Postby smj999smj » Thu Nov 27, 2014 1:37 pm
Well, any radiator, be it OEM or aftermarket, with a crimped-on plastic tank can be prone to developing a seam leak at some point. For the most part they are pretty reliable for 100,000 miles plus, but you'll always get a couple that will fail, just as with any part. The Titans and Armadas had a lot of issues with lower tanks cracking or leaking at the seams of their radiators, which are also made by Calsonic. I'm not sure what happened with Calsonic? They were a supplier of radiators, heating system components and exhaust systems to Nissan for years. Nissan bought them out completely around 2004-05. Ironically, that was when the radiator problems started.
As far as the internal cooler issue, the cross-contamination issue has nothing to do with the plastic tanks. The cooler is metal in the Nissan radiators, but there is a seal on the cooler that can develop a leak that is the source of the problem. There is a YouTube vid where a trans shop removed the cooler from the radiator and pressurized it with air and placed it in a tank of water. You can clearly see where the leak is.
I've had my radiator for two years. It was made in China, but most radiators these days are. It fit perfectly and appeared to be well made. I opted for the 2-1/8" dual core over the 2-1/4" single core, which is what the Nissan rad is, for what it's worth. Not sure if one has a benefit over the other, but so far it's been fine. Last time I checked, the price had dropped to $72 w/ free shipping. For me it was just cheap insurance compared to worrying about the original radiator fail and take out the transmission. I would have gone for the all-aluminum radiator if it was available at the time, but I've been happy with what I got. The $450 Nissan wants for a radiator is ridiculous!