Ten pounds of radiator in a five pound car!

Remember this Photo? " if it doesn't fit you must acquitt " The phrase that Jonnie Cochran quoted so many time in the news during that trial. Well we had a radiator that fit that description today.

This is a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer 3.0 turbo charged car. The radiator my customer bought on line from the manufacturer ( I have never heard of this one ) and had us install it for him along with new hoses and a back flush of his cooling system. See how close the exhaust heat shield is to the radiator.

It is so close the customer called the manufacturer and complained. I really didn't think it was going to fit. The radiator was twice as big as the old one ( Thick that is) the original was a one row of 1&3/8 inch tubes and the new replacement is 2 rows and over 2 inches thick. Emilio can't even get his finger in between the exhaust and the radiator core. When the motor rocks back and forth, hits a bump, loses a motor mount or any other scenario you can think of this man is going to have trouble keeping his coolant where it belongs.

Bigger I want Bigger. I hear that all the time from customers that think if I have a big enough radiator all my heating troubles will magically  vanish, not so. I like a larger cooling system just like the next guy but this is seriously over kill, he has enough radiator to cool off a V8. No joke.

So next time you need a new radiator think twice before buying it on line. I have people come in to the shop that have bought a radiator from an on line source, didn't fit or leaked and had to send it back of course they were out shipping so now the deal they got just got complicated and expensive. If you buy local or from someone you know its much safer. Radiator = radiator shop   :-}   Happy Happy!
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