Solve Your BMW S54 Engine Swap Cooling Issues with a CSF Radiator and Oil Cooler

BMW’s naturally aspirated S54 inline six has the classic race engine recipe: small displacement (3.2L), high compression (11.5:1), and high redline (8,200 RPM). Small wonder the engine is a popular swap in BMW E36-series cars. The extra 113 horsepower and 26 lbs.-ft. of torque compared to a 3.2L six from a US-spec E6 M3 doesn’t hurt, either.

One issue with an S54 swap is the cooling system. The factory E36 radiator and engine oil cooler are not robust enough to handle the extra thermal loads an S54 engine will have. Fortunately, CSF has solved the problem with its BMW S54 Swap Radiator and Oil Cooler. Let’s take a look.

BMW S54 Swap Radiator
This radiator offers the largest coolant capacity possible and incredible heat dissipation. CSF’s exclusive B-Tube Technology increases heat transfer by approximately 15% over regular oval welded tubes. The radiator also has efficient multi-louvered fins to maximize airflow through the core. Other features include:
• CNC-machined mounting brackets
• Cooling inlet/outlet connections use E36 OEM-style slip-on connections
• Lower height to allow radiator and CSF oil cooler to fit in factory location
• Mounting bracket for CSF oil cooler
• Radiator cover plate allows optimized coolant overflow line placement
• Brackets for electric fan conversion included

BMW S54 Swap Oil Coolers
CSF engine oil coolers have a top/bottom dual-pass design with eight cooling rows that provides maximum cooling surface area and oil flow. The heavy-duty bar and plate design and TIG-welded extruded aluminum end tank provide exceptional reliability and durability. Both oil coolers are designed to fit on the bottom of CSF’s S54 swap radiator. The #8240 oil cooler is slightly smaller to make room for the E36’s factory AC lines. The #8032 oil cooler has slightly more capacity but will not work with factory air conditioning.

This Speedhunters article outlines the installation of a CSF S54 Swap Radiator and Oil Cooler in an E36 M3.

CHECK OUT CSF’S S54 SWAP RADIATOR AND OIL COOLERS AT SUMMIT RACING