radiators again

[nickso]

i need a new radiator for the e30 m52. seems the e36 aircon rad is best due to it's increased size. any others worth considering before i buy one? s50 maybe?

[e30-EVN]

E36 328 rad on mine mate and works a treat

[DanThe]

They are great for normal use, but I was getting some slight overheating on track, ive now got an S50 rad and oil cooler and it really is the tits! Needle gets half way between 1/4 and 1/2 whereas before it was creeping up to 3/4.
IMO an oil cooler is a must for track anyway

[nickso]

e30-dk, i have the 328 non aircon rad already and it gets a little too hot for my liking, it's also fecked so it needs to go.

dan, seems s50 is the way forward then. know of any decent suppliers or is dealer time?

i was considering an oil cooler, how is yours plumbed in? off an s50 filter housing?

[DanThe]

Yes you need the S50 oil filter housing, also custom pipes unless your willing to chop up the front panel.
If you want an airbox you will have to mount an expansion bottle on the battery tray as there just isnt room for both.

I tried an S50 rad on my 4 door years ago but decided not to bother and took it back, it only cost me £85 and I wish id kept it now as I cant get another for that money!
There have been some S50 type alloy rads on ebay on and off over the last 12 months, they do look pretty good and cheaper than oem

[nickso]

balls, nothing is ever simple is it? i'm using the e36 airbox and it's already rubbing the expansion bottle. do the expansion tanks come off the rad then?

for the oil cooler i assume you are using the s50 cooler too? i would probably go custom with the pipes and cooler as it's getting a little tight in the bay now. are the pipes on the housing screw on or push fit nastyness?

[DanThe]

Push fit, the expansion tank is separate to the rad on the S50, similar to the M20 bottle


This is mine

[blue30]

Only thing I'd add is to keep the plastic cowling between the front grill and the rad if at all possible - I've tried it with/without/with and it makes a massive difference on mine. I've no fan on mine and with the cowling in it's very rarely an issue, needle sits below 1/2. Without it I was driving round with the heater on all the time to keep the temps sensible.

[nickso]

thats the other problem, i have no heater matrix now. i need to fashion a new cowl as mine was binned for being damaged.

dan, i see those alloy rads on ebay, not a bad price, i may take a punt on that. is the e36 evo housing the same as a non evo?