So, I had installed my FMIC during the winter, and didnt have any temperature problems (obviously! It was winter!). But as soon as the temps made 100 degrees, all HELL broke loose. I couldnt keep the car below 210, which is WAAAAY to hot for my tastes. And this was on a K2RD radiator!!

I tried pretty much everything I knew. Thermostat, new electric fan, reducing the amount of coolant to water ratio (more water, less coolant). Nothing worked.

So a friend told me about getting foam to plug up the holes around the radiator, etc, and making some ducting work. So I spent Saturday and Sunday cramming medium density foam into cracks and crevasses, and making aluminum ducting.

Boy, if it didnt just work! 107 degrees today on the way to work, and my temps were a rock solid 194-190. Thats simply umbelievable.

So, learn from my mistakes! If you have heating problems, look at your ducting!!!

 

Got pictures of this aluminum ducting? I'm curious

 

I refuse to take pictures of it, due to the ghettoness of it..

 

^ haha, come on... We need a visual to see what you're talking about...

 

No kidding. Some of us want to copy your diy mod, even if it is ghetto.

 

Man, I am going to do the same thing to my car. Do you realize how hard it is to find insulating foam in Laredo...

I actually bought some when I was on the road up in Ohio

Also, I saw somebody did this...not sure if it worked.

If you look at the top of the oil cooler...and the round tube bar that is bolted to there is about a one inch gap between the two. So, the air could avoid the oil cooler and go thru this gap.

They cut a rectangular strip of metal that was long enough to cover this gap and zip tied it to the round bar. Or you could just put foam there. What ever floats your boat

Good job though rat

James

 

I totaly noticed the heat. Do not have aftermarket gauge on yet. Without boosting I can tend to bring it neer 1/4th gauge but if you start boosting it is a nightmare to try and get it below a half gauge!

I am going to have to do some more ducting!

How about great stuff?

The heat shield foam strips may be good.

 

What kind of density foam did you use? Home depot type stuff? I have to fill in some gaps between the rad and the rad support. Also would like to make a another shroud inbetween the bumper and the rad support in front of the stock plastic shrouds.

 

I used the foam they sell at most walmarts...in the hardware section....

It is the foam marketed to fill the gaps on in the window AC units.

James

 

Post some pics.. I don't care what it looks like as long as it works.. I'm having the same probs on my 1st gen in Las Vegas.. same 100 + weather..

 

Alot of the **** posted on this forum is probably more ghetto than what you have to show.

 

Come on, if felix can post pictures of his car and be called a hero, just imagine what you'd be!

 

I went to an upolstery place and got Medium Density foam. It expands better to deal all the cracks.

 

I will get some pics up soon.. But dont laugh, it looks horrible. I dont really care though, cause it WORKS..

 

thats a good idea glad it worked out for you i'm looking forward to seeing some pics

 

we don't care if it's ghetto...you have to remember..we're FC owners..WE KNOW GHETTO! lol

 

Speak for yourself. Although that is true with like 99% of FC owners.

 

I hear you on the significance of sealing up all the cracks. I went through this when I Installed my GReddy FMIC. I used aluminum sheets and tape which made a huge difference, even though I have a Koyo with two bottles of Royal's Purple Ice prior!

But I got to ask - what are your oil temps looking like? Mine are still freakeshly high. At this point I am thinking of taking advantage of the AuxFAN_ON function on my EMS to add a Oil Cooler fan.

 

We demand pics!

You know you probably could have used tape to help smooth out the foam into a sexy version right? :P

 

.foldered for future pictures.

How does that underbody tray effect cooling performance? It looks like mine was left on a curb in a parking lot somewhere and one of the previous owners forgot to pick it back up (ie. it's missing.)

 

Pics??

 

^ the stock under-body tray is definitely there for a reason (from what I gather).

If you're worried about cooling issues and you DON'T have the stock under-body tray, you could probably find one for pretty cheap and try it out.

I'm about to clean mine off (removed it for the rebuild) and put it back on for the summer(and leave it on).

 

My stock undertray looks like I put it in a blender with Tequila and ice.

Its stiched together with zip-ties, and all the holes have gigantic blocks of foam in them now. Plus most of the front of it is missing thanks to a roadrunner...

But I did just pay for a new one!

 

Where is the pics?

 

this is actually a VERY common problem jrat. my car runs a little hot (around 210 but only on the interstate above 65mph) on the mazda sensor running the haltech (supposedly reads 10 degrees high)

post the pics!