Offroad-Express

Hi All

I got a prado radiator from Silverdale in Auckland to put into my kzn185 diesel IC surf, but the quality doesn't seem to be that flash. I need to contact them as it was supposed to be 36mm and is only 32mm as well, but that's another story. The cheap crappy side plates it comes with don't even come close to fitting and if I use my proper side plates the rubber spacer pushes the width wide and barely fits the fan shroud. It does have a 2 yr warranty rather than most with 1 year though.

Does anyone know if there are any other suppliers with products that will fit better/look more genuine? Is a gen Prado radiator even that expensive?

Hi mate,

I have a redline alloy radiator for a KZN185 surf manual I'm selling. It seems to be of fairly good quality. What brand is yours?

Excuse my ignorance, but why are you trying to install a Prado radiator into a 185 Surf?

Why not just put a 185 Radiator in? Or is there a reason for this?

I think you need to talk with your supplier and sort it out.
I have a factory prado radiator and it cost me over $700 notes....That was a few years back after my head went and there weren't many after market options available.

nzhunter wrote:Hi mate,

I have a redline alloy radiator for a KZN185 surf manual I'm selling. It seems to be of fairly good quality. What brand is yours?

It's a no name from UAE apparently - seems to be either that or Chinese jobbies that the majority of the NZ retailers are onselling, apart from genuine of course, which I just priced up at 1300!!

There are 3 different sized radiators for the KZN185 Surf (so I found out).
I just had to get 1 for my Brothers truck right before Christmas. Sourced it from A1 Radiators here in CHCH.

Mehrts wrote:Excuse my ignorance, but why are you trying to install a Prado radiator into a 185 Surf?

Why not just put a 185 Radiator in? Or is there a reason for this?

Because the surf rads are only thin 24mm single core ones where the prado ones are twin core and thicker. better cooling. My existing rad is fine, just getting a bit warm in summer, let alone towing. Mind you I'm over cautious as well.

BNT can source Fenix radiators, and they aren't to badly priced.

Mehrts wrote:Excuse my ignorance, but why are you trying to install a Prado radiator into a 185 Surf?

Why not just put a 185 Radiator in? Or is there a reason for this?

Yeh George generally does a good product aye, ive used him for all my rad needs.

Just put a manual rad in and run an aftermarket trans cooler if auto ( or just manual one if manual ) as the auto ones with the trans cooler built in have shit flow from the bottom rad hose ( Georges ones are one of the best ive seen though, ive seen some that bearly let any water past the trans cooler on the bottom hose. )

floatingkiwi wrote:Because the surf rads are only thin 24mm single core ones where the prado ones are twin core and thicker. better cooling. My existing rad is fine, just getting a bit warm in summer, let alone towing. Mind you I'm over cautious as well.

The rad I put in my bros Surf is a 36mm core.

hachi_roku wrote:

Mehrts wrote:Excuse my ignorance, but why are you trying to install a Prado radiator into a 185 Surf?

Why not just put a 185 Radiator in? Or is there a reason for this?

Yeh George generally does a good product aye, ive used him for all my rad needs.

Just put a manual rad in and run an aftermarket trans cooler if auto ( or just manual one if manual ) as the auto ones with the trans cooler built in have shit flow from the bottom rad hose ( Georges ones are one of the best ive seen though, ive seen some that bearly let any water past the trans cooler on the bottom hose. )

George??? The auto in rad coolers also heat it up in cool climes, which I need in taupo. I'm also going to be putting an external cooler on to avoid dumping more heat into the rad.

mudbugga wrote:

floatingkiwi wrote:Because the surf rads are only thin 24mm single core ones where the prado ones are twin core and thicker. better cooling. My existing rad is fine, just getting a bit warm in summer, let alone towing. Mind you I'm over cautious as well.

The rad I put in my bros Surf is a 36mm core.

where from?

mudbugga wrote:There are 3 different sized radiators for the KZN185 Surf (so I found out).
I just had to get 1 for my Brothers truck right before Christmas. Sourced it from A1 Radiators here in CHCH.

I would call A1, tell them what you want. They have always been really helpful and even with freight it might turn out ok.

floatingkiwi wrote:

hachi_roku wrote:

Mehrts wrote:Excuse my ignorance, but why are you trying to install a Prado radiator into a 185 Surf?

Why not just put a 185 Radiator in? Or is there a reason for this?

Yeh George generally does a good product aye, ive used him for all my rad needs.

Just put a manual rad in and run an aftermarket trans cooler if auto ( or just manual one if manual ) as the auto ones with the trans cooler built in have shit flow from the bottom rad hose ( Georges ones are one of the best ive seen though, ive seen some that bearly let any water past the trans cooler on the bottom hose. )

George??? The auto in rad coolers also heat it up in cool climes, which I need in taupo. I'm also going to be putting an external cooler on to avoid dumping more heat into the rad.

George is the owner of Silverdale radiators. You need to have a look at the lower pipe on toyota auto rads... it seems to be a fuckup in design, ive seen some aftermarket rads with the lower rad pipe almost blocked because of the trans cooler in the bottom, hence why i always run a manual one with external transcooler.

what's the quality problem with the radiator they sent you their stuff is typically pretty good for a pretty good price, I could understand you having fitting problems if your sticking it into a different vehicle, you can post some pics up of the radiator if you want some opinions of whatever your concerns with the quality are

Really?

1 quick search on trademe shows redline radiators sell radiators for surf and Prado, full alloy, 42mm thick, 40% more cooling

J_Dub wrote:Really?

1 quick search on trademe shows redline radiators sell radiators for surf and Prado, full alloy, 42mm thick, 40% more cooling

Manual only. So no good for me and too thick - close to the fan.

derk wrote:what's the quality problem with the radiator they sent you their stuff is typically pretty good for a pretty good price, I could understand you having fitting problems if your sticking it into a different vehicle, you can post some pics up of the radiator if you want some opinions of whatever your concerns with the quality are

The prado and surf radiators are the same dimensions, just thicker core for the prado.

The side plates that came with it look very shitty, and where the bolts go is bent. The top tank has no setback to incorporate the factory rubber mounting with the original side plates, so using the orig side plates (which can't be used without rubbers as the new side plates are poorly made and don't fit) the plates are spaced out further, just sqeezing into the body mount holes, but thus spacing out the holes for the shroud bolts, which now barely fits on. Also the moulding of the top and bottom tanks have a slight restriction where the plastic pipe extension goes into the tank proper. The orig rad has this area smooth straight into the tank.

Well, I'm going to go with it. Like you all say, good service, 2 yr warranty. Seem to know what they're on about.

Let's do it baby!