Radiator Opinion (Koyo vs. Mishimoto)

[BlackZenkiS14]

Ok, so back when I did my swap last time (05), the obvious choice was simply Koyo was the best bang for the buck.

However, now that i'm building another one, I have no idea who makes the best radiator for the money.

What else is out there, and are there any real performance difference between them?

[SochBAT]

There are differences, but most people pass them as admissible.

Buy a Griffin radiator and be done. A number of trackwhores here love em.

[BlackZenkiS14]

I agree that Griffin is probably the best, however, I am still on a bit of a budget, and want to be best bang for the buck. Koyo has always held that spot in the past IMO, but now IDK.

[mishimoto]

We hope you will make the right choice ;)

Send me a PM if you ever have any questions!

[Ali 556]

Griffin > Koyo >>>>>> Mishimoto

[slider2828]

Damn what a slap in the face... but I too am Koyo'ed

[mishimoto]

^^Yeah, I hear that. My face still hurts.

I'll say one final thing, Mishimoto offers a lifetime warranty with accident protection. What about Koyo?

Here, I did the research for you.
Koyorad Racing - Policy (http://www.koyoradracing.com/policy.asp)

Again, OP, send me a PM if you have any questions.

[Ali 556]

guys guys let's not fight here,

on my 2JZ S14...Misho rad + E fans and the engine overheated EVERY fucking day... Koyo N-Flow + the SAME fans and it was under control...

For SR/KA I'd say Koyo Or Misho b/c Misho is cheaper...But still i'd get Koyo All Day every day for my cars,

Sory Misho dude :D

[mishimoto]

:kiss: Fighting? No way. I'm just here to help, that's all.

Give us a call if your Koyo ever decides to spring a leak and they refuse to help.

[pyshin]

Redacted..

[BlackZenkiS14]

So by accident protection....do you mean when I slam my car into my buddy's during tandem and eff-up my radiator, it gets fixed for free?

[slider2828]

^^ Come on now... its not a world of free LOL.... But it would be nice if they give you a discount on the new ones lol....

[nissangtr1]

i havent had any problems with my mishimoto on my sr and ive been running it a little over a year now.

[zylvia213]

My choice has always been koyo and i have never had any trouble with it.

[240sxvaj]

IMO, i think koyo and mishimoto both do their jobs. i have a koyo for almost 3 years now and its been treating me very good. one of my buddies had mishimoto on his s14 and he said he loved it since the price was less

[S14DB]

So far Koyo is the only one that makes a copper rad.

[drift_king]

what if mishimoto leaks brand new from the box, do you offer full warrenty !?!?!

[SochBAT]

Most important thing you should have ingrained in your mind.

Do it right the first time.

And its more baller than Koyos/mishimotos/ISIS. Because, you know, its all about balling.

[mishimoto]

So by accident protection....do you mean when I slam my car into my buddy's during tandem and eff-up my radiator, it gets fixed for free?

Well, as long as you can provide a copy of a police report and pictures, we will honor the warranty. Under our no questions asked warranty policy, we will provide a warranty for all claims including vehicles involved in accidents. Warranty claims must include pictures of the accident and an official police report, and must be within three months of the accident.

i havent had any problems with my mishimoto on my sr and ive been running it a little over a year now.

Great! I'm glad everything is working out for you!

what if mishimoto leaks brand new from the box, do you offer full warrenty !?!?!

Of course we do! Just send us an E-mail and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

[SoSideways]

Well, as long as you can provide a copy of a police report and pictures, we will honor the warranty. Under our no questions asked warranty policy, we will provide a warranty for all claims including vehicles involved in accidents. Warranty claims must include pictures of the accident and an official police report, and must be within three months of the accident.


OK, so...

How do people go about filing a police report when they're at a track, drifting, or dragging, or road racing, and get into an accident?

Or is it just a clever way to sound like you guys are hardcore about customer service, and would support people beating on their cars and the such, but will deny their claims based on a technicality issue of not having a police report because the accident took place at a track?

The picture part makes sense, but police reports just won't work on the track.


So far you guys have been doing a great job with being supportive of this scene, but it would be nice for you guys to clarify on that policy more, so kids don't go out and buy you guys' products under the assumption that they can get into wrecks in tandem and will get a replacement radiator, then get told they're not covered due to some missing police reports or something.

[mishimoto]

How do people go about filing a police report when they're at a track, drifting, or dragging, or road racing, and get into an accident?

If you are at the tracks, you regular car insurance (assuming it is insured) won't even cover you. I didn't want to assume BlackzenkiS14 was on the tracks or not, so I kept my response general, while providing him with enough information to answer his question.

Or is it just a clever way to sound like you guys are hardcore about customer service, and would support people beating on their cars and the such, but will deny their claims based on a technicality issue of not having a police report because the accident took place at a track?I believe we are very much into providing our customers with the best support possible. I feel this way due to the fact that we at Mishimoto offers a lifetime warranty with accident protection standard while the competition simply doesn't. You are also able to give us a call and speak with someone directly. Good luck finding KoyoRad's phone number, based on the information on their site, they do not even speak with the "general public".

So far you guys have been doing a great job with being supportive of this scene, but it would be nice for you guys to clarify on that policy more, so kids don't go out and buy you guys' products under the assumption that they can get into wrecks in tandem and will get a replacement radiator, then get told they're not covered due to some missing police reports or something.Understood, I appreciate your feedback SoSideways. I'll run this by a few people here (including the President of the company) and hopefully we can help resolve these types of issues prior to them becoming a problem.

[aled]

I use a Mishimoto in my S14 that is SR swapped. Right out of the box I was impressed with the quality.

No overheating problems period.

I also run the Flex-a-lite dual 12'' fans and the car barely sees over 180 degrees.

[redhatchy92]

i have a mishimoto rad with their slim fans... when it works im very impressed but lately the car over heats even when i dailying it ramdomly. i changed my theromstat because the over heating would stop when i reved it passed 3k. it still does it... some one told me that the mishimoto rad cap is garbage. once i change my cap im sure ill like it again because when its working properly i love it.

[redline racer510]

Get a mishimoto Rad., switch out Rad. cap with oem= work done.

[DreamN]

Just a little feedback on Mishimoto:

I have their radiator and went Mishimoto because I knew friends in the Honda community that were doing just fine with them. The fact that the price was low helped make my decision easier.

First radiator I had for a few years. Never once had an overheating issue that was due to the Mishimoto radiator (bad t-stat, leaking hose, etc.). When in a small fender bender my radiator support was kinked slightly (looking to replace soon). This caused the support to come in contact with the corner edge of the top tank on the radiator. Driving around for who knows how long like that I realized I was overheating one time and found a small leak from the damage mentioned earlier.

I contacted the Mishimoto rep on the forums and he explained the warranty process. E-mailed customer service and a rep by the name of Chris helped me out. He replied with a warranty claim form. I simply filled it out and sent it back. Had a brand new radiator within a couple weeks (would have been sooner, but they were on backorder). All that was left was to take pictures of the damaged radiator. No need to send it back.

I was never asked for a police report or a receipt. I simply told them that I had purchased it from an old vendor on the Zilvia forums by the name of TunerzImage. As it was all done via PayPal I just had whatever info on them that PayPal let me view.

The radiators have been improved and so have their radiator caps. I've had no overheating issues at all. Definitely feel like I've gotten my money's worth with Mishimoto.


Any chance I can get some free stuff now? :keke:

[mishimoto]

I use a Mishimoto in my S14 that is SR swapped. Right out of the box I was impressed with the quality.

No overheating problems period.

I also run the Flex-a-lite dual 12'' fans and the car barely sees over 180 degrees.

Glad to hear everything is working out for you!

i have a mishimoto rad with their slim fans... when it works im very impressed but lately the car over heats even when i dailying it ramdomly. i changed my theromstat because the over heating would stop when i reved it passed 3k. it still does it... some one told me that the mishimoto rad cap is garbage. once i change my cap im sure ill like it again because when its working properly i love it.

For some reason, this sounds like air may be trapped in the system. Once you hit the gas, the coolant flows through the system and the temperature is brought back down to normal. I would suggest to try and bleed the system again. If you feel that the cap is damaged, send me an E-mail at [email protected] I'll get a replacement out to you as soon as possible.

Any chance I can get some free stuff now? :keke:

:ddog: We are running a contest for a free SR20 starter if you want to get in on it. Here's the thread link:

http://zilvia.net/f/advertiser-announcements-feedback/298732-mishimoto-free-sr20-startet-contest.html

[Ktown_drifter]

Runing a griffen Rad on my RB.. I love the damn thing, Ive never had a problem no matter how hard Idriveit and I never even bother to turn on my second fan.. Jut running a single 10" with a 12" and a secondary, but Inever need it.

[SoSideways]

Well, thanks for trying to clarify the warranty claim process for us Paul!

[awesomenick]

A friend of mine had a Mishimoto. Worked great until it got stolen at a movie theater one night.

I have a Koyo in my car.

Honestly, without looking at the two radiators, I don't think I'd notice a difference between a car with a Koyo and a car with Mishimoto.

[Ali 556]

:kiss: Fighting? No way. I'm just here to help, that's all.

Give us a call if your Koyo ever decides to spring a leak and they refuse to help.

Good Guy And good replay,

Here (half way around the world) NO ONE will Help me out...the only company that helped was AEM when i blew My HG and the water burned the Bosch sensor,

Oh and here it's 45-50 * C in the Summer + I6 Engine + 3'' FMIC + A/C + Boost...no rad will Handel that (except My KOYO) ^_^

[DALAZ_68]

There are differences, but most people pass them as admissible.

Buy a Griffin radiator and be done. A number of trackwhores here love em.

griffin has been proven, welds, material, CS, all great, if/when my rad goes ill just get a griffin...

I agree that Griffin is probably the best, however, I am still on a bit of a budget, and want to be best bang for the buck. Koyo has always held that spot in the past IMO, but now IDK.


a while ago i noticed issues with Koyos having a bubbling effect on the top section of the rad, though im not certain, i think they fixed the issue using thicker gauged metal...

as far as mishimoto's warranty, in a sense its pointless...the whole point of upgrading a radiator is for PERFORMANCE reasons...not to DD...your warranty in plain english means, if you get in an accident in the street, well cover you...if its on the track, were performance is needed, and you hit something or alas, someone hits you fucks ur rad, nope, no coverage...insurance company break it down to let us know that they wouldnt cover on track damage...but if you just say "hey weve got lifetime warranty" and dont break it down to a possible costumer, its not exactly being straight on the facts...

doesnt make sense to me... wether on or off the track an accident is just that an accident, no intent in it happening but it did...why not cover the damage being that its a performance part you supplied...but i get it...it all comes down to $$$...so i cant hate...im just pointing it out...

if your just gonna street your car, just buy a CXRacing rad...cheap, affordable dual core... ive had mine for over 2 yrs with 0 issues, its gonna hit the track in a month or so so ill deff see if itll hold up to abuse...

[DreamN]

Steve, read my post. Honestly I believe dude is saying that because it's what he's been told to say. Though my experience proves otherwise.

I sent in pictures of obviously a damaged radiator that wasn't done with just day to day use and the customer service/warranty rep was perfectly fine with it.

[slider2828]

You know the only gripe I have with Koyo is that there is also a little water from my cap that drips down to the radiator. I mean there is always a water stain there... Its just pain in the ass... no real big thing, and I never get over 170* with my koyo and never a problem until I stuck a huge rx7 oil cooler in front of it.... My mistake hahaha... Only track it boiled over was at Laguna Seca, which is hell on cars...

[Edgar]

I have had both, and honestly I liked the cheaper one in price :)

[Ktown_drifter]

I had a local guy GIVE me my Griffen.. I dont think he knew what it was since everyone had been telling him to get a Koyo so thats what he did.. and I got his old Griffen.. tee hee

[Z32TT-R]

i wouild go mishimoto alot of us z32 guys been buying them with no issues and our bay is cramped to hell making it hott..and these are great priced with great cooling, welds/fitment is great as well top of the line you cant beat the warranty also

[eklips3]

i've got a mishimoto rad waiting to be installed !

so far i've heard nothing but good things about the radiators. i have 2 friends who use them , one with a rb25 swaped s13 and one with a rb25 4 door skyline no overheating issues what so ever.

[Flicktitty]

Ali - Do you have any ducting on your 2JZ car? also what fans and thermostat do you run?

[guitaraholic]

I've got a mitsumoto I my Sr'ed 240sx. It has been install for over 2 1/2 years now and I have no issues with it what so ever. In fact, I have been in stop an go traffic in FL at over 100 degrees and the temp stays low. For the moments being I only have the auxiliary A/C fan that kicks in when the temp get to 190. And even with that it cools it down in no time.

I do plan on going with the Atima fans here shortly. I for the moment, am not thrilled with the idea of having no redundancy.


But to reiterate I have had no probs with my Mitsumoto radiator. I was able to pick mine up for $150 new (I think, its been a while now).

[SoSideways]

So I'm working on some Mishimoto stuffs for my work today, and I kind of remembered about this thread.

I came on here to check on it to see if the warranty claim bit has been clarified as far as the bit about whether or not Mishimoto's warranty covers on track damage, as they have said that they needed police reports and pictures, but as discussed in this thread, you will never get a police report on the track, or if you live in LA (even if you get into an accident like Gabe did), so how do these people go about claiming their warranties?

Or are they straight up not covered in that case?

Mishimoto, please chime in and clear this up!

[mishimoto]

If you get into an accident on the street, you should have every right to a copy of a police report. That is, unless you (and the other driver if applicable) decide not to contact the police at the scene of the accident.

To clarify, our warranty does not cover accidents at the track. Our accident protection plan gives you peace of mind when being used under "normal" driving conditions. Under extereme driving conditions, such as drifting, drag racing etc, it would impossible to warranty against accidents as they can be inevitable.

Regardless, the warranty for our radiators and all other products remains unsurpassed when comparing to other companies any way you look at it.

If anyone has any additional questions, feel free to post up in here, PM me, call, or e-mail us!

Thanks,
-Pat

[[email protected]]

Just thought if drop a insight on this subject, I don't want to start a flame war between radiator manufacturers but i had a couple of customers recently who had their Mishimoto rads cores leak like 3-4 months after they got them. Apparently they were refused a exchange by Mishimoto because it was their second one already. That distributor stopped carrying Mishimoto because of that "lifetime warranty" hassle. Ive always been a firm believer of "Buy good and buy once".

[mishimoto]

Just thought if drop a insight on this subject, I don't want to start a flame war between radiator manufacturers but i had a couple of customers recently who had their Mishimoto rads cores leak like 3-4 months after they got them. Apparently they were refused a exchange by Mishimoto because it was their second one already. That distributor stopped carrying Mishimoto because of that "lifetime warranty" hassle. Ive always been a firm believer of "Buy good and buy once".

I'm sorry, but we DO NOT refuse warranties. All the customer has to do is contact us themselves either via PM here (or one of the other 10-15 sites we pay to be on), E-mail us at [email protected], or call us at 302.762.4501.

I get every phone call, e-mail, and PM that comes through to Mishimoto, so if you had contacted us, I would know about it.

[email protected], if you want, we can continue this conversation via PM. I would like to know which previous vendor/distributor of ours you are referring to exactly.

Thanks,
-Pat

[[email protected]]

I'm sorry, but we DO NOT refuse warranties. All the customer has to do is contact us themselves either via PM here (or one of the other 10-15 sites we pay to be on), E-mail us at [email protected], or call us at 302.762.4501.

I get every phone call, e-mail, and PM that comes through to Mishimoto, so if you had contacted us, I would know about it.

[email protected], if you want, we can continue this conversation via PM. I would like to know which previous vendor/distributor of ours you are referring to exactly.

Thanks,
-Pat

You got PM.

[mishimoto]

Replied. I'll be doing some research on the distributor/vendor you are mentioning to see what the situation is/was.

[DALAZ_68]

i bet distributer was just being a douche about it...and not actually contacting mishimoto on the subject...ive heard situations like that when a companies name gets slandered...still i still hold my original though...GRIFFIN...lol

[redline240sx]

I recently bought a new koyo a year ago, their good radiators but sometimes messy with coolant leaking on the radiator from the cap and causing stain and an ugly presentation. But, other than that no overheating.

[mishimoto]

i bet distributer was just being a douche about it...and not actually contacting mishimoto on the subject..

Well, the thing is, we don't want the distributor to contact us. We want the customer to call/e-mail/PM us for anything regarding their warranty. If the distributor calls in, names and addresses could possibly get mixed up, causing additional inconvenience to the customer. We are very customer-based here at Mishimoto, and want you (the end user of the product) to be satisfied in every way.

[tinys s14]

had a koyo and it had gotten a hole below the radiator cap and now got a mishimito and it seems to do the same job as the koyo

[dongoesby]

I got Mishimoto on my s14 with s14 sr, fan shroud and clutch fan.

All I want to say, it works! My defi gauge shows the water temperature steady at 75 F curising 80mph on highways. It also cools a lot better when turbo kicks in comparing to stock rad. I've been traveling long trips in the past 2 months. And it has been working flawlessly!!

And of course, the fan shroud needed minor trimming because it was hitting the a/c dryer tank. Funny thing is, even with stock SR radiator, the fan shroud was also hitting the dryer tank. I just needed to trim a little bit more since the Mishimoto rad is twice as thick than stock! :)

[godrifttoday]

i bought a new mishimoto and i compared it to my friend ebay one and its identical, except the name u know, are these just renamed cores?

[s13xturbo]

i bought a new mishimoto and i compared it to my friend ebay one and its identical, except the name u know, are these just renamed cores?

fucking mishimoto offering lifetime warranties on ebay radiators! Way to step up the price game and offer a product that "differs" from the rest.

CHINA MADE?

[godrifttoday]

without a doubt, im sure everything is the same its just the name

[Ghost240]

Mishi fo lyfe!

[Caliber7]

I got a mishimoto radiator in my SRed S13 never overheated, used to run stock clutch fan with no shroud still never overheated even on hot days, happy with my decision and the assurance that if something happens, mishimoto will replace it.

[godrifttoday]

but now the question is if they are rename china cores

[mishimoto]

fucking mishimoto offering lifetime warranties on ebay radiators! Way to step up the price game and offer a product that "differs" from the rest. CHINA MADE?

We are not a re-branded Ebay company. How many other re-branded ebay companies do you see actively posting on forums and paying to sponsor forums? With that in mind, how many other "big name" companies are paying to be on forums just to keep in touch with their customers, offer technical help, and to simply open another of communication between them and their customers?

The fact that we offer a lifetime warranty with accident protection shows that we take pride in our parts and feel that they will last a lifetime due to the impeccable craftsmanship. How many re-branded ebay names offer warranties lasting longer than 60 days?

We consistently are coming out with new products, getting customers in to test fit different vehicles almost weekly. If anything, ebay companies are taking our designs and re-branding them.

Again, we are not a "re-branded" eBay name. If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me.

Thanks,
-Pat

[punxva]

mishimoto is legit, i bought one, it leaked, manufacture defect, where the logo is on the side, they drilled in too far and hit one of the cores. I got a response later that day and had a new one in 3 days. You can't beat that kind of service for the price. For god sakes guys its a radiator, and its better than stock. Now back on the topic at hand.

[BlackZenkiS14]

Well, I went Koyo, and I love it.

[godrifttoday]

We are not a re-branded Ebay company. How many other re-branded ebay companies do you see actively posting on forums and paying to sponsor forums? With that in mind, how many other "big name" companies are paying to be on forums just to keep in touch with their customers, offer technical help, and to simply open another of communication between them and their customers?


Im not talking about customer service....


The fact that we offer a lifetime warranty with accident protection shows that we take pride in our parts and feel that they will last a lifetime due to the impeccable craftsmanship. How many re-branded ebay names offer warranties lasting longer than 60 days?


again, not talking about customer service....


We consistently are coming out with new products, getting customers in to test fit different vehicles almost weekly. If anything, ebay companies are taking our designs and re-branding them.


with no disrespect, can you explain what makes mishimoto a better product other than customer service for example, all alluminum radiators are hand made, or use some special core.....ect. my assumptions are just speculation based on visual inspection. your response will be greatly appreciated

[Moon Ill]

I have friends with Koyos. They never have had any problems with them.

I had a Mishimoto on my SR, it started leaking sometime last winter. It was a slow drip, but by Spring it had gotten pretty bad. (PMCS I know I know).

I went ahead and bought a Koyo copper core as a replacement to hold me over. While running the Koyo copper core my water temp ran a little higher than it had with the Mishimoto, so I thought it'd be best to get a new Aluminum when I could afford it.

Then I found out Mishimoto offered a lifetime warranty. I contacted them about it, filled out the necessary form, mailed it in, emailed my pictures... then I received my replacement in a few days. No hassle whatsoever. (I was about iffy about mailing my Credit Card number though... but that was minor).

Bottom line: If you daily your car I'd choose Mishimoto for the fact you have piece of mind that if anything goes wrong (spring a leak, hit a tree, etc) you know that Mishimoto will back their warranty.

[stinky_180]

I just upgraded to a Mishimoto radiator from stock.

KA24E, nismo thermostat, brand new oem nissan water pump, isis radiator hoses, 70/30 (water/coolant) +water wetter, mishimoto radiator cap, ford temp fan(same as tauras)

consult reads:
167F idling with fan on low
did not go over 190F with fan on low at freeway driving speeds and stop and go traffic.

I'm happy with it so far. I'll get back here when its on the track under heavy loads.

[SoSideways]

I'd just like to know how are people's radiators magically springing leaks after they've had it in their cars for awhile?

Did you hit something?

Did you install it so that it's constantly rubbing on the frame/chassis somewhere so that the aluminum gets rubbed through over time?

The core and end tanks are all aluminum, and they're welded, so if it didn't leak when you first bought it, it shouldn't be leaking from a little pressurized cooling system running through it.

Just saying.

[Allmtoreg]

i bought a brand new JWT rad with efans for like 160 shipped 2 years ago. very happy with it and its never given me problems

[kevin_s13.5]

Got my mishi. about 1 year ago for my s14 and I have had no problems. Works as good as my $600 greddy rad. that I had on my s13. In my opinion it's a great deal for a good product.

[godrifttoday]

no response from mishimoto yet

[MrMigs]

i bought a brand new JWT rad with efans for like 160 shipped 2 years ago. very happy with it and its never given me problems

Wow, I didn't know Jim Wolf made radiators.

About a year-and-some-change ago, when I got my S14 SR, I was deciding on what radiator to get. It was between Mishimoto and Koyo as well.

Then, a friend over at SR Motorcars recommended this PWR radiator to me. So far, no problems whatsoever and I'm quite happy with my purchase. Check it out if you haven't heard of them... PWR Performance Products (http://www.pwr-performance.com/auto_main.htm)

I drive 60 miles a day (30 miles each direction) from home to work (and back), through Los Angeles' shitty stop-and-go freeway traffic. Also, I had this radiator in my car when I attended the last few "Dai's Drift Academy" events in SoCal w/ stock s14 sr & stock side-mount intercooler.

^ This is with PWR radiator and stock clutch fan/fan shroud.

I'm a firm believer in "Do it right the first time, because working on a broken car after a 9-5 shift is a pain in the fking ass" theory.