CSF E36 S54 Swap Aluminum Radiator
The S54 is arguably one of the greatest BMW motors of all time. Power delivery, balance, and sound are top notch. While it doesn’t compare in power potential to newer turbo powered inline 6 motors, many enthusiasts still love and crave the NA power delivery that BMW was and still is famous for. Despite not being the most powerful option, the S54 Swap has become increasingly popular in the BMW community for the E36 Chassis.
Even though the swap is an easy “fit”, the S54 swap does require quite a bit of work to get working an older BMW chassis. CSF has seen the struggle with the cooling system adaptations and now has a solution. Enter the CSF BMW S54 Swap Radiator and Oil Cooler for the E36 Chassis.
CSF’s industry-leading reputation and deep knowledge of high-performance BMW cooling systems offered an edge when designing such a unique cooling system. Combining the experience from producing the best cooling systems for the E36 and E46, CSF was able to design and produce an innovative solution that covers the widest range of S54 swap customers possible.
At first glance the #7211 looks very similar to CSF’s E36 M3 Radiator (#3054). While the overall shape is very similar, there are several key features that make the new swap radiator special. Because the S54 requires a much more robust oil cooling system than the E36’s S52/S50, CSF made special provisions to fit two different race spec oil coolers. Please note, this radiator and oil cooler combination can be used for S50 & S52 Swaps as well. To do this, the height of the radiator was reduced slightly so the CSF race spec coolers can fit it in a factory style location. The radiator includes a custom designed oil cooler mounting bracket which has provisions to fit both oil coolers (CSF #8032 & #8240). In addition, a custom designed radiator cover plate allows for an optimized coolant overflow line placement which is concealed for an OEM+ appearance.
CSF also includes brackets for an electric fan conversion. These brackets are designed to fit a single 16 inch SPAL Fan (not included). While it is possible to retain a clutch type fan, it is much easier to convert to an electric fan on top of the performance benefits.
The 2-Row 42mm aluminum core offers the largest coolant capacity possible and incredible heat dissipation. CSF’s Exclusive B-Tube Technologyincreases the heat transfer by approximately 15% over regular oval welded tubes. In addition, the super-efficient multi-louvered fins maximize airflow through the core for the best possible performance. All mounting brackets are CNC Machined for precise fitment. The cooling inlet/outlet connections use E36 OEM style slip on connections.