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Old 08-18-2011, 01:37 PM   #1 (permalink)
theDreamer
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Location: Texas
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Default CSF Radiator: Reviews

Thought it would be a good idea to catalog a place for reviews on this radiator since a few people have been picking it up from NA to boosted cars.

My car:
2009 370z 6MT
GTM Stage I Supercharger
CSF Radiator
GTM 25 row oil cooler

Fitment was great, Baker Tuning had no issues putting it in. Quality seems to be on par with other radiators from comparing them to 350z upgraded radiators I have seen. Weight of the radiator is the same as the stock so no savings with that.

Daily driving:
Prior to the radiator change I was running water temps daily of around 220-240. Traffic driving I could see 240 very quickly from just a short 20-30 seconds of idle in 90 degree weather. Once I started to move a little the temps would drop maybe 5 degrees but the moment airflow slowed it would quickly jump back up. My intake temps while driving would range from 10 over ambient to 30-40 over at idle with the amount of heat. Oil temps ranged around 220-230.
After I upgraded the radiator it has been 100 degrees or higher driving and I rarely get above 220 in heavy traffic. Normally I stick around 200-205 in this heat and sitting behind other cars in traffic. Intake temps are about the same so no change with that, oil temps there might be a slight drop as I still see 220 but it drops down to 210 quickly after I start to move forward.

Highway:
Open highway prior to the radiator I would see around 210-220 water temps and if I got on it hard I could push it to 240 very quickly. Air intake temps were about 5-10 above ambient and oil temps varied based on airflow, outside temps were in the 90s.
Highway driving after the upgrade I could stick to 200 water temps while driving on the freeway and this was put through a very long test drive. Houston to Dallas is about 3.5-4 hours and on a cruise about a month ago I could keep the temps below 205. This was driving at 75-85mph, RPMs were just at 3k or higher for most of the trip. Now this is not pushing it to the level of track testing as you spend most of your time in the 5k or higher range, but for street driving I found the radiator to more than handle itself.

The worse I have been able to push this radiator was 228 on the street in 105 degree temps outside, and about 3-5 minutes of heavy driving in the upper RPM range. About 2 minutes after I was finished and cruising the temps dropped from 228 to 205 quickly. Prior to the CSF radiator the temps would maybe drop to 220 during cruising after a hard run like that. Also, outside temps prior to the upgrade were 90s and now they are 100+ everyday so I definitely have not been giving the radiator a break.

Overall I would say this is a great upgrade for boosted cars looking to keep the temps down. Now for some pictures:

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