Gen 2 - Radiator

[All-Terrain]

I've done it on other cars before so just went with the flow. :smiley_drive:

edit: I didn't know this until after the fact, but there is a bleeder valve above the thermostat that you can unscrew to bleed the system as outlined in the FSM.

Is this the one that needs to be bled to prevent the heater from blocking up?

 

[TheMole]

Is this the one that needs to be bled to prevent the heater from blocking up?

Hm not sure haven't heard about that. I just bled mine the old-fashioned way with the front of the car raised a bit.

 

[JamesW]

Hm not sure haven't heard about that. I just bled mine the old-fashioned way with the front of the car raised a bit.

You need to get it pretty high up and warm at to bleed it that way, which is the way I do it too.

I once went to extremes though

 

[mk75]

I have A CSF Radiator in my green 99 Montero and have had no problems. Been using the CSF radiator for over a year since I dropped in a new engine. Look around for CFS in more than one place. Price can very a bit.

 

[TheMole]

You need to get it pretty high up and warm at to bleed it that way, which is the way I do it too.

I once went to extremes though

You definitely got all the bubbles out of your cooling system. :bowdown:

 

[Toasty]

I'll be the wild card i guess, my CSF Radiator lasted a few months over a year before it blew the core. My coolant is WAY clean and my engine had 50k miles at the time, it seemed to have just split due to how the tube was formed in the core (Every heat cycle it opened more and more until it finally split). The other thing i noticed was that the CSF and the Aluminum/plastic radiators have flat brackets (not formed like OEM) plus they have longer lower outlets. This puts the lower radiator hose really close to the A/C pulley so if you're motor mounts are less than good it can rub the hose. Also the CSF is a fair bit thinner than OEM so they are less likely to be repairable when they do fail.
So i have had a custom radiator made from old OEM parts (Gen 2 3 row) that was OK it lasted 6 years before needing 1 tube blocked off, no big deal especially considering the core was 27 years old and I think that radiator is still running in a truck somewhere. Then i bought the CSF, 1 year later i had a custom radiator built with a Northern core. It was a 2 row, dual pass cross flow radiator and by far the most efficient radiator i've ever had. It seriously did it's job and made all the other set ups i've run in Monteros in the past look poorly engineered. Unfortunately it also only lasted a little over a year before developing a leak at the core where the tube meets the tank, manufacturer defect. The shop said basically their custom work held up and that the core warranty had expired, I knew this going into it BUT i was hoping they would hook me up since i was so close to warranty (4 months out of warranty). No dice, also being a welder by trade I knew that they weren't going to be able to repair the leak due to it's location and the fact that the aluminum is contaminated with glycol. The only option was to epoxy the tube shut, I know that would have been fine but i opted to recycle my $400+ radiator for $13 at the scrap yard.

In the background of all my radiator stuff for my main rig i have had a slew of old Mitsubishis and most of them had wrecked cooling systems when i got them. I have bought a few different aftermarket radiators with mixed results but lately i just get the old stuff repaired if i can. If the old radiator is not repairable i try to find a junkyard unit that has clean fluid otherwise if i plan on keeping the vehicle for more than a couple years i'd go new OEM and avoid spending OEM money on aftermarket junk.

On a side note if someone could find a Denso supplier maybe we could get OEM radiators at a better cost much like we do with our Aisin parts.

 

[mk75]

EXPO,

GEN-2.5 Radiators \ MB890951

So I made some calls this morning to my local Mitsubishi dealership. I have developed a relationship with a couple of the parts guys from my last build and explained that some of us Montero owners are wanting Denso radiators . So some phone calls to LA were made and then a call to Japan. So I got a call back. I was told that there are Denso Radiators available from MMC for the retail price of $974.00 and would take 20-30 days to land in the LA . I was told that something could be done about price. It was requested that I not post a price in the open forum.

If people are interested shoot me a PM and I will give you more info about pricing , shipping , etc

I looked around online seeing if anyone actually had in stock and everyone I called said no and let me sell you this . Its just as good I swear !

 

[All-Terrain]

Sent you a PM.

 

[All-Terrain]

Google MB890951 and you will see plenty of Mitsubishi dealers online selling 'em for around $630. Not sure what you're actually getting (plastic + aluminum, or a brass Denso...), but you're definitely getting new factory Mitsubishi parts. Something to look into.

 

[Toasty]

New Mitsubishi radiator is a Denso.

 

[All-Terrain]

New Mitsubishi radiator is a Denso.

Right... but will it be an old-school brass Denso radiator, or an aluminum and plastic Denso radiator?

And the question at this point for me is, is a brass radiator at $600 FOUR times as good as a $150 aluminum and plastic radiator? Wondering if I should put aside my grudge against the new school, and get an aluminum and plastic one. Huge price difference.

 

[Toasty]

Right... but will it be an old-school brass Denso radiator, or an aluminum and plastic Denso radiator?

And the question at this point for me is, is a brass radiator at $600 FOUR times as good as a $150 aluminum and plastic radiator? Wondering if I should put aside my grudge against the new school, and get an aluminum and plastic one. Huge price difference.

Yes it will be old school given you provide the correct part number. The aluminum radiator will do the job BUT i'm going to have to say the Denso will be 4 times better. A 2 row Aluminum will cool better for sure but most of the aftermarket units are single row and even the added efficiency of a 2 row aluminum the problem is reliability. 1 year warranty means you will replace this part every year and pay for it, lifetime warranty means you will be replacing this part for life and the downtime and frustration comes free of charge.
If price is an issue you will be better off having the stock radiator repaired by a good shop, it will cost under $100 and be better than any aftermarket unit and fits correctly to boot. Now if you've got a stock radiator that can't be rodded out and repaired and don't plan on keeping your rig for more than a couple years just slap a CSF in there and i'll fix it after I buy it cheap on craigslist because the truck is overheating.

Just kidding

 

[Salonika]

Just hit 2 years with the $150 one with no problems. But I have put only 10,000 miles on it so maybe that's a factor.

 

[mk75]

Expo,

These are BRASS Denso like when your truck was new from the factory. Just to be clear . Also when I called several online parts houses they show in stock . However when you call to double check its a different story. Called the other dealer in town they said they could only source after market. Honestly when it comes to parts people at the dealer what you can get depends on if they are willing to pick up the phone.

They show for 595.00 and up different places. This dealer was the only one that I would believe to actually get me what I asked for. I have ordered many pieces from Japan through the dealer. It seems that when you call and the dealer tells you its on back order and we know you will never see it. MMC still has many of these pieces for our Monteros as there are quite a few GEN 2.5 running around in other parts of the world not mention its still being made from knock down kits in a couple of places. Parts are around and will be around. Our trucks when new were made of high quality metals and plastics, etc.

The retail price what i quoted earlier was DEALER STEALER retail . I was quoted "off record" pretty close to what the parts warehouses are quoting.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[All-Terrain]

Yes it will be old school given you provide the correct part number. The aluminum radiator will do the job BUT i'm going to have to say the Denso will be 4 times better. A 2 row Aluminum will cool better for sure but most of the aftermarket units are single row and even the added efficiency of a 2 row aluminum the problem is reliability. 1 year warranty means you will replace this part every year and pay for it, lifetime warranty means you will be replacing this part for life and the downtime and frustration comes free of charge.
If price is an issue you will be better off having the stock radiator repaired by a good shop, it will cost under $100 and be better than any aftermarket unit and fits correctly to boot. Now if you've got a stock radiator that can't be rodded out and repaired and don't plan on keeping your rig for more than a couple years just slap a CSF in there and i'll fix it after I buy it cheap on craigslist because the truck is overheating.

Just kidding

Haha - I love your response! I definitely understand your point. But...

Price is only an issue in that there is the principle of diminishing returns that comes into effect at some point. If I had a brand new '97 Montero that I was going to keep for 10+ years and drive for 100k+ miles, I'd treat it differently to one that's now 18 years old, with most of its life behind it. So it is a matter of choosing the maximum overall value for money based on its intended usage. I'm still deciding.

I do like the OEM option. I have a tough time finding peace of mind with these aftermarket options, especially from companies I've never heard of in my years of working on cars.

I wonder if the factory Mitsubishi radiator from a Gen 3 Montero will fit...? That would give us an OEM radiator, probably 2-row, and probably cheaper. Haven't looked into it much... but I own a Gen 3 (a 3.8, though) so I can do some poking around in the engine bay and see what I come up with.