Is thickness of radiator important?

[heyitsroth]

I bought a nissens radiator for my 97 dturbo, but in the box I got an ordonez. I thought maybe they're just an oem for nissens, but it was also thinner than the specifications so I bought the same part number from a different source to be sure.

This second one turned out to be nissens branded and the right thickness - but it was also a bit more expensive so I'm not sure which one to keep (both are easily returnable).

Is it possible the ordonez one is a newer design that cools just as well with less material?  The thicker one certainly came in a much older looking box.

Also I really wanted a drain plug to make life easier in the future; the ordonez doesn't have one, and the nissens has this weird bit where one should be, but I can't work out if I can make it into one. Annoying cos the spec for this nissens part says it has a proper one

[zx_volcane]

thicker is better for sure

[welshpug]

only if it's efficient.

[zx_volcane]

only if it's efficient.

id put money on the thicker nissens being better over the thinner ordonez one

[ginge191]

thicker is better 

[heyitsroth]

They're both made of aluminium, have the same size and number of pipes, and the same fin spacing, so I guess the only difference related to cooling is a bit more fin surface area on the thicker one. Unless there's any other way a radiator can be made more efficient?

Regarding where the drain plug should be, I've realised pug sells them separately - does anyone know if one would fit in there (130677)? Although I guess I'd have to drill a hole for it to work, which doesn't seem like the kind of thing you'd normally have to do..

[Mattcheese31]

My Nissans has a drain hole

[HDIkyle]

Non of my nissens rads had drains

[Mattcheese31]

Non of my nissens rads had drains

you sure? . . . .  you need a big wide flathead to open it

[bashbarnard]

I can confirm my last nissens one also had a drain as matt said

[heyitsroth]

Did it look like this:





If so, do you have to make a hole for the coolant to come out?  Or did they come with a drain plug already attacged?