I'm not sure if it even matters about the tabs. There are no tabs on the black cooler (at least not in the front). I can see that from the post above with all the photos. The coolant lines are on right side of the cooler and adapter which is how I positioned mine in my photos. And the front tab hangs out in the middle of no where. Maybe that's no big deal though. I will look at my mazda again to verify. It stands to reason, if the silver cooler is the exact replacement for the black, that it would work in this application. Just as you mentioned in your reply. Thanks for answering. I meant to ask- did you use anything on the metal gasket? I don't think it's imperative but some mentioned gasket sealers and other products.