CSF All Aluminum Performance Radiator For our trucks FINALLY!!!

Are you currently experiencing any issues with running hot? The tacoma specific radiators (csf, mishimoto, afe etc are all a lot thicker radiators. Seems like a good thing but if you live in a hot climate I am pretty sure its gonna hurt ac performance at low speeds since it has to pull through a thicker radiator. The fj radiator is thinner but you have to run a different shroud/coolant tank as well as bend some transmission cooler lines which isn’t a big deal at all.

Honestly, if you don’t have issues running hot I would stick with the oem radiator. Some may disagree but unless you are in a super hot climate towing or supercharged chanced are if you are running hot you probably have an airflow problem and not a radiator problem.

 

The truck smells like it’s running hot. The needle on the temp gauge stays in the middle though. It seems like it gets to the middle too quickly though. I figured if I’m going to replace parts as preventative maintenance, maybe going to an aftermarket all aluminum radiator would be beneficial. I see a lot of the guys on TW are doing it so…
I’m planning on replacing the radiator, thermostat, hoses, water pump, serpentine belt, engine cooling fan clutch, & idler pulleys. I hoping that will take care of it.

 

Did you start by checking the level & condition (color/appearance) of the coolant? How about putting a proper mechanic's stethoscope on/near the water pump to make sure it sounds normal? Next after that might be to replace the coolant thermostat, a small inexpensive part that is relatively easy to access & replace. (Though it does require draining & refilling the coolant.)

The cooling fan clutch you can assess just by giving it a spin (by hand) when the engine is off and cold. If it spins too freely, the viscous coupling is worn or completely shot and it does need replacing. When spun by hand it should spin maybe an 1/8th to 1/4 of a full turn before coming completely to rest. (Sort of like a good bearing spun by hand will be silent and barely free-wheel at all, while a shot bearing will whirr/whoosh and freewheel many revolutions.)

Re: radiator size increase. The engine has a design operating temperature range for optimum fuel burn and as-designed component wear. The stock radiator, fan, etc. are sized to keep the engine within that design temp. range under most circumstances. More cooling capacity is only beneficial if the engine is pushed above the top end of the design temperature range, i.e. heavy towing in hot climates/weather and/or mountainous terrain.

 

Doesn’t seem like a hard choice. If it’s been handling what you do no need to go overboard. If you’re looking to run it hard at low speed then an upgrade should be considered.

 

Good info, thanks for the reply.

I have like 230k in miles so…I’m thinking that replacing all that stuff, though I don’t want to spend the money, is probably a good idea.
I do like to drive in the Eastern Sierras & Mountains. In the summer it can easily get into the triple digits….especially the desert. I don’t tow anything though.

 

So... I'm a big "data and facts will answer your questions" type of person. You can buy a pretty cheap ODB bluetooth plug and then download an iPhone/Android app like ODBFusion to monitor (in real time) your coolant temp. The app and bluetooth plug will come in handy for all sorts of things in the future as well (reading and clearing codes, other engine readings, etc...). This would help you validate if your engine is actually running hot or not. I wish I would've done a baseline reading with my stock radiator to compare to the CSF that I installed. As others have stated, OEM is completely fine for normal daily driving. If you tow or wheel a bunch, an aftermarket performance radiator like the CSF would probably help. I've heard from the owner himself that the CSF radiator won't make your engine run cooler necessarily but helps it get back to normal temperatures quicker than the OEM if you're in a engine high-stress situation. Replacing the thermostat with a lower temp version would help make your engine run cooler if that was your desire.

The #1 reason I went with an all-aluminum CSF over OEM is for the simple fact that the OEM radiator popped a seal and started leaking after only 45k miles on my 2017 TRD Pro. I have a manual with a tune and I drive spirited but it's all daily driving. I rev match a bunch as well. I also had a TRD cap which increases the boiling point and pressure of the stock radiator. Any one of those things MIGHT have prematurely caused the radiator to fail but at the same time, Toyota reliability... I expected more (and maybe I just got a bad seed radiator to fail so quickly). My previous 2000 Tacoma went strong for years and I never had to replace the radiator. I drove that thing more like a race car and it was a manual as well. The CSF is a fully-welded construction with no plastic parts or seals. On paper, it should be much more robust than OEM. That, and it gave me an excuse to install some fancy red tubes to match my engine bay theme (I'll post a pic if anyone cares).

Oh, and I went with CSF over Mishimoto based on there overall popularity and feedback from the Tacoma crowd with CSF being in favor over Mishimoto. I did install Mishimoto silicone tubes though and they come with a lifetime warranty. The CSF radiator comes with a 2-year warranty which I'm assuming will be long enough to flesh out any manufacturing defects.

One last thing, there is a small gap between the shroud and the CSF. I used some auto-weather seal from Home Depot to seal most of the sides (as I realized the gap after installation). Didn't seem to affect temperatures much at all. The radiator comes with some weather stripping as well so you can just use that stuff too. Not a big deal at all. Seal it or don't, the CSF seems to keep the engine just as cool as stock.

 

aluminum radiator preventing airflow to a/c condenser
Never heard of this and doubt it.

 

He must have thought that the condenser was on the engine side of the radiator, which is not the case.

 

No I know it’s in front of the radiator. But you stuff a thicker radiator on these trucks I have experienced terrible idle ac performance with the fan clutch even though after testing the clutch came back as “good”.

As far as the smell of overheating @4WDTrout I would do like others have suggested and get a temp gauge that will tell you your actual coolant temp. The stock gauge doesnt seem to move even at 220 F. I use an ultragauge to monitor coolant and trans temps.

 

1. this does not provide other relevant information such as age miles and condition of A/C components

for example. Mine is old, with miles, and dirty reducing efficiency. It needs replaced.

also. Many vehicles use and have used all metal coolers.

2. the stock Tacoma period is known for subpar idle A/C performance. This is why there is a bulletin to add an auxiliary fan. I have noticed this with mine. On a stock radiator.

I don’t know off the top of my head if it’s in front or rear. Probably front. Condensers are usually front forward of the radiator.

 

2 Questions

looking to replace stock radiator. It’s old.

1. Anyone know any Black Friday deals?
2. How is warm up time and heat? I’ve heard all metal radiators take too long to warm up and result in the vehicle being stuck in closed loop and dumping rich fuel for longer = even significantly worse MPG than what the truck already is.

kind of torn based on that between going with $60 plastic CSF rad, $80 denso, or the all metal. Technically, stock has worked so far. It’s just old dirty and bent fins.

I don’t have a scan gauge. Weight is increased from armor. Manual trans.

hoping that by putting a metal rad alone it doesn’t all of a sudden turn into forever 7mpg never warm up to operating temp stuck at cold start.

 

The CSF all-aluminums are on sale right now for $450 pretty much everywhere.

Haven't had issue with warm up time if you're referring to the dummy dial on the truck hitting middle. It's been cold here in Colorado and my truck still heats up just as quick as it did with the OEM radiator. This is because the thermostat won't open up and start flowing coolant until the truck hits optimal temps. So nothing really changes between OEM and an oversized aluminum. The biggest change is that your engine will cool quicker when it starts to heat up.