all alloy radiators from Zionsville

[shogun]

http://www.zionsvilleautosport.com/store/shop.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=6134&Category_Code=CCSE34

[bubba966]

Anybody have one of these in their car? If so what do you think of it?

I should be replacing the rad in my car in the next year or so as a preventative measure and was seriously considering a Zionsville unit so as to not ever have to bother with it again.

[BigKriss]

Looks good with a Lifetime Warranty. Winfred put a 540i radiator in his old 535i. I wonder if it uses the stock fan shroud and how much better it would perform than a stock e34 540 radiator.

[Tiger]

Impressive product... However, I would be concerned about the heat dissipation on the side where plastic is usual stuff... There is a reason why they use plastic... they don't want heat dissipation there. Otherwise, the heat travels to all other components we want to protect... headlight... hood... air conditioner lines... etc.

On my old Mercedes that I had... When I bought it, it had all metal radiator... Brass I think... the problem was my hood got extremely hot and some part of my front fender... If someone were to lean on my car, they would scald themselves... even me... Until many years later, I swapped it out for normal radiator... and all that problems are gone.

There were some cracking on paint until I had it redone.... way before my new radiator. While this product would last forever because of no possible neck breaking and leak at the seams... it does have bad side effects. At that price... that is close to 2 radiators... and considering each one last about 10 years... may not be worth it.

[Robin-535im]

Looks like the m5 radiator can also take pictures... now that's "cool."

[bubba966]

Impressive product... However, I would be concerned about the heat dissipation on the side where plastic is usual stuff... There is a reason why they use plastic... they don't want heat dissipation there. Otherwise, the heat travels to all other components we want to protect... headlight... hood... air conditioner lines... etc.

That might be a reason for the plastic. But I thought it was mostly to prevent the electrochemical reaction between the neck and the hoses (which is why the t-stat housing is also plastic) so as to prevent the hoses from disintigrating.

And also it's a planned obsolesence since the plastic doesn't last forever.

But I can see the added heat dissapation as a possible problem on the 525's. But the 540's have the expansion tank up on the firewall, not on the radiator like the 525's do. I'll have to have a look at my radiator next time I pop the hood, but I doubt the 540 would have much more radiating area due to the remote location of the expansion tank.

Still would like to hear from someone that's got one, specifically someone that has one in a 540. With all of the 540's in use around here I'd imagine that someone has got one in their car.

[Barney Paull-Edwards]

Come on! BMW radiators have plastic tanks because Behr quoted the best mass-production price, end of debate, not because they are any better.An all alloy rad will disperse heat better due to better conductivity than plastic, check out performance BMW`s, cost is a lesser factor in the new M3 for instance.

[whiskychaser]

Come on! BMW radiators have plastic tanks because Behr quoted the best mass-production price, end of debate, not because they are any better.An all alloy rad will disperse heat better due to better conductivity than plastic, check out performance BMW`s, cost is a lesser factor in the new M3 for instance.
So thats why they dont have a sep expansion tank? Dont even have a leak but I still think its a crap design. For those who hate negative vibes, i still love the car:)

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

A lot of M3 owners have this out here.

it's a popular mod for E36 and e46 M3.

[winfred]

http://members.cox.net/wdixon27/lol.gif plastic radiators are around for the same reason front wheel drive is, it's cheaper


That might be a reason for the plastic. But I thought it was mostly to prevent the electrochemical reaction between the neck and the hoses (which is why the t-stat housing is also plastic) so as to prevent the hoses from disintigrating.