“I always appreciate a good review from someone when it comes to performance upgrades on your vehicle. First, this radiator is definitely a great upgrade compared to a stock radiator and the quality is amazing! I’ve always said when doing performance upgrades, expect something to go wrong because nothing is perfect. The installation of this radiator was a pain in the bum (I have a 2005 Toyota Tacoma 4-Door 4x4 TRD.) First, make sure to take the skid plate off of the bottom of your vehicle until all work is completed and checked for leaks otherwise, like me, you’ll have taken the thing on/off 10 times.
Second, the stock radiator is definitely smaller in width than the CSF radiator, but that did not cause a serious issue when installing.
Third, go out and buy brand new radiator hoses (Auto Zone sells a Continental lower radiator hose Part#D71800 & Continental upper radiator hose Part#E72214) because your old radiator hoses will most likely be too stretched from wear/tear or the stock radiator clamps (Upper & lower) will need to be put in the same exact spot at the engine connections (Due to being worn into the old radiator hoses, which could cause radiator leaks from the lips of the ends of all the connections). Just be aware that the new radiator hoses will most likely need to be cut with a box/cutter to the size of your vehicle’s specifications so there are no interruptions with the flow of the coolant and so the lower hose doesn’t hit your engine fan assembly. Make sure to evenly cut the hoses flush on both sides so fitting on the radiator connections doesn’t cause you issues. I would highly suggest getting brand new radiator clamps (2, 2-packs of SmartSeal ; Part #372150028058) hose clamps because the CSF radiator upper & lower hose connectors have larger diameters (Approximately 1.5 inch with bead welds) than the stock radiators. This causes a tighter fit for the radiator hoses and the stock radiator hose clamps WILL NOT fit over the radiator hose connectors. You will have to wiggle and play with the radiator hoses to properly stretch them on to the connectors, but it’s not hard and doesn’t take much time. If the new clamps are not placed on the hoses and tightened properly, you will notice radiator coolant leaking from the connections at the radiator or engine connections when driving with higher RPMs.
Also, the stock radiator fan shroud is closer to the upper radiator hose connection and a clamp will be unable to fit between the fan shroud and the upper radiator connection due to the tight space. A dremel tool will be needed to grind down the plastic fan shroud so that the clamp can fit between the upper radiator hose connector and the fan shroud. Don’t worry, it’s not hard and takes only a minute or two. After using the above-mentioned SmartSeal radiator clamps and tightening them down evenly, check the connections that they are tight and make sure there are no puncture marks in the hoses (There shouldn’t be if you aren’t King Kong). At last, make sure everything is put back together properly and take for a test-drive WITHOUT the skid plate. Hopefully you did everything right and there are no leaks.
This review makes the radiator sound like a pain in the bum, but it is definitely worth the money and temporary problems/installation vs the long term issues with stock radiators/cracking. Again, the quality of the radiator is astounding and very well-made! I would highly recommend this product!”
“I always appreciate a good review from someone when it comes to performance upgrades on your vehicle. This radiator is definitely a great upgrade compared to a stock radiator and the quality is amazing! I’ve always said when doing performance upgrades, expect something to go wrong because nothing is perfect. The installation of this radiator was a pain in the bum (I have a 2005 Toyota Tacoma 4-Door 4x4 TRD.) One thing of note is this CSF radiator came with circular metal adapters for the radiator bushings, however, 2005-2015 Tacomas don’t need the metal adapters due to the stock bushings fitting perfectly without the metal adapters.
First, make sure to take the skid plate off of the bottom of your vehicle until all work is completed and checked for leaks otherwise, like me, you’ll have taken the thing on/off 10 times.
Second, the stock radiator is definitely smaller in width than the CSF radiator, but that did not cause a serious issue when installing.
Third, go out and buy brand new radiator hoses (Auto Zone sells a Continental lower radiator hose Part#D71800 & Continental upper radiator hose Part#E72214) because your old radiator hoses will most likely be too stretched from wear/tear or the stock radiator clamps (Upper & lower) will need to be put in the same exact spot at the engine connections (Due to being worn into the old radiator hoses, which could cause radiator leaks from the lips of the ends of all the connections). Just be aware that the new radiator hoses will most likely need to be cut with a box/cutter to the size of your vehicle’s specifications so there are no interruptions with the flow of the coolant and so the lower hose doesn’t hit your engine fan assembly. Make sure to evenly cut the hoses flush on both sides so fitting on the radiator connections doesn’t cause you issues. I would highly suggest getting brand new radiator clamps (2, 2-packs of SmartSeal ; Part #372150028058) hose clamps because the CSF radiator upper & lower hose connectors have larger diameters (Approximately 1.5 inch with bead welds) than the stock radiators. This causes a tighter fit for the radiator hoses and the stock radiator hose clamps WILL NOT fit over the radiator hose connectors. You will have to wiggle and play with the radiator hoses to properly stretch them on to the connectors, but it’s not hard and doesn’t take much time. If the new clamps are not placed on the hoses and tightened properly, you will notice radiator coolant leaking from the connections at the radiator or engine connections when driving with higher RPMs.
Also, the stock radiator fan shroud is closer to the upper radiator hose connection and a clamp will be unable to fit between the fan shroud and the upper radiator connection due to the tight space. A dremel tool will be needed to grind down the plastic fan shroud so that the clamp can fit between the upper radiator hose connector and the fan shroud. Don’t worry, it’s not hard and takes only a minute or two. After using the above-mentioned SmartSeal radiator clamps and tightening them down evenly, check the connections that they are tight and make sure there are no puncture marks in the hoses (There shouldn’t be if you aren’t King Kong). At last, make sure everything is put back together properly and take for a test-drive WITHOUT the skid plate. Hopefully you did everything right and there are no leaks.
This review makes the radiator sound like a pain in the bum, but it is definitely worth the money and temporary problems/installation vs the long term issues with stock radiators/cracking. Again, the quality of the radiator is astounding and very well-made! I would highly recommend this product!”
“So I’m in Moab, Utah going through hells revenge, with all my overland gear and armor, my engine overheated. Fast forward to now, having installed the all aluminum performance radiator and I have had no overheating issues since then.”
