I searched and came across this thread

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...light=radiator

Would like to see a few more pics if anyone has them. I just received my FC radiator and will be putting this in myself. I want to see how everyone mounts these. Is there anyone who has special brackets? I get brackets made at a machine shop from a friend...

pics, Ideas, help thx

 

Why? What motor are you running? A stock 79-83 3 row radiator is adequate for most all apps

 

This car is a track car, we drive this in 100 degree weather on the race track. The car temperature go up to 1/2 to 3/4 up the temp gauge the last time that we drove this car hard. We want to put the FC radiator in and mount the oil cooler in front of the thick crossbar in the front.

 

as for the oil cooler, i read in an rx7 boook that it is more benficial to mount it perdpenicular to the radiator, the illustration showed that it was mounted on the bodykit at the bottom, but it would probably work at the top

As for the mounts, i think they should be pretty easy to make. just set it where you want and make brackets to hold it there

 

ill take pics of my fc koyo. the stock fc rad was harder to mount than the koyo was.

 

Please! Thank you.

I wanna see how others have it mounted... like how they made their bracket or what not as well.

 

My 1st gen radiator was no longer good so cutting off the brackets that held it in place was easy. I don't even think you can get away with removing the brackets off of the 1st gen rad without ruining it. All it took was a dremel and a small bend at the bottom (easy, you'll see when you get to doing it) and minor reaming of the holes to utilize the 1st gen brackets on the 2nd gen rad... Then it bolts in just like the orginal radiator.

And the hoses are going to now be different b/c the bends coming off the 2nd gen rad are diff then those of the 1st gen rad. The parts store sells universal hoses that worked fine.

 

You probably can also go to a local radiator shop and have them build you a custom, if you have a bit more money to spend. They can probably put a thicker core into the rad, using the stock tanks and brackets, they could also make a complete custom one, with tanks and brackets that will mount in the stock location if thats what you want, but thicker (if the tanks of the stock one aren't thick enough to take a bigger core).

 

Since you have the short 3 core rad and are moving the fmoc to the front, have a stock size tall 3 core rad built. Then you will have a bolt in rad with no mods needed other than the fmoc.

 

So, are you saying that I should leave that FC rad alone and get a better rad from the 84-85 FBs and just move the fmoc in front of it?

 

Leave the FC rad alone and have a 3 core built. The taller 83+ rads are 2 core, going 3 core will increase cooling capacity condierably and be a direct fit. If you install the FC rad, you'll may need to go with an electric fan, depending on how it's mounted.

 

Trochoid, my plan is to have the electric fan and make custom brackets for the rad to fit with it. Since the FC rad is a Griffin aluminum rad... should I stick with it since it's gunna be a great upgrade from my stock piece? It's not as easy to find a FB 3 core rad at the price that I got this FC rad...

 

Ah, see, you didn't say it was a custom FC rad, a Griffen no less. Sure, I'd use that.

 

I did the FC rad swap and i wouldn't go back. I only used a stock s4 rad and it mad a huge difference. Here are some pics. If you need measurements i could go down and measure the car.





These are some pics form when i started the project. I ran the stock clutch fan for awhile.

 

Whoa that looks pretty easy to do! Too bad i just bought a new rad and FMOC last year Looks really good

 

Blown7, that's a nice set up. Did you custom anything on the rad except fitting it in the FB? I have never seen a stock rad so I was surprised seeing some weird angles on that part where the hose goes to the thermostat. I think I will go with making some brackets like that, it looks easier.

With the rad that I got... the bottom hose that goes to the engine is on the opposite... it's not on the same side as the one on top. Is it ok to run a electric fan and a long hose and plug it up?

 

thats how my rad is mounted. he had to trim the sheet metal like i did to get the stock fc one to fit. i didnt have to do that with the koyo. for the upper hose you use the fc upper hose and for the lower i used the fb upper but with your lower hose being on the opposite side, maybe you would want to use a pipe with 2 90*angle rubber bends to run it across the bottom.

 

The FC radiator is only marginally bigger than the 83-85 units,and requires cutting permanent sheetmetal out,so theres not really any going back.Take that into consideration before you dive it.

That said,I have run an FC radiator in the past,before going with my current custom setup.Without the shroud and stock fan,itd be a good idea to box in the radiator on the sides to prevent the ram-air from just going around the core.Some sheet aluminum or plastic with work fine along with foam weatherstrip.Thats what I did with my Howe radiator after tilting and mounting it.Despite its smaller size,I get plenty of cooling from this unit since the air has no choice but to pass through.The feed scoop under the airdam that bypasses the IC,and the extraction vent in the hood dont hurt either!

 

I only see one problem in this picture. There's an airflow sensor in there. Ahh! get rid of it. I think we have the same radiator. That's pretty much how I pictured mine needing to be mounted to fit between the sway bar and the new steering rack. Check out my post about the RE-speed steering rack and tell me if that's the same radiator. If so would you mind measuring your triangle shaped side plates and sending the measurements to me?

 

Can we get a better shot of your hood!

 

How exactly, will my EFI operate then?
The S5 AFM is a well designed unit,and its been plenty capable of flowing enough air to make around 300HP,a 50% increase over stock.I preffer metered air EFI over speed density types....I havent had to make any changes to the S5 ECU in the 7 years Ive been running this engine.Its solid,reliable and 100% CA smog legal.
My radiator is from Howe's dual pass,race units.I dont remember the exact dimensions,but they offer a number of different sizes,so you can measure and pick the one thats best.They ship very quickly and have reasonable rates.Although,I did order this unit back in 01',so its been a while.
http://www.howeracing.com/Radiators/...DoublePass.htm
http://www.howeracing.com/Radiators/...ors-Table4.htm

Heres a few more shots of the hood.Its all steel,made from the factory hood.It draws air from the main oil cooler behind the center nostril and the first,hot pass of the radiator.The remainder of the radiator receives its air from a scoop that sits under the IC and it vents into the engine bay to cool the turbo/engine.....

 

I wonder if the 2nd gen shroud would fit here....???

 

Steve, that's the first time I've seen a pic of your undertray scoop. Very well thought out and nicely done. Unfortunately, my front lip projects too far forwad, and scrapes, to do something similiar.

 

I wanted to mount my aluminum radiator in a similar fashion but what I ended up finding is that when the rad is mounted on an angle it came into contact with the front sway bar. Then my electric fan shroud would contact the front cover.

Long story short was easier mounting it the conventional way.

 

I ditched my electric fan. I am using the stock gauge... but going back to the orginal fan and shroud certianly brought my temp down.