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My adult son came over tonight and we had a heated (pardon the pun) discussion about what radiator to buy. He asked me how long the original stock radiator lasted (the answer he already knew) and he said since I have had no cooling problems even in our desert heat and mountain passes, he would recommend a stock unit. If not...get the best aftermarket radiator available which is the Mishimoto with it's lifetime warranty and be done with it. He also advised me to purchase an OEM 6.0 tranny cooler, not an aftermarket unit. So, I think he is correct and that is what I am going to do. It will cost quite a bit more, but this truck has served me well and it is worth investing in it.
Thank you all for your helpful comments, I appreciate them.
Both if those are very sound and good decisions. No one will fault you for choosing quality parts and since it is your money, no one should fault you for paying that much.
@mecdac recently installed a Mishimoto radiator and had good things to say about it.
Both if those are very sound and good decisions. No one will fault you for choosing quality parts and since it is your money, no one should fault you for paying that much.
@mecdac recently installed a Mishimoto radiator and had good things to say about it.
I wanted to add that Motorcraft 6.0 tranny cooler was clearly of better quality than the aftermarket coolers. They may look like the same size but the passages in the cooler looked smaller on the aftermarket unit I inspected.
I found that Mishimoto has a 6.0 tranny cooler complete with the hoses and fittings for a 7.3, so that is what I ordered along with the radiator which will come in tomorrow.
Just received that ebay radiator, welds look ok and looks like a well made unit. we'll see when I install it on the 05 f250 with the 5.4 how it holds up. Ill take some pics if the OP doesn't mind.
Just received that ebay radiator, welds look ok and looks like a well made unit. we'll see when I install it on the 05 f250 with the 5.4 how it holds up. Ill take some pics if the OP doesn't mind.
Wow, that looks nice! Makes me wonder why the Mishimoto cost twice as much! Mine, along with the Mishimoto tranny cooler is coming in today. I will also post photos. I am also going to replace the thermostat with a Mishimoto 203, along with an OEM water pump and fan clutch.
Last edited by Chips2000; Jul 15, 2020 at 12:02 PM.
Reason: Add a Line
My Mishimoto radiator and tranny cooler came in and I don't want to take them out of their boxes for photos until ready to install which will be in a few weeks. These things are heavy at 41+ lbs and 20+ lbs (with their boxes) respectively.
I do have a question in regards to water pumps in which I have always used OEM parts (except for one time), but I came across a seller, Thoroughbred Diesel that lists an OEM waterpump for less than 1/2 of what I have found for a Motorcraft unit. I asked them about it and they responded that it is an OEM part. I want to believe them, but after having a very bad experience with an aftermarket water pump in the past, I am very hesitant to buy theirs. If they say it is an OEM, that to me would be a Motorcraft product, but I could be wrong. I would save over a hundred $$, which is not a big deal out of what I am spending on this project in which I am replacing almost every part associated with the cooling system, but still.....it is well over a hundred dollar savings! Here is a link: https://www.thoroughbreddiesel.com/wp73/