP both have the kits that come with the hoses for like $250

I did my water pump around 115k mileage so not too old.

[StradaRedlands]

CSF is all aluminum, not just the central core sandwiched in ABS/plastic. About three times the price of the OEM type. If you really want to keep the car a long time and do things the right way, definitely go with that. If you figure the plastic kind lasted you 14 years, and you won't mind replacing it again in another 14, go with that. That was my thinking and I went with a Nissens. I hopefully will get 14 out if it!

Easy swap out BTW, other than the lower hose which was a bear.

[jsunma]

Originally Posted by AllBlackBimmer

I thought all of them were alum? Maybe not?

But I need to replace mine too - 138k on my car
I will replace the rad hoses… anything else i should replace while In there if doing the rad replacement?

ECS and FCP both have the kits that come with the hoses for like $250

I did my water pump around 115k mileage so not too old.

And of course, if you buy the one from FCP, you'll get it for free the next time you need to replace it. Been there, done that.

[hassmaschine]

Uhh, stock. mine's still going strong.. it's 16 years old now.

Maybe it's gotten better (I'm betting it hasn't) but my experience with aftermarket aluminum radiators, especially the cheaper ones - they end up developing leaks in the welds. Sure, they'll warranty it, but then again.. the stock one lasted 16 years.

[hassmaschine]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

CSF is all aluminum, not just the central core sandwiched in ABS/plastic. About three times the price of the OEM type. If you really want to keep the car a long time and do things the right way, definitely go with that. If you figure the plastic kind lasted you 14 years, and you won't mind replacing it again in another 14, go with that. That was my thinking and I went with a Nissens. I hopefully will get 14 out if it!

Easy swap out BTW, other than the lower hose which was a bear.

For 3 times the price it should last 3x as long. so, I'll be dead by then..

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

Uhh, stock. mine's still going strong.. it's 16 years old now.

Maybe it's gotten better (I'm betting it hasn't) but my experience with aftermarket aluminum radiators, especially the cheaper ones - they end up developing leaks in the welds. Sure, they'll warranty it, but then again.. the stock one lasted 16 years.

Same over here. Stock (Modine, made in Germany) radiator lasted 15 years before developing the smallest of leaks. So small many people would have just ignored it and topped coolant off a few times a year, but I figured I’d finish the cooling system side of manual conversion.

Now a quick slightly OT rant about aftermarket radiators in general…

FCP lists the Mahle Behr radiator as OE. It is NOT the OE, and it never was.

I have extensive experience with this Mahle product (3 of them, to be exact) and can truly say the quality is not even close to that of Modine. I suspect it’s the same for any of the cheaper brands.

I received three from FCP, and all three leaked at the seam where the aluminum core meets the plastic. So it sounds like this is the weakest point whether it’s all-aluminum or aluminum/plastic. As was said above, sure, you can just rely on the warranty to get a new rad, but I’d rather just spend a bit extra and get a product that’s actually well made and that I won’t have to change out ever again.

I ended up going with a genuine rad in the end (I don’t think a Modine OE option exists) and am glad I did. That said, an all-aluminum rad seems like overkill considering the quality and lifespan of the OE Modine units.

Might be worth considering going that route, OP. You’d get a German-made rad that’s great quality and will probably last until your death (if untimely and tragic) or the death of your car.

[AllBlackBimmer]

If doing the radiator… what else should be done while in there?

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by AllBlackBimmer

If doing the radiator… what else should be done while in there?

In order of convenience: First the expansion tank overflow line that goes across the top of the radiator. Then the upper and lower hoses for sure, they're really easy if you're just yanking everything off and not worried about breaking. Then Mickey Mouse line if you haven't yet. I forget if the bottom clips on or has a clamp. Small little one to the AT cooler if you have AT. You have to take it off anyway to take out the radiator. Then there's one under the exhaust manifold side you might as well do if you're doing everything else. It has clamps so a little harder. Finally, two short ones off of the thermostat. One is easy, one I put off till I need a water pump change. They're relatively inexpensive, so I recommend doing them all. Do the heater lines if you have your intake off. The only one left is the big convoluted one from the expansion tank. If you're paranoid about your pump and T-stat, this would be the time. I put mine off, gambling a little.

[krhodes1]

Do you really expect to still have the car in another 14 years? I'm agree with e90nyc that the aftermarkets are not quite as good as the factory one, but they are probably still way more than good enough for the difference in price. I can't see spending the money for a good aluminum radiator, and the cheap ones will probably fail sooner than the plastic ones.

[gbalthrop]

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sxts_pf...qid=1662751864

My 15+ year-old original radiator is still without issues. However I have installed radiators (Plastic end tanks & Upper/Lower Hose Fittings) on Camry & Buick for others in last 3 years. No issues with fit, installation, or any leak/ overheat issue since install. Both Original Radiators had cracks in End Tanks, with slow leak.

I have been using Chinese tools (HFT) for 25 years and Chinese parts & Lenovo Laptops (2, both going strong after 11 year & 3 years), mostly Amazon, for 10+ years & NOT burned YET! A Radiator has NO moving parts, so if it doesn't crack or leak on installation and in first week of regular use, it's probably going to last another 15 years.
George

[lookalikehuuh]

Originally Posted by AllBlackBimmer

If doing the radiator… what else should be done while in there?

Perfect time to do the belt, tensioners, idler pulleys. Also a perfect time to do that "mikey mouse" adapter that goes into the head that is 100000% guaranteed to break the second you look at it.

Also pretty likely you will need to do the overflow tank hose at the same time because the plastic piece in the middle will almost assuredly break as soon as you touch it to move it out of the way.

[lookalikehuuh]

Originally Posted by e90yyc

FCP lists the Mahle Behr radiator as OE. It is NOT the OE, and it never was.

I have extensive experience with this Mahle product (3 of them, to be exact) and can truly say the quality is not even close to that of Modine. I suspect it’s the same for any of the cheaper brands.

I received three from FCP, and all three leaked at the seam where the aluminum core meets the plastic. So it sounds like this is the weakest point whether it’s all-aluminum or aluminum/plastic. As was said above, sure, you can just rely on the warranty to get a new rad, but I’d rather just spend a bit extra and get a product that’s actually well made and that I won’t have to change out ever again.

Oh man that is definitely some back luck. I have had great experience with the Behr/Mahle rads so far on my 2 cars and my brothers E93. All 3 of them are at least 4 or 5 years old and 2 of them are N54 powered with FBO tunes so they make tons of head without a single issue. I guess its just luck of the draw or something unfortunately. The oldest one is on my 06 330i which has run over 100K on this radiator without any issues so far.