throughthewire

I bought a Corksport radiator for my essentially stock 88 'Vert after my original radiator burst, based on recommendations in my original thread:

NA replacement radiator opinions please

Allegedly it requires very little modification to fit, but that's not what I'm experiencing as I'm attempting to install it today. I cut a notch in the shroud for the pressure cap spout, and enlarged the notch for the top inlet; no big deal so far.

The gap between the shroud and the top of the radiator is damned near half an inch all the way across; I used aluminum tape to seal it up. Not entirely sexy, but functional.


Now we run into the bigger problems. The Corksport radiator is thicker than the stock unit, so it pushes the shroud closer to the fan—actually, it pushes the shroud into the fan. So you have to chop a hole to clear the blades.

The description on Corksport's site says "Note: 86-88 models require a small amount of trimming to the factory shroud if used to clear the filler neck."

It does not say "you will have to cut a big gaping hole in your stock shroud to clear your fan"—if it had, I probably would have bought a different radiator.

But you sure do. Corksport's instructions: "Step 15b: For 86-91 RX-7, trim a hole in the fan shroud (where shown) for clearance of fan."

"NOTE: Some additional trimming may be required later to make sure fan does not hit the shroud."

Really? Let's have a look at that:





This is already a bigger hole than indicated by their rather crudely drawn paper template, and it's not nearly big enough. I might have to remove material almost all the way across the top of the shroud!

At first, I considered bending or trimming the fan blades themselves, instead of hacking up the shroud. Now I'm sorry I didn't go that route. I'll probably have to do it anyway.


But the fun's not over yet! I also bought a set of SAMCO silicone radiator hoses—from Corksport—when I bought the radiator. Gonna replace them anyway; I might as well do it right, huh? Well, the top hose doesn't fit without kinking, not matter how it's oriented or twisted:



Since I bought both the hoses and the radiator from the same shop, I would have hoped they'd clue me in that there might be fitment problems. I hope that I can trim the hose back, but I'm going to run into the molded bends.


Finally, the top bracket for the stock air intake is about an inch too far back to work, and the top inlet interferes with the rubber snorkel between the intake and the air filter box:







Oh, and this weld sucks, and I'm surprised it passed their QA:




My car is my daily driver and it's already been out of commission for weeks; I have to get this thing running this weekend. So I'll end up with a hacked up shroud and fan, and I'll be sucking in warm engine compartment air because I can't attach my stock intake. This is not what I had in mind when I asked for recommendations on a radiator which would "fit in the stock mount location without any fabrication."


Bottom line—the Corksport radiator might be a very good all-aluminum radiator at a very good price, but unless you're planning on using their shroud, or an e-fan, and a modified intake, I'd stay away. This has been a serious disappointment.

dean23

ouch... sorry to hear so much trouble man...

fcdrifter13

I iddnt think you could use the stock air box setup on the corksport rad.

solareon

iTrader: (1)

yeah so i'm not even gonna begin to tear this apart.

Corksport makes a different fan shroud that fits their radiator
http://corksport.com/store/large/2k1...an_Shroud.html

If you read the description it says it doesn't support the use of the stock airbox. Maybe you should look into getting a cone filter or something..

On the radiator hoses you have to trim them to fix. It doesn't matter if they are stock rubber hoses or silicone. Every engine and radiator is spaced a slightly different amount apart so you have to trim them to fit.

Moral of the story. Don't whine about something not working when you are not using it as designed.

throughthewire

They don't say you can't—either in their online catalog or in the instructions that accompany the unit. They even show a standard intake as one of the removal steps in their instructions!

I note now that they don't include a step for putting it back on.

Oh, and the special fitting for the S4 aux sensor? I'm going to have to jumper the ƒµ©king wires together anyway because the sensor hits the swaybar—which broke off one of the terminals!

This whole experience makes me wonder whether the Corksport folks have ever installed one of their own radiators into a stock S4. It sure as hell doesn't fit well in mine. I'll see what they have to say on Monday, but this experience sure doesn't make me enthusiastic about buying anything else from them.

throughthewire

Show me where, please.

Bullshiat. That hasn't been true for any of the dozen or more other radiator hoses I've ever installed.

And there is no way to trim them to fit. If I 'trim' them back far enough, I will be past the molded bends.

If you can show me where I should have seen, before purchase, any indication that I would need to butcher my shroud and/or fan in the description of the radiator, please do so.

Otherwise, the 'Moral of the story' is that Corksport should have let me know that I couldn't install the radiator without problems when I discussed exactly what I wanted to do with them over the phone.

Thanks for your worthless opinion, though.

solareon

iTrader: (1)

http://corksport.com/store/category/...rx-Engine.html

The fan shroud is right below the radiator. When I bought new hoses for my t2 I had to trim them to fit and I am using the stock radiator. The samco pieces are probably designed for stock stock radiator hence the need for trimming.

When working on 20 year old cars stuff does not always worked as designed.

ITSWILL

iTrader: (12)

Wow that sucks. I would like to see that documentation that says it doesn't work with the stock airbox. And yeah that weld really does suck.

Let me say this though, maybe you should have contacted Corksport with these issues and given them the opportunity to fix the problem before publicly bashing them. Quality control issues do happen.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

I agree, all the fitment looks pretty bad, the contortions to fit the stock shroud being the worst.
I would NOT try to cut down the fan blades...getting a rotating assembly like that even remotely balanced would seem an iffy proposition at best.
Maybe it wouldn't matter but it sure would be a shame to cut it and then discover that it did.

As for the hose, it looks like the only "fix" would be cutting it in the middle and removing a few inches. You could add a fitting for a temp sender/fan trigger and pretend you meant to do that all along but it's galling to spend that kind of money and be forced to mod the part.

Please let us know what Corksport's response is.

throughthewire

Sure. I know they sell a fan shroud. I know it doesn't work with a stock intake. But I bought a radiator. And nowhere in the description of the radiator does it say that it only works with their shroud. The description of the radiator mentions "some trimming to allow for the filler neck design." That's it.

And I bought the damned thing after unanimous recommendations in my other thread when I specifically asked about a radiator "that will fit in the stock mount location without any fabrication."

When I spoke to the Corksport folks on the phone, they had ample opportunity to try to upsell me the shroud, too—if it was required. The included install instructions from Corksport all involve a stock shroud.

Do you begin to understand my point of frustration, now?


Ya think? I've been working on 20+ year old cars for 20+ years. I've encountered all kinds of interesting fitment problems.

That's why I like to ask questions on forums and research parts before jumping into a project.

I expect vendors to tell me when the stuff I'm buying from them might not work in my application when I take the time to describe what I need. Especially if they sell something else that does work. The freaking O'Reilly down the street does! And they have since they were a Hi-Lo when I first went there 20 years ago, which is why I still shop there.

I have now trimmed more than 1.5" off both ends of the upper hose, and it still doesn't fit right. It's the most expensive hose I've ever purchased, with the worst fit. On a radiator purchased from the same vendor.

I had every reason to expect that this wouldn't be a major engineering project.

throughthewire

Yup. I would generally agree with you, too. But this is kind of severe, and I can't wait another week or more to get my car running. I don't have time to wait on Corksport.

I will be in touch with them, and I will certainly post their response.

SDrotary-FC

bummer i had to trim the top hose a lil (not much) and i have some samco's to install (when my new t-stat get here)

the welds looks pretty weak *** to me (mine looked great)

i went with their shroud and have had no problems (i have a diff. intake as well)

pic of mine before i trimed the top hose a lil (stock oem hose)


it was a lil long but nothing like yours best bet is to call derek (the owner) and see what he can do.

87 t-66

iTrader: (133)

that's wack. should have got a koyo.

TOOSHORT_88

iTrader: (15)

I have samco hoses from cork sport too.. On the initial install the hoses were kinked same as yours. Just cut 1 inch off of both sides or untill they are not kinked ect. Put a new clamp on there, dont use the old ones they suck.

Get rid of the shroud and clutch fan. Put in a e fan with a small built in shroud and u will be very happy.

Why are u using a performance radiator anyway, looks to me like your car is bone stock hence you dont even have intake yet.....

Dugwillis84

iTrader: (1)

I had trouble with their FMIC kit.

It was kind of poorly designed, and required a lot of sheet metal cutting.

I agree, get rid of the clutch fan and stock shroud, and make a cheap cold air intake.

freemanrx7

+1 mine was an easy bolt-on.

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

regardless of what needs to be trimmed and what else you should buy- that radiator looks like ***, something like that would NEVER make it into my engine bay, once the box was opened that thing would have went right back to them, and to have to cut a shroud on the top like that is just crazy talk.

I have bought small items from them over the years and recently a front lip and had no problems. I applaud them in taking the time to make products for our old cars, but parts like that make the car look like garbage.

fcdrifter13

Really this must be a slip up by corksport. I have there exhaust and have ordered many pats from them in the past never with any problems, and when I did have a question about something there customer service was great.

I would contact them, they are reputable and will most likely try and remedy your problem.

zeromage428

if i were to see that thread when you had it up...i wouldve recommended a koyo +1111

Syncro

iTrader: (1)

+1

OP, please let us know Corksports reply

SDrotary-FC

the corksports is much thicker than my old koyo (which i had to fab the brackets for it) Ive had no probs with my corksport set up.

fc3sfreek

iTrader: (6)

yea if u decide to get another one koyo is the way to go. they fit just like an oem rad.

fcdrifter13

Yes but the cores are smaller are they not.

SDrotary-FC

yea my corksport is much thicker than my old koyo (i posted pics on the orig. thread)

evileagle

iTrader: (1)

I know I never got a PM or anything, maybe one of the other guys did? I dunno.

First off, I called the rest of the guys while I was writing this, and now I have talked to everyone at the shop, and at no point since we shipped his rad out have we received a phone call from him with any questions or complaints.

I understand that you are frustrated, but this was definitely not the best way to get our attention, while dragging us through the mud in the process. I can assure you that all you have to do is get on the phone, we're at the shop 9 - 5 PST M - F just waiting for people to call us.

We speak English well, we have good hearing, we can use a phone, we'll talk to you I swear. Our phone number is 360-260-2675.

As for the comments about how it looks like ***, all you can see is one small weld and a bunch of stuff covered in metal HVAC tape. Many, many people have bought this radiator and think it looks great, and works great also. I'm not ruling out that this may very well have been an exception, but even in that case all it takes is a simple phone call to us and we are more than happy to work things out with you.

- Ryan @ CorkSport