My 456M driver has apparently had its OEM radiator repaired multiple times (poorly) and is still leaking. Repair is not feasible. Ferrari is now asking $6-8k for their poor design original. My car (Assembly No 30091) would need PN 165599 Question: 1) Anyone get a Ron Davis Radiator recently for their car? 2) Other radiator options other than OEM vs Ron Davis? 3) I also want to upgrade the fan; what is the model Spal fan that is a direct swap in and lets me keep the shroud? Appreciate the guidance as I sort next steps
I got the RD. It is the only retail option to OEM. If I had it to do again I would have a custom shop fab me one. The RD is a great radiator but there are a lot of fitment issues. The radiator is about 2 I inches thicker than stock. This causes mis alignment in the blow by tubes which must be shortened or bent to fit. This also cause the lower radiator hose to get pinched between the radiator and front frame structures. Live with that or cut the frame. My oil radiator had to be cut and welded to the new radiator. This left an air gap in the front as the oil radiator is not as thick as the RD. Plug that gap up or air will go around you radiator. The tabs for the ac radiator were too far forward so it collided with the front structure. I had to have those custom fabbed. In defense of RD it is a “racing radiator.”
Invaluable information. Thank you. I will see what it the cost for the RD vs custom Any feedback about Spals?
Suggestion: Be Cool Radiators can custom fab any radiator if you send them the original. Just don't tell them it's for a Ferrari and the price will be extraordinarily reasonable. I know the name is cheesy but their work is quite good. They are primarily into American muscle cars but they'll do any other type.
I installed a Ron Davis radiator in a clients 456M and was not positively impressed either. You'd have thought I was trying to make a Suburban radiator fit. The factory radiator is a perfect example of the company using low bidder vendors. I believe it was the 456M radiator that has a cast aluminum lower pipe attached to a brass radiator. Never seen such stupid radiator construction. Brass cannot be welded and aluminum cannot be soldered so some nature of metal filled epoxy is used to attach them. If it leaks there, there is no fixing it.
I had Ron Davis custom make a radiator for my experimental airplane, it fit perfectly. I found them easy to work with and their quality was very good. Sounds like the info he has for the 456 is wrong. I'll bet if you sent him your radiator and said "duplicate this", and didn't tell him it was for a 456, it would be good. Although after hearing others experience with RD, I can understand why he might not be first on your list.
Put in new Spals with RD. They fit and work great. I also did the wiring reroute. I ran a fat wire from the alternator post switched off the large fan connector with a 10 second relay delay on the small fan so they both are triggered by the main fan temp switch or the ac pressure switch and they turn off together.
I want to make it very clear the RD radiator is very high quality and works well. They made it clear to me at purchase it was a racing radiator and not oem replacement. I went with it because it was something to start with over nothing. Also Ferrari made several changes over the years that make a single radiator hard to fit all 456 cars. I think if I wanted to race my car the RD would be great. After learning all the above a custom radiator based on the oem would be best for the average 456.
I think there were several minor changes over the model years so no one radiator will fit all years. For example my ac radiator was only used for a couple of years then modified. I believe this is why mine collided with the front structure. Again I was grateful to have an alternative to oem. The number of custom radiator shops is dwindling with cheap import replacements. This is the world we live in.
There were 3 changes over the entire 456 production. Ron Davis said this was the one needed for my application. He acknowledged the others so was not ignorant of them. It was not a case of being made for a different application. It was just poorly made. I disagree about the quality. It was not in my opinion a high quality piece.
Other than fitment issues I have no issues with it. It does not leak. Been in 5 years and cools really well so long as fans kick in when they should. Hoses fit well. Drain plug is beefy and cross hatched for easy grip with an oring. Temp sensor plug is beefy, fits well and no leaks. Fins are beefy and do not bend when a gnat hits it like the Chinese masses do. An additional fitment issue you can see in pics is I had to bend the side mounting tabs a bit. Is that RD or Ferrari? Is every Ferrari built with the mounts in the exact same spot? Dunno. Certainly better than OEM. Better than a Mercedes? Dunno. You can see how I had to bend the blowby tube to fit.
A while back I emailed with the guys that make replacement 512TR radiators https://wizardcooling.com/1991-94-ferrari-512-tr-1995-f512m-driver-side-aluminum-radiator/ about whether they had a 550 radiator, and they said send my existing one and they would make one, so you might contact them. I have not yet done so but will certainly explore that option when I get back to the 550.
It would be interesting to see if someone has tried one of the Chinese ones. I have one from the same company that makes one for a 456M in my 308 and it only took minor trimming on one corner bracket and seems to cool very well, for 3 or 4 years now. I don't need a 456 radiator right now, but have to believe they couldn't have made many so I would be hesitant.
I strongly suspect it was dimensional changes to keep up with minor changes in surrounding components. I really doubt it was for improved cooling. If there was interchangeability one would supersede to the other. I have to say if I had purchased the Ron Davis radiator I would have sent it back. My client got it and asked me to install. The comments here reflect a very low bar for acceptability. I would be embarrassed to sell that product. It doesn't leak? Are you serious? That gets a thumbs up? Accepting junk just assures a continuing supply of junk.
Understand there is NO OTHER RETAIL ALTERNATIVE. Yea it does not leak A lot of chinese junk leaks from the hoses or the sensor or the drain plug. And no, junk is a function of MACRO economic forces. Quality players cannot stay in business. Very few radiator shops can do high quality custom work. changes I know of. My oil cooler and radiator were welded. I believe they were later bolted together. The ac radiator was changed which changed the mounts on the front of the radiator.
Well, I jinxed myself by posting earlier. I took my 456M in to do an annual service and they said the radiator had a leak. They normally use Wizard, but can't get one from them for a 456. Ron Davis sent them a kit to make a template to verify. They are an extremely competent shop, I'll report back.
Is there anything other than welding for the outside and/or a re-core to a radiator job ? Honestly do not know. I went through a cooling nightmare, that said, the outsource for the re-core of my OE unit seemed to go smooth/easy here in LA, but the ID and welding of a pin hole leak and replacing my burned out fan motors finally saved me.
We race on Ron Davis radiators and beat the heck out of them. They are a first must have modification. If I needed a radiator I would not hesitate to go RonDavis. Anytime you say go thicker than oem for more cooling capacity you are going to have fitment issues. If you want everything to line up nice it's got to be oem.
I just got quoted $12k for a 2003 Ferrari 456M (GTA) radiator. Small pinhole leak on the part on radiator where the top hose meets. Is there a viable alternative? haha I bet it is the very pinhole I mentioned above in 2023. How is that not repairable?
