I've seen various threads talking about eBay radiators in our cars. But, I'm a little unclear on what radiator is that, actually. Is is this one?

ALUMINUM RADIATOR FOR 1979-1985 MAZDA RX7 RX-7 S1 S2 S3 3ROW MT +Shroud&Fans

It includes electric fans, which seems like a plus. Well, maybe a plus. I'd be interested in any input you guys have. My radiator, so far, seems to be okay. Hope it remains so.

 

I'm sure someone will come in and beat the eBay radiator to hell on the forum about how they would never trust one but I've run numerous eBay 2 and 3 row aluminum radiators in the past without any problems. I have noticed with the proper shroud and fan setup it is much more efficient, which is obvious with any radiator. Word to the wise... A fan setup without the proper shroud does little to nothing.


If you plan on sending the car through heat cycles and hitting the track hard id recommend a quality radiator, but for a daily driver or grocery getter an eBay aluminum rad isn't a bad option for the money.

 

The common radiator is the three row Champion one. I remember the price being around $160 shipped though without the fan. Electric fans are overhyped unless you need the space for a special build. The factory clutch fan seems to work fine.

 

There are two schools of thought with shrouds - they might help the fans to be a bit more efficient drawing air through the whole core, but also inhibit natural air flow while driving.
A flush mounted fan with no shroud still works well. Most after market fans recommend this method.

As to the ebay rad you listed i bought the EXACT same one with the EXACT same fans except without the shroud for about a third of the price from ebay australia. I dont know how many factories in China are churning these things out but they are everywhere.

I literally got the cheapest one i could find with fans as it was a temporary arrangement while i had a custom one made up.

The one i got was leak free and performed admirably. Although I imagine i may have gotten lucky there.

I did have to make wings to get it to bolt up to my stock '85 (aus) radiator supports though.

 

I'm with KC on this one.

For for a small fraction of one of those aluminum units with the electrical wing ding motors:



you can get a stock rad that's a perfect fit for half the price ($130 vs $240):



1983 MAZDA RX-7 1.1L R2 Radiator | RockAuto

Ad the proper shrouding and your 12A can't get no cooler.

 

I think he is talking about clutch fans. E-fan's I could see there being a debate, but if you run a clutch fan without a shroud you are just spinning the fan for no reason at all.

 

Yeah i was going to clarify that

 

I installed a 3 core aluminum radiator in my 79 after the stock one sprung a nice leak. I picked it up on Amazon for about $130 shipped. Bolted up perfect with zero modification, 10 year manufacturer warranty to boot.


A properly sized shroud is necessary when using a mechanical clutch or flex fan. A flush mounted electric fan needs no shroud.

It's tough to beat the advantages of a clutch fan on a street car. There's minimal cruising HP loss and are extremely reliable. A race driven car is a different story with a different set of needs where an electric fan might benefit.

 

I went with a three row CSF rad for my car. Drop in OEM fitment/appearance and you know it is not eBAY junk.

Has been fine with 30degC days and my 12A streetport.

 

I've been running an ebay fan for 3 years, and it works fine . . . except for the low quality o-rings they put in the plugs. The brazing and welding seem to be fine, but any plug that's installed in the rad should be inspected. If there's an o-ring in it, replace it with something else (a good quality o-ring, a pipe-thread plug, anything!). The original ones will crack, and coolant will leak.

The other concern I would have is the fan motors. I don't know who makes them and if they have any OEM automotive quality control. I'm using SPAL fans because they are an OEM-qualified supplier.

Lastly, you may better off with an e-fan(s) mounted close to the core without a shroud. As stated earlier, the car will cool much better while in motion without the shroud. I drive my car daily in the summer in both highway and stop-and-go traffic. Even on 95deg days, it's rare that my fan comes on. (I'm running an OEM 180deg thermostat with a fan switch that turns on at 195deg and off at 185deg.) The temp rise while stationary is very, very slow. I am not, however, running A/C -- that may have a significant effect on the rate of temp rise.

 

That's my video on using an eBay radiator.

I posted the links to the items I used in the comments and in the description.

Total for the fans and the radiator was $160 for both of them, the seller of the fans has the fan setup listed at $70 right now which would bring the total up to $195 for the fans and the radiator.

I haven't been able to put a ton of miles on these items so far, but the radiator isn't leaking and the fans work when I turn the switch on so I can't complain yet