CSF #2863 42mm Two Row Radiator 99-05 Miata

IMPORTANT!
Nowhere in this ad that I found said anything about this and it cost me my radiator.
I bought this not quite 2 years ago, the installation was easy and the radiator was beautiful.
I replaced my hoses with some silicone hoses at the same time and didn't have new clamps so I used the factory friction clamps.
I noticed from the start that I had a coolant smell but just assumed that the weak friction clamps I reused were letting a small amount of coolant seep by, there was nothing i could find leaking, but I was wrong.
The factory fan bolts were over 1/4in too long and had stressed the passenger side upper bolt mounting location that attaches the fan shroud to the radiator.
It eventually pushed the back of the mount completely out and coolant was flying everywhere under the hood.
I ordered another one, and when it came in there was a note that said due to covid they were no longer finishing the radiators as they normally do and it was nowhere near the high luster of the normal process, so be aware your new radiator will not be the high luster mirror finish.
BUT more importantly, you MUST either get shorter bolts or use 3-4 washers on each bolt to stand it off or you will bust out the back of the mount and destroy your new radiator.
I think this should be highlighted in the description for the radiator when you are reading about it.
It was a very expensive lesson for me, and I hope people see this review before they get stuck having to buy a new radiator because of this.

-- William R., Springtown,Tx ( 99 miata ) February 2022

Beautiful item. Top flight quality and fit. Thanks to the forum for detailed information on modifications needed for installation. Actually very minor modifications required.
Waiting now for the next track day to see if this bigger radiator will fix my overheating problem!

-- Robert F., Indiana ( MazdaSpeed 2004 ) November 2021

I had kept this radiator on my short list for the past couple of years knowing that my stock one was slowing discoloring, which I've read is an indicator of failure at some point. After much research, I came to pick the CSF as my replacement of choice since I didn't want another plastic tanked replacement, and had read about the great fitment as well as being show polished (plus the obvious increase in cooling capacity). I'm extremely happy with my purchase so far, and install was a piece of cake. The only small modification needed was that one of the upper bolts that hold the fan assemblies to the radiator was slightly too long because of the thin sheet metal bracket used to attach the fan in that location (passenger side upper mount). The tapped hole in the CSF is too shallow because that bracket is thinner than the molded plastic mount points in the other location on the stock fans. Not a big deal at all though. I considered just cutting the bolt shorter, but had a few stainless washers on hand, so I stacked them to make the bolt not bottom out, and the problem was solved. This is not a design problem with the radiator as all of the threaded bosses are the same, as are the mounting bolts, it's just that the fan shroud uses a thinner bracket in that location so you either have to use a shorter bolt, cut the stock one, or add a few washers as I did. Very happy with my choice!

-- Brian A. ( 2000 SE ) June 2020

Beautiful radiator. Installation was easy as pie. To be honest, installing a new lower radiator hose was way harder. That's a story for a different day, however.

Starting off, the installation was smooth. I first removed the air intake, drained the coolant, removed the engine splash guard, and removed everything attached to the stock radiator. This included the upper and lower radiator hoses, fan connectors, and the radiator mounting brackets.

Next, I removed the old radiator and decided to change the thermostat. It took me longer than expected because the old gasket sealant on the thermostat housing was stuck on. Luckily, a Flathead screwdriver and a wire brush allowed me to clean most of the gunk off. After removing the old thermostat and old sealant, I applied new sealant to the thermostat housing and the new gasket. The stuff I bought from Advance Auto smelled like salt, for some reason.

Indeed, everything was going smoothly. It was now time to replace the radiator itself. Installation was relatively painless. First, I needed to transplant the stock fan shrouds onto the new CSF one.

One note here:

1. The fan shroud 10mm bolts that are transplanted from the stock radiator to the CSF rad do not fit properly. For those unaware, the 10 mm bolts will thread in completely, but with space to spare. I was prepared for this, and used SEVERAL washers to make them fit. Nicely done!

I also transplanted the rubber grommets from the stock rad onto the new one. EZ.

Next came actually dropping the CSF in. I threw on some new gloves as to not smudge the thing. I felt like a surgeon for a moment there!

I dropped it in, secured the radiator at the bottom of the vehicle first, and then the top. At the bottom, there was a A/C bracket that slightly prevented the driver's side of the radiator from securing into the hole where the aforementioned rubber grommet goes. I simply pulled on it, and in went the radiator!

After I installed the new upper and lower radiator hoses, I added new coolant, reinstalled the air intake, connected the battery, and fired it up. I kept a close eye on my temps using my OBD2 reader while adding coolant as air escaped the system. (For those unaware, it's necessary to purge air from the cooling system by leaving the radiator cap off. Top off as air is purged and coolant cycles through the engine.)

Everything checked out. After several weeks of testing, I can safely say that this radiator is the bomb. Not once has the engine risen above 207 degrees F.

Thanks for reading. I hope this helps someone!

-- Chance E., Texas ( 2001 Miata SE ) April 2020

Beautiful product at a great price. As others have said, I had to Dremel out a small semi-circle on the bottom of the driver's side fan shroud to clear the lower radiator hose mounting area. Also had to just physically push the AC evaporator coil toward the front of the car about 1/4" to 1/2" (easily done by hand). Re-use the rubber isolators from the stock radiator and you're in business. OBTW, you can 'pop out' the nuts from the old radiator that are used to receive the fan shroud bolts, thread them onto the fan shroud bolts and just use a hack-saw to remove about 1/8" from the end of the bolts, dress the end of the bolt and the threads with a triangle file or just back-chase the threads with the nut. Thank you Good-Win Racing!

-- Clark P. February 2020

When it was time for a new radiator for my 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata, I did not hesitate to check with Good-Win-Racing for the appropriate upgrade. Greg Lee took care of me and steered me to this radiator and related parts to be replaced at the same time. I had total confidence since Greg has this very same radiator on his Mazdaspeed Miata. Some trimming is needed, but Rocky's Miatomotive is located in the same building and has lots of experience installing goodies from Good-Win-Racing. Car stays cool on the hills and and the radiator looks great. Thanks guys!

-- Cynthia P., San Diego, CA ( 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata ) December 2019

Purchased this to replace an OEM leaking radiator (at the top plastic). Radiator was beautiful coming out of the box. Very impressed! Like others have mentioned, I had to push the AC condenser out of the way a little bit to fit it towards the front of the car. Was a little disappointed it didn't come with new hardware and had to go to local store and buy different size bolts as the factory ones were too long. I also had to take a Dremel and cut some of the shroud off one side of the OEM fan shroud to prevent it from causing interference with the radiator. Knowing most of the issues before purchasing I knew what to expect and you can't always assume a twice as thick core will fit perfectly. Temperatures seem to be fine and no more leaks. Love that the drain plug is a metal hex head instead of a plastic phillips bit like the OEM one has.

-- Brian H., Norfolk, VA ( 2002 Miata ) August 2019

Great build quality. My dad wasn't very happy with me spending $200+ on a radiator until he saw it in person. It is a very nice piece. Dropped right into place like it was OEM even though it's twice as thick. The only thing I had to "modify" was the OEM fans need a thick washer for them to seat right (as other reviewers have mentioned). I also saw other reviewers mentioning bending the ac condenser bracket but I personally did not have to do this. I've had it in the car for about a month now and could not be happier. Temps are great.

-- Stephan P. ( 2001 NB ) November 2018

A work of ARt! My son designs heat exchangers for refineries, and was quite impressed with the fit, finish and obvious cooling capacity. The OEM radiator looks like a joke compared to this monster!

-- Louis D., Kerrville, Tx ( 99 MX5 ) May 2017

Got this installed and it works wonders for cooling. I have a supercharged 2001 LS and on boost it was running in the 217 range and about 199 off boost. Installed this radiator and now running no more than 197 at anytime. Idles around 180. Seeing about 20 degree cooler temps. Installed using the SAMCO Silicone hoses. Make sure to bend the condenser brackets or you will be smashing the radiator in to it. Also will need to get new screws for the stock fans. I used 6 #6 1.00 10mm screws and 2 #6 1.00 16mm screws. Goodwin suggested to use the stock fans if they are working properly and seem to be doing the trick. Had plenty of room except the power steering reservoir bracket was custom made to fit the intake. Had to shave a bit off the bracket. Completely happy with my purchase and would recommend it to anyone.

-- Colin M., Escondido, CA ( 2001 LS ) June 2016

The install of this radiator was simple and man is it shiny!. As to be expected I had to bend the a/c condenser mounts just slightly (about 4mm) to clear the radiator. Other fitment notes, the six factory screws that hold the fan to the back of the radiator are too long to be reused, I just went to lowes and got some that were 1/2 the length. Also the drivers side fan shroud had to be trimmed on the sides to prevent it from smashing the cooling fins. Besides that it went smooth. Install took under 2 hrs. No more high temps in stop-n-go traffic.

-- Aaron W., inland empire, CA ( 2003 miata ) June 2016

This radiator was a great value for the performance I was looking for. Construction is excellent, the welds were solid and fitment for the radiator was excellent. However, the mount for the NB fans was off on the lower drivers side peg mount which had to be altered for the factory fans to fit correctly. Also, the ac condenser had to be relocated due to the core size to avoid rubbing. Overall a 4 out of 5 mainly due to the inefficiency of down fall radiators. I recommend this if you can't afford a cross flow radiator.

-- Jeremy W., Miami,fl ( 2004 velocity red MSM ) October 2015