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The Great Radiator Debate- What is really needed?

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Old 12-12-2011, 09:57 PM
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Originally Posted by hustler
I need to stop putting tap water in my daily, lol. Is there a flush chemical that can clean all that **** out?
sounds ridiculous, but vinger diluted with distilled water (Some people use coke). Run it till the coolant circulates around (T-stat opens, but I know yours doesn't open). then let it sit for about 20 minutes and then drain it. Then flush out the rest using distilled water.

You will want to do the draining a few times. I was still pulling mineral deposit **** out of my engine after flushing about 9-11 gallons of distilled water, over two sessions.
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Old 12-13-2011, 01:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Joe Perez
however I'm not certain that simply popping a '94-'00 gasket between an '01+ block and head is a wise maneuver.
But that's what Crusher ran at Thunderhill. Unless the block was not an 01+ block, but it is definitely a vvt head. No modifications to the head gasket.
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Old 12-13-2011, 08:52 AM
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There is two threads I have read about the coolant reroute vs. 2001 stuff.
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=350182
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=185985

I think the conclusion that came out is a 2001+ w/ the reroute and 99/mazdaspeed HG is probably the best. with the 99 w/ the reroute coming in 2nd.
but for sure if you are on the 2001+ HG, you should not run the reroute.
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Old 12-13-2011, 09:35 AM
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Correct me if I am wrong.......running without a fan shroud in stop and go traffic is bad. A fan mounted to a rad without sealing the edges would pull air through the least resistant path (around the edges) and not through the rad?
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Old 12-13-2011, 10:10 AM
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Dammit, I have to put the rad. purchase on hold until I know how I am going to fund my next semester. I'm supposed to have some of my loan from last semester left over, but I can't find where that money is sitting...so I might need to break out the CC that I was going to use to order a new rad. Argh FML.

Is anyone here running the 37mm KOYO?
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Old 12-13-2011, 10:19 AM
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I am running a 37mm koyo, ducted, with one stock fan. My fan ducting is two pieces of weatherstripping. My radiator ducting involved the removal of the air straightener, some aluminum and weather stripping. I have had no problems in 100*F heat here or on track. Keep in mind I am not turbo charged.
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Old 12-13-2011, 01:22 PM
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FWIW my 01 head with reroute and modded (added 4 holes) 99 gasket, runs about 4*C cooler in similar hot-weather situations, than my 99 head with stock 99 gasket with the same reroute. 01 head has more holes which I took advantage of by adding said holes to 99 gasket. Deets in m.net thread.
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Old 12-14-2011, 12:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Doppelgänger
Is anyone here running the 37mm KOYO?
Yup! I've got a Koyo 37. It's pretty decent. Decent being the key word. It works well enough to drive my happy *** back and forth to work in 110*F New Mexico heat and keep coolant temps at 94*C and below. I'm running the stock fans, a reroute, and minimal ducting. I really need to redo the ducting. It's awful.

The thing is, my setup is marginal. It works in the hottest temps, but it doesn't have much overhead. I can't turn on my a/c without getting into high coolant temps. Last time I did it, I hit 104*C and turned it off. Temps slowly backed down for the rest of the drive home. And I didn't take that car on the hot days after that. I do like my a/c...

I ordered a set of FM's fans and shrouds, but haven't yet installed them. They got here in September when things were cooling down. I plan to put them in next spring. I also plan to really seal up the nose. Then, I'll wait for the summer heat again. If cooling is still marginal, I'll go in search of a larger rad.

The Koyo 37 is a fine radiator. 2 weeks after I bought it, FM put out their crossflow design. I started kicking myself. Then the TSE rad came out. The kicking continued.

It's a fine radiator. But I wish I'd bought something bigger.
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Old 12-14-2011, 12:46 AM
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Doppel just run an ebay IC. **** will work just fine. No problemo and ultra ******* cheap. The end
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Old 12-14-2011, 12:52 AM
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Not sure an intercooler would work very well for his purposes.
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Old 12-14-2011, 01:32 AM
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f fu fu fuuu **** it's tuesday and I am drunk give me a break. I mean radiator! <3
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Old 12-14-2011, 07:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Faeflora
I am drunk
Please step away from the sawzall.
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Old 12-14-2011, 07:32 AM
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https://www.miataturbo.net/miata-parts-sale-trade-5/koyo-rotrex-ms-koni-injectors-tail-lights-sport-brakes-torsen-more-buy-62207/
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Old 12-14-2011, 10:27 AM
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Thanks Josh. I had been skimming around the past couple of days at the FS section with no luck.
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Old 12-14-2011, 11:35 AM
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I will throw in my .02 on this. The stock plastic-tanked rad in my '93 broke at around 100k. I replaced it with an all-metal auto-trans unit. Then I boosted to 200whp for about 50k miles on 2 different engines. Both fans wired together, stock front-shroud removed, and under-engine cover removed. I never had a single heat problem over the course of 2 Virginia summers.

This was on the stock thermostat, no reroute, and Prestone regular.

On a street car, do you really need more than a DIY reroute and to replace the stock plastic-tanked rad with an aftermarket all-metal unit from RockAuto?
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