87nitefc

Hey all well Ive been thinkin a lot on how I should I install my FMIC, rad, oil cooler, and K&n filter any input would be great I had thoughts about v-mounts but not sure how it would work with my setup??? Previously I had my rad laying behind my fmic but I felt that was blocking too much air from my rad besides that my rad was being held by some zip ties (done by previous owner ) nothin wrong jus not how I like it
Specs
87 fc3s TII
Fmic- emusa
3"inlet/outlet 31" long 1ft high 3" wide 26" long lower end
Oilcooler- oem
22"long 4" high 2"wide
Rad- oem 24"long 22" high
Cold air intake- K&n
Basic K&n intake mounted on M.a.f.

87nitefc

Adding a few pic of what I'm lookin at I'm not trying to touch the oil cooler but if it needs to move well so be it but I'm trying to avoid that

barkz

iTrader: (1)

are you willing to cut holes for pipes? if not find an NPR diesel intercooler and sandwich mount it upside down right in front of the rad. very short pipe routing, no air deflection between IC and rad. Theres a right up somewhere around here about it. i planned on doing it but never got around to it. if you want to i may part with my NPR intercooler.

barkz

iTrader: (1)

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generati...-782097/page2/

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

I've seen a number of setups that lean the rad back and position the IC in front of it. Also done that a few times myself.

My own 2nd gen puts the IC between the rad and bumper but that requires the ability to weld aluminium to make custom end tanks. If you can do that (or access someone who can), then that's the way to go.



Older pic, crappier end tanks...



Even if you lean the rad back I'd highly recommend having the tanks modified to face the outlets towards the engine. You'll save about a foot of tubing bend by doing so.

You shouldn't have an air issue. That leads me to believe you had a fan problem.

87nitefc

Ok and for the hole cutting what did you have in mind I actually wanna run my emusa since it's soo damm huge but being huge I feel it's takes so much air away from my rad I was also thinkin of a v-mount (home built) but with a shorter rad to fit in my ic any ideas

Well I know numerous cars run there set ups as how u explain it with ic infront but my ic is literally huge and I can't think if any damm positions would a dual fan setup be a overkill I mean the ic is taking in most of the air and since I'm still on stock rad it should benefit from this

bumpstart

i am running an identical I/C in a V/ flat front mount config

no need to cut the front bar
needs only the sides of the rad support panel to be trimmed
and a frame made to hang the stock rad in original angle just a little bit closer to the engine
( for the stock rad lower outlet hangs in the dip in the front swaybar )

the oil cooler is laid flat , as it forms part of the air box that contains all three heat exhangers as the sides
( rad is the back, oil cooler is the bottom and the i/c is the top )
i have a custom alum under tray that forms around the oil cooler and there is a deflection lip above it to direct air through the oil cooler and out under the car
the oil cooler requires 1 custom long hose to the back of the block
.. and can use the long hose from any earlier rx moved to the front position
( grind just a little off the bottom of the ac/ps bracket to get room for spanner )


i dont need to cut the bonnet as the airflow passes into the bay over the radiator top
though i have added a spal fan underside of the i/c to keep it cooling down even at idle
( wasnt necessary, just had a spare pusher spal laying around )

note that i have a large custom rad ( with bottom outlet crossover underneath ), but be assured i originally made the rad support to hang a stock rad,, and still can


all up.. it has individual parallel and not serial sequential airflow to all the heat exchangers
-none will share its heated airflow with another -

.. it wasnt so demanding in fab as other setups
..didnt cut the front bar, and just trimmed the bottom of the latch bracket
and no bends in the i/c piping , all done in silicone.
and it works very well
( my FC is my daily driver and it tops regularly 100 F here in summer )

more pics of the oil cooler layout -
https://imageshack.com/i/2fimag0314dj
https://imageshack.com/i/1ximag0317aj
https://imageshack.com/i/nlimag0305gnj
https://imageshack.com/i/5limag0267sqj
https://imageshack.com/i/nsimag0266nj
https://imageshack.com/i/j0sam0096jj

87nitefc

Wow that's a really tight squeeze idk if I got that clearance but definatly trying this later how's your oil temps and is the oil between the rad and ic

bumpstart

its still an FC .. with PS .. so there is no reason you cant bend the bracket for the latch and fit your intercooler in the same spot

if you look closer you can see in my rad bracket there is holes to lay the ic vertical in the conventional position in front of the rad
( that is where it was first )

the oil cooler is flat , it forms the bottom outlet of the airbox
[ i/c is the lid, the rad the back and the oil cooler and tray the bottom ]
it is above the engine cross member and within the arc of the wheels
- not much will hit it where it is, indeed nothing has hit that rad crossover pipe in 3 yrs daily use either
the alum undertray can ( and soon will be ) extended all the way to form up with the bolt holes proved in the the crossmember for the original plastic tray

the flat oil cooler position was trialed in some racing rx7's and recommended in some publications

the oil temps are not logged but they do not seem excessive
certainly i am not cooking the oil and maintain 25- 30 psi at hot idle on hot days

ps
things very tight in my bay as i have a huge rad , and ( 2 ) LPG convertors and a mixer to fit in
( and kept the PS )

no bends needed to be formed , and i have a couple of mm clearance for the 65 mm pipe passing between the PS pump and strut tower

87nitefc

Jus checked fitment and your right it fits jus that I'm going to need to delete my hood latch with my latch it extend my ic few inches too much and not let my rad to fit in properly now all I gotta do is fab up some brackets to hold up my ic and rad then mount my hood pins and voila

Are you using a smaller latch from the pic it seems

bumpstart

it is the mazda FC latch ( 86 )
and the bottom brace was flipped over and bent around the bottom of the i/c

the very bottom of the latch was trimmed back with a grinder
( almost to where the cable slots though )

the latch is as sturdy as the factory made it and the bottom is several mm above the I/C

87nitefc

Ohhh make sense now

bumpstart

i will point out that the oil cooler could have ( and did originally ) stayed in the stock location and the stock undertray fitted
my aircleaner is also out in front inside the air dam area , could even fit the original box and filter there if required

if i was doing it again i would have done it with nutserts to hang the bottom of the new rad frame
( i just welded a nut flush on the chassis )

as is the frame comes out with just the four bolts
( one into chassis each side and two into the front support rail )

moar pics of rad support bracket and the lower bracket for the I/C

87nitefc

Tell me what u think about this it's kinda related I was think on how a lot the drifters in formula D run there rad in the back I know I'm gonna need air so by cutting the lil wheel well out and adding a dual fan would that keep it fresh or do I need more air

bumpstart

IMO in a turbo rotary,,,
the rad needs the most direct and cleanest flow of air
and that is my justification for keeping the same angle and just pushing it back a little

all other V mount methods compromise the frontal area of the rad by laying it flat or backwards

no i dont think pulling from a wheel well is a good idea,, as at various speeds it will drop to a vacuum and not a positive pressure

Logitikes

Hey aaron, hows the temps on that setup? I noticed that the intercooler isnt completely sandwiched on the rad, i would assume the airflow between the rad and intercooler not being optimal since theres a gap in between them? Also have you ever thought of selling these intercoolers?

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

No issues with temperature. The only time the car ran a little warm was on a 40C day, damn near 100% humidity, with a tail wind blowing me down the freeway (very little air was entering the front end). That was more of an oil temp problem though.

My car has a fully stock front end, which is important. That means full undertray, the little panels between the nose and rad, and all the little plastic bits which seal that tunnel. Oil cooler is in the stock location. I also have a properly shrouded e-fan. Oh, and by fully stock front I mean the round crossmember is still in place, the bumper reinforcement piece is still there and the popup lights have been unmolested.

As for selling them, I guess I could build to order. I still have some silly jigging I made to position the inlets/outlets and the core is a standard (high quality, internally finned, bar and plate) item found on eBay. It would have to be in the mid $500 range though and I think that is the problem. Most people would rather buy a $75 eBay intercooler then hack up the front end to fit it, vs something like that that requires only two holes in the vertical rad supports.

87nitefc

Ok make sense hopefully I get my welder workin so I could make my vmount

Logitikes

Damn, yeah $500 is a little steep... But i understand, you get what you payfor.

87nitefc

A lil steep hahaha have u considered shipping Aaron ur intercooler and having him fab it up well that's on if he wants to negotiate in that case

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

The funny thing is that $500 isn't really that expensive. Only a few (maybe 15 ) years ago before China parts flooded the market, $500 would be about the minimum one would pay for a decent intercooler.

For example, here's a Garrett core at ATP Turbo:
Intercooler Core - Garrett GT 20.1x11.2x3 - P/N: 487085-6002 : atpturbo.com

Then to fab up a set of end tanks is at least a few hours, plus material (aluminium is pretty cheap, we are talking $10 worth of material if that), welding supplies, etc.

Any of the bolt in intercooler kits (Greddy, HKS, Arc) were well over $1000 and you still needed to have BOV flanges welded on. Plus in the case of Greddy, modify the piping around the brake booster because the pipes are designed for a RHD car.

I'd say $500 on mine because I could get a core on eBay for under $200, and then the rest would be the labor in making the tanks. About 3 hours of cutting, fitting and tacking then another 2 hours (give or take) of welding. That's a pretty good deal on the labor because I don't have a shop to run and just do this in my spare (ha!) time. Go to a fab shop and their labor will be much, much higher.

And this is why it's almost impossible to bring FC parts to the market.

I'm still ready to ramp up production of bolt on 300HP NA turbo kits. Problem is that at the necessary $4500 (and I'm almost giving them away at that price) I'll sell one.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

i'm running a flat oil cooler and it works really well. i tried the normal way, but its a 1st gen, and its either quite low, or sticks out. flat mounted, its literally behind the round tube crossbar, so its well protected, i could spin off into the dirt for days and it would be perfectly fine.

i do have a duct/scoop feeding it.

for an IC that fits the car, and uses a good core $500 is pretty reasonable, and the way you did it the piping is pretty simple too.

87nitefc

Maybe u guys are right about $500 but for broke ppl it's millions hahah