CSF Mclaren 720S Two piece cooling package

Design & Engineering

The McLaren M840TE engine is a marvel of modern engineering. These twin-turbo V8s are capable of massive amounts of horsepower for their size. One of the limiting factors in their power limits is the Charge-Air system. The Charge-Air-Coolers themselves are the first limiting factor due to their pressure limits. The CSF by PWR Charge-Air-Coolers (CSF #8352) solve this issue with their stronger Bar & Plate cores.

The next limitation is the amount of heat that can be removed from the system. For this, the limiting factor is the original front mount heat exchangers. The goal in upgrading this system is to lower intake air temperatures (IATs) at higher boost levels and offer faster recovery from inevitable heat soak. The CSF engineering team worked hard to design the most efficient heat exchangers possible that fit into the factory housing pods.

OEM VS CSF

The factory heat exchangers are very well designed and efficient like most of the systems on these McLarens. However, they were optimized to function at factory power and boost levels so there was definitely room for improvement.

Both the factory and CSF heat exchanger cores have 39 Cooling Tubes and 40 Fin Rows. However, the CSF units feature a 54mm 2-Row core. This is a huge upgrade over the 1-Row core found in the factory coolers. The CSF core also utilizes CSF's Exclusive B-Tube Technology which increases 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.

The factory units are an all metal design but still use a crimp and brazed construction method which is weaker than CSF's TIG welded construction. The TIG-Welded 100% All Aluminum construction increases the overall strength of the radiator. This improves durability and longevity so you can be confident it will hold up to hard driving conditions. The outlet tanks include pre-plugged 1/8th NPT temperature sensor ports for those looking for more accurate coolant temperature readings.

5-Pass Design

The CSF Heat Exchangers utilize a 5-pass design giving the coolant for the charge air system a longer dwell time and maximum heat dissipation. Each pass allows for more heat to be extracted from the system returning coolant to the charge-air-coolers that is as close to ambient temperature as possible.

Included Rock Guards

CSF includes removable metal rock guards to replace the OE plastic pieces (McLaren OE: 11L0528CP). These upgraded rock guards offer additional protection and durability. Now you can feel more confident that your cooling system is safer from road debris.

Plug and Play Installation

The OE foam strips are reused to seal and hit the heat exchangers in the factory pods and improve airflow. The CSF heat exchangers mount in the factory pods and require no modifications or cutting.

McLaren 720S Installation – Titan Motorsports

McLaren 675LT Installation

⚠ Fitment Notes

The CSF #8212 and #8213 heat exchangers cover all 12C, 650S/675LT, 570S/570GT/600LT, 720S/765LT, 750S, and GT/GTS models. There is some overlap in fitment for the 650S and 675LT models so you should consult a McLaren dealership with your VIN to confirm which coolers your application requires. The difference in the two heat exchanger models is the core height (measurement between tanks). The CSF #8212 (McLaren OE: 13L0183CP or 11L0375CP) are ~59mm (2.3 in) taller than the CSF #8213 (McLaren OE: 11L0241CP).

CSF #8212 570s / 600LT / 720S / 765LT / 750S / GT / GTS

CSF #8213 12C / 650S / 675LT

CSF #8212 (McLaren OE: 13L0183CP or 11L0375CP) CSF #8213 (McLaren OE: 11L0241CP)

Design & Engineering

This updated system was developed in collaboration with PWR, one of CSF’s strategic manufacturing partners. PWR is known for their motorsports expertise, manufacturing cooling systems for F1, WRC, MotoGP, and more. Together, CSF & PWR have created a high-performance solution tailored for the most demanding McLaren owners, tuners, and race teams.

Both CSF and PWR are Tier-1 OEM-certified cooling manufacturers that specialize in high-performance heat exchangers. These new McLaren Charge-Air-Coolers use advanced core technology, optimized for minimal pressure drop and maximum thermal transfer. Each pair of coolers are made here in the USA with in-house pressure-testing, and quality inspections to meet the stringent demands of McLaren owners. This system delivers unmatched cooling performance for the 4.0L twin-turbo V8 (M840T) found in the 720S, 765LT, 750S, GT, and GTS.

The CSF by PWR Charge-Air-Coolers are handcrafted and professionally tig welded in the USA. Each unit is made with the highest level of craftsmanship and durability that is unmatched anywhere else in the aftermarket.

Key Features:

• Advanced core technology with optimized fin design for maximum thermal efficiency
• Minimal pressure drop for improved performance under high-boost conditions
• Fully TIG-welded by hand in the USA for unmatched quality and durability
• 100% in-house manufacturing with thorough pressure testing and quality control
• Engineered for the GT, GTS, 720S, 765LT, and 750S compatible with both Coupe and Spider models

CSF vs OEM

The OEM McLaren units are very well engineered, offering up to 94% thermal efficiency while handling modest boost increases quite well. This strong baseline performance made developing an upgraded system quite challenging. CSF’s original design (#8186) managed 99% efficiency, but the larger cores caused fitment issues for the Spider models. The new design solves this, delivering exceptional performance in a more compact package that fits all GT, GTS, 720S, 765LT, and 750S variants.

Formula 1 Grade Core

The new CSF coolers feature hand-built bar/plate cores manufactured in PWR’s Tier-1 OEM facility here in the USA (Indianapolis, IN). Each core is produced to aerospace-level tolerances using extremely lightweight and thin materials. This allows for a higher concentration of internal fins, maximizing heat transfer efficiency. The PWR bar/plate core uses 3 times as many fin rows compared to the factory tube & fin core. Bar/plate cores also have a much higher burst pressure rating and can take the stress of boost spikes much better than tube/fin cores.

What makes these cores exceptional isn’t just the materials, but the craftsmanship as well. Building each core is an intensive process requiring expert technicians and precision welders capable of working with cladding as thin as 0.3mm. Only five cores can be built per day by a qualified technician, and welding them requires the highest level of fabrication skill.

Core Construction Highlights:

• Air-side & water-side fin thickness: 0.08mm (~50% thinner than conventional cores)
• Air-side bars: 5.35mm tall vs. ~7.5mm in standard cores (allows more rows for greater surface area)
• Cladding thickness: 0.3mm, enhancing thermal transfer and reducing weight
• Air-side Fins Per Inch: 28 FPI using rolled fin geometry (~100% more than typical cores)
• Water-side Fins Per Inch: 26 FPI (vs. conventional bar/plate core ~18 FPI).
• End plates: 1.5mm thick with pocketed 3mm extrusions for max core volume and weld precision

Tank Design & Construction

One of the other shortcomings of the factory coolers is their ability to handle high boost. The factory coolers are an all metal construction with extrusion formed tanks brazed to the cores. This is much stronger than the more common plastic tank with crimped-on gasket seals, but it still leaves room for improvement. The brazed joint is still a weak spot in the system and can burst at higher boost pressures. The new CSF Charge-Air-Coolers fully TIG welded the all aluminum tanks to the cores. This construction method offers the strongest possible coolers that will handle much higher boost pressures than the factory coolers.

The Ultimate Cooling Solution

Whether you need more cooling for your high horsepower build with big turbos or just want to stave off heat soak on track days, the CSF by PWR Charge-Air-Coolers are the cooling solution your McLaren needs.