So cooling has been in the back of my mind since starting acquiring bits for my setup. I have been planning to keep the 4-year old all-metal radiator that was in the car when I bought it and work from there, but I am now wondering if that is a good idea.

So, how many of you are running stock-type radiators (not aluminum) and with what power level?

Can I be convinced that this will be ok to start? I can't justify shelling $400 for an aluminum radiator...yet.

 

you'll be fine. keep the undertray, build a cheap scooper, replace the theromstat, replace the cap, 70/30 mixture, burp system.

btw, coolradiator.com. running thier 1" all-aluminum radiator for years, cheap as hell.

 

You're not running a water cooled turbo are you? If no, I wouldn't sweat it at low boost.

If mid boost or more, focus on getting the most air possible into the radiator, and you'll be fine. A cheap aluminum fin or scoop will do wonders to force air into the radiator. Close up the area between the radiator support area and radiator if you have to. I am going to get the BEGi radiator cover plate. It's only $30. If you want, we can order ours together to split shipping.

IMO the coolant reroute mod will do more than a $400 radiator. YMMV

Ben

 

nearly 200RWHP on a totally stock Radiator and no belly pan fitted or extra air scoops fitted.(No air conditioning fitted though) Its a fairly new stock replacement, so if your rad is a good clean one there shouldnt be any probs.

 

Kind of like this, eh?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/90-97...spagenameZWDVW

 

Good call Ben. I'd go for one of the BEGi plates.

 

I'm in the 250whp range with the fatory radiator ,a watercooled turbo, and a good size FMIC. Took it on a few hour trip in 80* - 90* weather. Never had a problem. Just keep it full of fluid and it should be fine
-Michael-

 

I was overheating mine pretty easy when drifting with stock radiator, got a koyo 37mm one and didn't have a problem since. btw I have a water cooled t28.

 

yeah I forgot I added a cooling plate as well.

In my case I was overheating before I put effort into my cooling system. I was overheating on anything past 100mph. Same exact system, oil-cooled turbo, same power levels, I just never did anything to the cooling system.

So I did the above and I've been fine. Sealing off the front and getting as much direct flow into that thing as possible does wonders.

 

Check it. 12psi pull. Look what it does to coolant temp with stock rad and both fans on: (CLT)

 

I'm looking at CLT right? If so maxing out at 200° doesnt seem bad. Although those don't seem to be prolonged runs and just pulls. correct?

 

Yeah, but 150-200 in 4 seconds is pretty surprising. To me anyway.

 

WOW dlogging is cool as hell. Looks like it heated up, but then the fans came on and quickly brought it back down. Awfully quickly.

Hmm. Well it can't be too hard to (1) get the fans on a little earlier and/or (2) time the fan's shutoff to keep em on a little longer.

 

My fans are on pretty much all the time when it's warm. 150+

 

So were the fans on for the whole pull, and the decrease in temp is from letting off? I thought the decrease was from the fans...

 

Al- What's really unusual is that the normal (no boost) operating temp is 150f? Something if funky if you ask me.

I'm ususally running around 190-198f out of boost and only see a rise of ~8f after a boosted run (ambient ~70f). Once out of boost the temp drops back down almost immediately. The only time I see a rapid rise is coming to a stop after running boost and waiting for the fan to come on.

 

Nah, nothings funky, just both fans running on a fairly cool day. Normal operating temp is about 160 for me. The car's always run cool. I guess the previous owner put a low temp (160?) thermostat in it.

And yeah the temps drop really fast. As soon as that turbo stops generating heat, it dissipates.

 

That's still an incredibly low temp- your 160 thermo isn't even opening at that. Do you know your oil temp?