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420A Radiator Options

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hughes_22

Probationary Member
26
5
Jul 4, 2018
Milton, Florida
Hey all. Car is a 1998 420a. It's time to replace the radiator as the plastic top finally cracked on me. Not a huge leak, but need to replace before it either expands or separates entirely. Bought one off ebay, and I guess it had been slightly crushed prior to shipping as the box had no damage, but it's cracked in the plastic directly under the inlet hose. Pressure tested to verify it was the plastic housing and not the hose. No matter where I search, ebay, amazon, Rock Auto - everywhere - they all only sell radiators with plastic tops and bottoms.

Is there any manufacturer out there still, or one from another car, that has a radiator without the plastic tanks? The car is just a leisure daily, no racing and no plans to add a turbo. Just a nice stock build that's fun to drive. The parts car I have is a 95 and the radiator it had on it had some type of metal tanks on top and bottom, but I don't trust how it looks, and haven't pressure tested it to see if it's any good. What options do us 420a guys have for replacement radiators that I haven't seen already? Thanks!
 
Fluidyne (spelling?) used to make an all metal 420a version. You can buy a 4g63 2g rad and have a radiator shop move the inlet and outlet. Aside from that you are looking at more modifications to get something else to work right. Unfortunately the market for the bolt in 420a radiator is super small.
 
Yeah, if they do still make them, I can't seem to find them anywhere. I have considered the turbo rads and just having someone move the inlet/outlet as you mentioned. Would that be a radiator specialty shop? Or like a reputable machine shop? I just don't want to turn anything into a $500 radiator when I'm not racing this car.
 
performance radiator used to sell them. i don't know if they still do, you'd have to hit them up.


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you can see the performance radiator sticker (top, middle)
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I still run a factory style rad and have no cooling issues. A good set of fans is key. Don't overthink it, if the factory radiator was working fine before. Just put another one in it. No one offers an all aluminum radiation for the 420a that I know of.
 
RadiatorBarn.com used to sell an all metal radiator for our cars. I think they were around $120--granted, that was 10+ years ago, so they would probably cost a little more today. I did a little digging and found that the online component of the company was bought by GetAllParts.com sometime around 2013. However, the underlying business was Lake Shore Radiator, which was purchased by Keystone Automotive/LKQ. I can't find any all metal radiators on their websites, but it might be worth reaching out to see if they can still supply them. The RadiatorBarn.com radiators were a great compromise between the OEM plastic tank models and the more expensive all aluminum models.

https://www.keystoneautomotive.com/
https://www.lkqonline.com/
 
I still run a factory style rad and have no cooling issues. A good set of fans is key. Don't overthink it, if the factory radiator was working fine before. Just put another one in it. No one offers an all aluminum radiation for the 420a that I know of.
Maybe they're just "new old stock" or knock-offs these days, but there are definitely aluminum radiators out there for the 420A.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I'm definitely not afraid of running just the stock style, just trying to find something without plastic tanks, if at all possible. I'll look into the radiatorbarn/keystone supplier to see what they say. I have tried searching for any keyword I can think of to find something different, but all of them on rockauto.com, Ebay, Amazon, and other radiator sites seem to be the exact same thing, with such variance in prices. All plastic tanks on top and bottom and are mt/at universals.

I was hoping searching for sebring, avenger, anything else would bring different results, but got nothing. Exact same items/design.
 
performance radiator used to sell them. i don't know if they still do, you'd have to hit them up.


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you can see the performance radiator sticker (top, middle)
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Where did you get those cooling fans from? My stock ones both still work fine, and I have a 180 thermostat in right now, but do those move more air than the stock setup does?
 
flex-a-lite 210 /230

they used to sell them at checker auto parts
i had to grind off some material so there was clearance for the radiator inlet and outlet.
they work awesome but with them both wired to come on at the same time it pulls hella amps from the electrical system.
but if i remember correctly, they won't fit with the radiators with plastic end tanks

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here is a link to the current revision of them https://www.flex-a-lite.com/electri...an-with-adjustable-thermostat-controller.html
 
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but do those move more air than the stock setup does?
I also have the flex-a-lite fans and no, they do not move as much air as the factory fan setup. Using my "hand behind the radiator" test, I'd say they move about more than half. The factory setup moves a lot of air indicated by by how big the fan blades are.
 
Good to know. I suppose I'll just stick with the factory fan setup for now then. They both work just as they should, so no need to change if it ain't broke, right?

I have done some more extensive searching over the last few days, and I did manage to find ONE listing on eBay for a Visteon by C&R all aluminum radiator, but the inlet side has been angled up in a way to work around a prior turbo install. Without searching every FB group there is dedicated to 2G Eclipses, I think that happens to be the only one in the country for sale. I may just stick with the OEM style plastic tanks, and gamble on getting another sent and hope it's not damaged during shipping.

The downsides of owning and trying to maintain an aging car... :(
 
I wouldn't worry about the plastic tanks. Your radiator made it 22 years before cracking so the next would get you some like another 22 years? shipping damage is a bummer. Have you thought about purchasing from RockAuto.com? N/T radiators are listed on their catalog. Also OEM fans can be installed on aluminum radiator and or aftermarket fans be installed on the OEM radiator.
 
Oh yeah, I purchase a ton of stuff from Rockauto. Each one they carry is identical from brand to brand.

Took these pics of the one I pulled out of my 95 parts car. Its a 2 row, and metal tanks top and bottom. Only sticker on it shows where it was manufactured I assume, no other markings. Were these an original style?
 

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I'm 2G turbo so can't say specifically about N/T. I have only seen radiators with plastic end tanks on turbo 2G's, never seen one with metal end tanks from Mitsubishi. Early '95 N/T 2GA's have a different p/n MB906412 but about half way through 1995 radiator was superseded to MR127910 & used to end of production in 1999.
 
Ahh. I bet that's it then. What I've got here must be an early 95 model then and then cut back to single row for cost and 2 rows not being necessary I'd imagine. I truly appreciate y'alls help!
 
Took these pics of the one I pulled out of my 95 parts car. Its a 2 row, and metal tanks top and bottom. Only sticker on it shows where it was manufactured I assume, no other markings. Were these an original style?
That looks pretty similar to the one I got from RadiatorBarn.com. I just found my receipt, by the way. It cost $120 back in 2006!
 
That looks pretty similar to the one I got from RadiatorBarn.com. I just found my receipt, by the way. It cost $120 back in 2006!
HAHA!! That's crazy! Yeah, I tried looking into that place, and from what I see, it just straight up doesn't exist anymore, and that company that took over, doesn't even seem to carry anything.
 
I use an aluminum rad bought from ebay, for a 4g63. All i did was re-plumb the hoses. It's not as difficult as you'd think. In junction with 12" cooling fans by Imperial from Advance Auto.
 

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I use an aluminum rad bought from ebay, for a 4g63. All i did was re-plumb the hoses. It's not as difficult as you'd think. In junction with 12" cooling fans by Imperial from Advance Auto.
Does replumb mean just extra m long hoses ?
 
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