I have recently purchased an aftermarket 50mm alloy radiator but when I received it I found that there is no connecting pipe at the bottom for the AST hose to connect onto as there is on the stock one. I want to know where I can now route my lower AST hose? I'm not planning on getting rid of the AST, do I just tap into a radiator hose somewhere? Any help would be awesome guys, Cheers.

 

If your intent on keeping the radiator, I'd find someone in your area that can weld aluminum/aluminium and install a nipple in the lower tank.

 

Send it back and get the right radiator

 

Or you can drill and tap a hole and put a threaded nipple into it.

 

I wouldnt do this. The material is too thin and soft being aluminum. Vibrations over time will make this connection fail. Only way to do it is like sgt said above, welding on a bung.

Or you could just send it back and get a direct replacement. This is probably the best option since any machine work you do to the radiator is risking depositing shavings/slag into the inside of the radiator. From what ive seen all machine work on end tanks is done before the assembly of the radiator so they can clean out the inside before capping everything off.

 

Not correct. Into the neck, not the radiator itself, obviously. As has been done literally thousands of times with no ill effects.

 

Sarunsanj
I'm sorry but there is no place on an aftermarket radiator that is thick enough to thread anything into.
If you believe there is, prove us wrong by posting pics.

OP,
you have 3 choices:
1. return the radiator
2. do an AST delete - process is in the FAQ thread stickied in this forum.
3. try find a VERY good welder (person not instrument) and weld in a bung. its not easy b/c the aluminum is very thin and difficult to weld on w/o deforming it. You risk turning the radiator into scrap though if the welder can't do it.

 

On the filler neck, like so. Like I did on my 240, and my WRX, and my other 240. I don't have detailed pics of a such simple job so it must be impossible.



If your filler neck is too thin to do this, then yes absolutely send it back, and get a non-garbage radiator.

 

Wonderful plan, except that the FD radiator doesn't have a filler neck.

I guess it is impossible.

 

One other option, which is not that difficult to do, is to get a radiator hose coupler (38mm IIRC) with an 1/8 NPT threaded hole in it (commonly used for water temp sensors) and get the correct size brass hose barb with 1/8 NPT male threads. Put some sealant on the threads of the brass hose barb before you tighten it into the coupler, cut the lower radiator hose at a good location, put the coupler in between the 2 portions of lower radiator hose, connect the AST hose to the hose barb.

 

I was assuming you were talking about the lower end tank how the stock layout is and how everybody in this thread was assuming. Drilling and tapping the neck may work, but its still a band aid fix. You can see its corroding at the threads which I am not cool with. I dont like to roll the dice with my expensive engine at stake if something fails.

As sgt has said the FD has no filler neck so how could you accomplish this anyways. Also, I thought the pick up location was supposed to be in the bottom of the radiator, not the very top next to the cap. Not sure if this makes any difference, but the factory put the location there for a reason.

Do it right or send it back, or just delete it as I and many others have with no ill effects.

 

Mine did, but then again it was a generic aftermarket aluminum FD radiator that I bought with the intentions of modding for my V-Mount anyway.

Personally I would just delete the AST, but the guy said he didn't want to for whatever reason.

 

The radiator I purchased is an FD specific one and every thing else is in line with the factory one like the mounting holes for the fans etc, but all the aftermarket FD rads available here in NZ don't seem to have that fitting on them. Maybe I should just eliminate the AST if there is no problems associated with that? I was only planning to keep it as my thoughts were that mazda put it there for a reason, but then again they put aircon and an air pump in for a reason too and I'm getting rid of them. Has everyone thats done the ast elimination had no problems at all? Is there anything to be carefull of when the ast isn't there? I'll check the elimination stickies.
Great help guys, Thanks.

 

Mazda put the AST there to eliminate air bubbles or air pockets from the cooling system. Many people have eliminated the AST and have been perfectly fine BECAUSE they pay close attention to burping the cooling system when filling it up. One thing I do when I refill my cooling system is disconnect the upper coolant hose that goes to the Throttle Body (closest to the firewall). That way, most of the trapped air escapes from that hose while I fill up with coolant because that hose is pretty much at the top of the whole cooling system. Oh yeah, turn your heater on too, but all of this info can be found on other threads.

 

If you DID have the hose nipple on the bottom tank, that would have to be plugged for the AST delete. Since your aftermarket radiator doesn't have one, your actually fortunate if you decide do it.

 

giday,you can get them in auckland at silverdale radiators,i have left you a message in you box,cheers.