2nd gen radiator in a 1st
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Junior Member
Joined: May 2004
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From: soCal
2nd gen radiator in a 1st
hello my radiator blew up and i got a 2nd gen Radiator cheap, i know alot of people have asked about this but no one has really put out a howto yet i was wandering if there are any tips on changing out and doing the slant mod, main question its best to slant forward right and force the air through it?
in november of 81 motor trend did an article "the Kent Rx for racing" the front body had a good desing where a large square on the starbord side was for cold air in the front under bumper, next to the intake was a wide rectangle for the radiator intake. this is my long term plan for this car.
p.s. as it turns out it wasnot a 1 gen radiator it was out of some other mazda mostlikely. it had plastic top and bottom was not attatched to the oil cooler but with litle brackets on the side and was only TWO core.
in november of 81 motor trend did an article "the Kent Rx for racing" the front body had a good desing where a large square on the starbord side was for cold air in the front under bumper, next to the intake was a wide rectangle for the radiator intake. this is my long term plan for this car.
p.s. as it turns out it wasnot a 1 gen radiator it was out of some other mazda mostlikely. it had plastic top and bottom was not attatched to the oil cooler but with litle brackets on the side and was only TWO core.
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 7,855
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From: Behind a workbench, repairing FC Electronics.
I tried to buy a 2nd gen radiator offa someone and it was BRASS! I was like WTF man...
I'd only do it if it had some gain. I thought FC radiators were Aluminium.
I'd only do it if it had some gain. I thought FC radiators were Aluminium.
FB+FC=F-ME
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,353
Likes: 5
From: Rohnert Park CA
All factory FC rads. are aluminum/plastic,but aftermarket replacements are brass.Although they dont look as cool,brass is better than the plastic/aluminum ones.Try finding a shop thatll repair or rod out a plastic/aluminum radiator.They wont touch em because its too hard to tear down and reassemble them.Brass is just a solder away from fixed,so its much preferred.
An FC rad into a 1st gen is possible,but its quite taller,so youll have to do some creative thinking with the mounting bracketry,cooling fan and possibly sheetmetal cutting.I had one in my car for a while before switching to a full aluminum Howe cross-flow.I had to cut a lot of permenent sheetmetal out to get the slant.If I went anymore vertical,the bottom of the rad. would have been to close to the ground for my liking.It basically looked like how my Howe is now,except lower down....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...y/DSC01389.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...y/DSC01878.jpg
The stock tall radiators are pretty good.They have a lot of surface area and mount up easily.If you want a short style,you can get a 3 row version that will cool very well and still leaves room for the air/oil cooler.
An FC rad into a 1st gen is possible,but its quite taller,so youll have to do some creative thinking with the mounting bracketry,cooling fan and possibly sheetmetal cutting.I had one in my car for a while before switching to a full aluminum Howe cross-flow.I had to cut a lot of permenent sheetmetal out to get the slant.If I went anymore vertical,the bottom of the rad. would have been to close to the ground for my liking.It basically looked like how my Howe is now,except lower down....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...y/DSC01389.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...y/DSC01878.jpg
The stock tall radiators are pretty good.They have a lot of surface area and mount up easily.If you want a short style,you can get a 3 row version that will cool very well and still leaves room for the air/oil cooler.
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