Mishimoto 6.4 Radiator Review

[buck russell]

When it comes to the 6.4, we all know the radiator is a weak point and one that is addressed either with a new factory unit or an aftermarket unit. At the moment, there are very few aftermarket units available. One being the mishimoto unit and the other being the alradco unit.

As an avid car and truck enthusiast and also someone who deals a lot with aftermarket companies, I always find there there really isn't enough solid data to help the decision making process easier. Most times, when it comes to making a decision we're heavily swayed by the opinions of our friends or forum-goers. In my personal opinion, that doesn't really help me decide if the part I'm considering is worth purchasing. When it comes to a radiator, we're not talking a few bucks either!

With that said, I'd like to take a second to throw a few hard facts out to show you the overall difference and quality of the Mishimoto unit (vs. stock).

Here are the facts on their replacement piece:

OVERALL SIZE
45.7” x 28.7” x 8.9”

CORE SIZE
37.01" x 27.48"

ROWS
2

INLET
Factory-Style Quick Disconnect

OUTLET
Factory-Style Quick Disconnect

CORE THICKNESS
2.76”

TANK WALL THICKNESS
.08”

Direct fit for the 6.4L Powerstroke
100% brazed aluminum core
CNC machined factory-style quick disconnect inlet and outlet
TIG welded to perfection
Lifetime warranty

On average, my coolant temp with Mishimoto unit is 4-6 degrees COOLER over the use of the stock radiator. In addition to that, the trans runs cooler by roughly 2-3 degrees.

Given my personal experience and data-logging, the Mishimoto unit is worth the time and money. It's a unit that is high quality and well made (don't let the name scare you). One tidbit of information that I found interesting is that that Alradco unit is made here in the States. Reason I find this interesting is that brazing aluminum is a tedious and costly process so it's hard to believe that these radiators are priced competitively and still 100% made in the States. Just some food for thought on my end.

Lastly, I'd like to point out that Mishimoto carries a limited lifetime warranty on all their products. Something that most companies don't offer these days and more importantly it's hard to find a company that doesn't try to weasel out of their warranty. Mishimoto truly stands behind their products and their warranty.

If you have any questions, please let me know! And no, Mishimoto did not ask me to do this. This post was created by me and the data-logging was done by me on my own time.

 

[Mishimoto]

Thanks a lot for this write-up! It's great to see people in the community that care enough to provide a proper review of the products they purchase! Please keep us updated on how you like the radiator. :toast:

 

[powerstroked08]

Very nice write up. I don't think you can go wrong(unless you back to oem) with either one (Alradco or Mishimoto) Both units look very nice and are waaaaaayyyy better than Ford has to offer. Its nice to see the temps running cooler both for the engine and for the transmission. Thank you for giving us some real world data and info!

 

[buck russell]

Very nice write up. I don't think you can go wrong(unless you back to oem) with either one (Alradco or Mishimoto) Both units look very nice and are waaaaaayyyy better than Ford has to offer. Its nice to see the temps running cooler both for the engine and for the transmission. Thank you for giving us some real world data and info!

As you said, I don't think there's anything wrong with the alradco unit. However, I've not seen any real pictures of the unit. Have you seen anything? I'd like to see their unit in comparison.

Granted the temps are going to be lower in the colder weather, the radiator still makes a huge difference. For example, under heavy load and consistent high boost pulls, the ECT was spiking upwards of 202 F. With the mishimoto unit, the coolant never cracks 200. The highest I've seen it is 198 F.

While the investment is rather large, I think it's worth the money. It will definitely help the longevity of the motor.

 

[powerstroked08]

Yes the investment is large, but how many of us have replaced the radiator 2, 3, or more times! After you buy one of these units you WON"T be hoping it doesent leak in a year. If mine wasn't leaking I wouldn't worry about it so much, but mine is leaking and I'll be damned if I'm going to replace it with the same problematic part. Out of curiousity did your oil temp drop too? And no I haven't seen any pictures of the alradco unit yet. I do want to see some though.

 

[powerstroked08]

By the way, with the new radiator and intercooler. The front of your truck looks f***ing AWESOME with all of that bright a$$ aluminum!

 

[clayton]

Yes the investment is large, but how many of us have replaced the radiator 2, 3, or more times! After you buy one of these units you WON"T be hoping it doesent leak in a year. If mine wasn't leaking I wouldn't worry about it so much, but mine is leaking and I'll be damned if I'm going to replace it with the same problematic part. Out of curiousity did your oil temp drop too? And no I haven't seen any pictures of the alradco unit yet. I do want to see some though.

x2. Waiting on mine as we speak.

 

[Powerstroked162]

By the way, with the new radiator and intercooler. The front of your truck looks f***ing AWESOME with all of that bright a$$ aluminum!

It does like pretty tough doesn't it.


Hell of a product review OP. Nice work

.

 

[buck russell]

Yes the investment is large, but how many of us have replaced the radiator 2, 3, or more times! After you buy one of these units you WON"T be hoping it doesent leak in a year. If mine wasn't leaking I wouldn't worry about it so much, but mine is leaking and I'll be damned if I'm going to replace it with the same problematic part. Out of curiousity did your oil temp drop too? And no I haven't seen any pictures of the alradco unit yet. I do want to see some though.

I'm really anxious and also very curious to see the pics of the Alradco unit. I've seen multiple mishimoto radiators and intercoolers and the quality is awesome. I'm not poo-pooing the Alradco unit, I just want to see it for a direct comparison.

With the mishimoto unit, my oil stays right around 200-201. In the extreme heat it does get a little warmer, but not by much.

The other thing I noticed which, to me, is really important, is how fast the truck cools off after high power pulls. The mishimoto unit dissipates the heat much better than the stock unit and thus you can do back to back 'runs' or 'pulls' without any cause for concern.

With the stock unit, I noticed that it takes much longer for the temps to be in that 'comfortable' region. Again, another selling point for me as sometimes I like to give the local cummins owners a little taste of the good stuff.

By the way, with the new radiator and intercooler. The front of your truck looks f***ing AWESOME with all of that bright a$$ aluminum!

Cheers for the compliment.

x2. Waiting on mine as we speak.

Don't worry! They're expecting their next shipment in very soon. I spoke to them last week about another little side project I'm working on for the 6.4.

It does like pretty tough doesn't it.


Hell of a product review OP. Nice work

.

Thank you for the good words.

 

[Mishimoto]

We just received our latest shipment of 6.4L radiators at our warehouse! Back-orders will be filled in the order in which they were received, and will be shipping out tomorrow!

Hurry up and place your orders if you haven't already done so, as these will be flying off the shelves!

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Tyler

 

[alradco]

Given my personal experience and data-logging, the Mishimoto unit is worth the time and money. It's a unit that is high quality and well made (don't let the name scare you). One tidbit of information that I found interesting is that that Alradco unit is made here in the States. Reason I find this interesting is that brazing aluminum is a tedious and costly process so it's hard to believe that these radiators are priced competitively and still 100% made in the States. Just some food for thought on my end.

Brazing aluminum along with everything else we do in the US is more costly than in China. So you're right, it is interesting that we can be competitive. I take that as a compliment.
Our radiator is on special right now and maybe we'll have to take prices up down the road.

Look for our 6.4 Intercooler coming soon, also priced very competitively.

 

[buck russell]

Definitely a compliment seeing as the process is costly. That's great you've been able to keep production Stateside.

Do you have any hi-res shots of your radiator? Would love to see them!

Thanks!

 

[Mishimoto]

Check out some pictures of the shipment!

These 6.4L Rads are ready to ship out!

Sneak peek inside the box!

 

[powerstroked08]

There is a lot of guys wanting this upgrade!

 

[buck russell]

Next time you should probably resize those pics! :axe:

 

[Wayne]

I appreciate your findings. I installed a Mishimoto on a 6.0, and really liked the quality. I am curious about your findings as stated below though.

On average, my coolant temp with Mishimoto unit is 4-6 degrees COOLER over the use of the stock radiator. In addition to that, the trans runs cooler by roughly 2-3 degrees.

Last I checked, coolant temp is controlled primarily by the thermostat. Not only that, but the ECT sensor is right before the t-stat in the cooling circuit. ECT should not be affected by any upgraded radiator at operating temp until the factory unit becomes overwhelmed, at which point, the "upgrade" unit's increased efficiency allows it to maintain t-stat set temp better than stock. I could easily believe lower trans temps as it is very possible for the temp of the fluid in the radiator itself to be cooler faster, and longer. It just seems to me that the whole "my coolant temp with Mishimoto unit is 4-6 degrees COOLER" appears to be flawed data based off of the mechanics of a cooling system. T-stat should be the main control point despite the majority of variables potentially corrupting data in any test, including yours. Could you please explain this?

 

[Josh@DirtyDiesels]

Thumb's up for Andrew's review. That dude is so anal about watching all his temps all the time... The mishimoto stuff definitely works well and looks killer in that truck. :rockon:

 

[alradco]

Definitely a compliment seeing as the process is costly. That's great you've been able to keep production Stateside.

Do you have any hi-res shots of your radiator? Would love to see them!

Thanks!

Well put, "keep it Stateside". The goal is to keep that going. There's less and less of us but we'll keep at it as long as we can. Here's a couple of pics for you of Alradco Made in the US radiators.

I don't know about you but I LOVE that reflection... We also offer powder coating finishes instead of paint like others.

ALRADCO, Made in the USA

ALRADCO Packed in spray foam for protection.

 

[buck russell]

I appreciate your findings. I installed a Mishimoto on a 6.0, and really liked the quality. I am curious about your findings as stated below though.



Last I checked, coolant temp is controlled primarily by the thermostat. Not only that, but the ECT sensor is right before the t-stat in the cooling circuit. ECT should not be affected by any upgraded radiator at operating temp until the factory unit becomes overwhelmed, at which point, the "upgrade" unit's increased efficiency allows it to maintain t-stat set temp better than stock. I could easily believe lower trans temps as it is very possible for the temp of the fluid in the radiator itself to be cooler faster, and longer. It just seems to me that the whole "my coolant temp with Mishimoto unit is 4-6 degrees COOLER" appears to be flawed data based off of the mechanics of a cooling system. T-stat should be the main control point despite the majority of variables potentially corrupting data in any test, including yours. Could you please explain this?

While I completely understand where you're coming from in this regard and that the temperature is mainly controlled by the t-stat, the numbers don't lie. When doing a highway pull from 45 to 80 my coolant spiked over 200F with the stock unit. When doing the same highway pull, the coolant stays at 196F with the mishimoto radiator. I don't really know how else to explain it to you, but facts are facts.

 

[LovinPSDs]

While I completely understand where you're coming from in this regard and that the temperature is mainly controlled by the t-stat, the numbers don't lie. When doing a highway pull from 45 to 80 my coolant spiked over 200F with the stock unit. When doing the same highway pull, the coolant stays at 196F with the mishimoto radiator. I don't really know how else to explain it to you, but facts are facts.

I think this reflects the efficiency of the cooler while in action, but nominal temps while cruising and normal driving should be dependent on the thermostat.

I was actually thinking about what Wayne brought up the other night... If cooler temps were the goal why not just a lower temp thermostat?? So based on what you've said above "during a highway pull" it will reflect how well the cooler actually dissipates the heat during heavy use. I think when you state it as you have above it makes sense, but from the earlier posts, I was a bit confused myself.