Radiator

[mekaeel]

hey guys. I'm driving a d22 zd30ddt in Trinidad. yup all on the other side. we carry the navaras here in the caribbean.
my vehicle is doing 210000 km and has 9 years on it. i got a cracked head and i'm replacing it but also doing a complete overhaul because of 2 shaky pistons. getting everything done while i'm down there.
the vehicle overheated once. i don't want to risk anything after i invest soo much.
given the age of the vehicle do u all suggest a brand new nissan radiator or a rebuilt aluminium and plastic one?
we dont have aftermarket products for the zd30 down here and the only way to upgrade from the stock single core is to rebuild the original or hav a custom one done. my concerns are the lifetime of the plastic because of the age of the vehicle.

 

[Old.Tony]

Welcome to the forum.

I'd definitely consider a new radiator, particularly if it's more efficient than the original. Overheating the engine doesn't necessarily damage the radiator, but it won't help it - and the old radiator might have contributed to the damage in the engine.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about the plastic. The radiator in my D40 has plastic bits and it's fine after 112,000km.

Good luck!

 

[mekaeel]

what's your view on a dual core copper and brass radiator on the zd30?

 

[Old.Tony]

All metal construction? Sounds good to me. Copper is soft and reactive and you'd really want to steer clear of tap water but it's a brilliant conductor of heat.

 

[mekaeel]

yup all metal construction.my options are- the original nissan radiator (single core aluminium and plastic), aftermarket single core plastic and aluminium or aftermarket dual core copper and brass all metal construction.
i got 9 years out of my original nissan radiator which is a big plus for that option so far..

 

[Old.Tony]

I don't think there's anything wrong with the Nissan radiator. More efficient cooling is always good but if the cost is too much ... and then there's also the possibility that you'll go out off-road with your shiny new all-metal radiator and have a tree branch punch through it just so that fate can prove her point that you should have saved the $.

 

[Dave]

Put another genuine radiator in it.

Is the saving worth 10 grand if the engine cooks due to a aftermarket radiator thats not up to the job.