Cracked my RE V-mount radiator tonight...
12-29-07, 10:00 PM
#1
Cracked my RE V-mount radiator tonight...
Hi everyone,
Well after a shitty day at work, I had an even shittier time on the way home. I was driving along and crossing a set of railroad tracks when I noticed the dip was a little steep. After the 'bump' I noticed a horrible grinding sound and pulled over immediately. I looked under the car and saw the fans hanging down and completely mangled up. I also saw coolant dripping the sides so I'm assuming the fans mangled the underside of the radiator.
So now I ask you guys a question: WTF should I do about a replacement radiator for the RE V-mount? RotaryExtreme is out of business now and I don't know how to get in touch with Chuck. My FD is my daily driver and I'm <b>really</b> need to get a new one as soon as possible.
Does anyone have any advice? If anyone can get in touch with Chuck/RE for me or has a new RE radiator for sale, please send me a PM (or AIM) ASAP.
Thanks!
Well after a shitty day at work, I had an even shittier time on the way home. I was driving along and crossing a set of railroad tracks when I noticed the dip was a little steep. After the 'bump' I noticed a horrible grinding sound and pulled over immediately. I looked under the car and saw the fans hanging down and completely mangled up. I also saw coolant dripping the sides so I'm assuming the fans mangled the underside of the radiator.
So now I ask you guys a question: WTF should I do about a replacement radiator for the RE V-mount? RotaryExtreme is out of business now and I don't know how to get in touch with Chuck. My FD is my daily driver and I'm <b>really</b> need to get a new one as soon as possible.
Does anyone have any advice? If anyone can get in touch with Chuck/RE for me or has a new RE radiator for sale, please send me a PM (or AIM) ASAP.
Thanks!
12-30-07, 12:12 AM
#5
For that exact reason Speed of Light and I designed a V-mount radiator subframe and brackets to both mount the radiator and protect it from road hazards of this nature. The subframe was engineered to support the rad and is actually strong enough to jack the car up with.
12-30-07, 08:19 AM
#6
This is the exact reason not to run this type of stuff on the street. It's always cool to get "race inspired" modifications, but you need to think a little about it before using it. Things like v-mounts, larger cast oil pans, etc are all made for racing/track driving; they have no business being on a street driven car. They just aren't made to deal with the imperfections of public streets.
12-30-07, 08:54 AM
#7
94 Single Turbo FD
Join Date: May 2006
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option 1- see if its repairable
option 2- get another rad and custom fit it
option 3- get a complete custom rad built
2 bad its your dd though. she might be laid up for a while
option 2- get another rad and custom fit it
option 3- get a complete custom rad built
2 bad its your dd though. she might be laid up for a while
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12-30-07, 03:42 PM
#9
This is the exact reason not to run this type of stuff on the street. It's always cool to get "race inspired" modifications, but you need to think a little about it before using it. Things like v-mounts, larger cast oil pans, etc are all made for racing/track driving; they have no business being on a street driven car. They just aren't made to deal with the imperfections of public streets.
12-30-07, 05:59 PM
#11
Mahjik, there's nothing wrong w/ a V-mount setup on the street per say; it's that ppl don't go the full length to do it right by KEEPING the undertray and simply adequately venting/ducting the radiator's flow path.
We wouldn't be designing a V-mount if we didn't find it superior to other setups. And we STRONGLY recommend that the customer complete the install correctly by modifying the stock undertray (or if there's enough interest we may sell pre-modified undertrays). But running around on the street without an undertray is simply foolish, and IMO it's incorrect to blame that on a V-mount per say than on the V-mount's owner
We wouldn't be designing a V-mount if we didn't find it superior to other setups. And we STRONGLY recommend that the customer complete the install correctly by modifying the stock undertray (or if there's enough interest we may sell pre-modified undertrays). But running around on the street without an undertray is simply foolish, and IMO it's incorrect to blame that on a V-mount per say than on the V-mount's owner
12-30-07, 09:10 PM
#13
94 Single Turbo FD
Join Date: May 2006
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+1 for the large smic
they have a bigger core then any vmount ic i have seen. easy to install and rad is mounted safely in stock location aswell.
they have a bigger core then any vmount ic i have seen. easy to install and rad is mounted safely in stock location aswell.
12-30-07, 09:34 PM
#14
And you're entitled to your opinion...but it's just that: an opinion
INTERCOOLERS are race-inspired modifications my friend So are turbos Someone wanted more power to what...pick up groceries? lol. No. Virtually all the performance mods we have today were first designed and engineered for racing purposes, at which point the technology become affordable enough to be mass produced or made available for street use via the aftermarket industry.
Your argument is akin to saying any power mods to an FD is a race inspired modification and thus the car has no right to be on the street, as it is no longer a safe street machine. Of course no one can make such a broad sweeping claim. There is a spectrum, and it depends on where you are on that spectrum.
As I mentioned, if the V-mount is correctly designed with *reasonable* street use in mind (not daily driving in New Jersey's potholes) and the owner takes the effort necessary to modify the undertray so that it is still in place, they should be just fine. It's definitely a more performance-oriented mod, but it's not in any stretch an off-road-use-only mod.
With such a setup, a pothole that's bad enough to take out a component of your V-mount *with the undertray in place* is just as likely to take out your front bumper, your oil cooler lines (if they run from below), your oil pan, your sideskirts, and even your tires & rims. But wait, would you advocate that anyone with ANY of these non-stock mods not drive their car on the street because of these race-inspired mods? C'mon now...
I truly resent that Mahjik. That's low. Very low, and honestly I didn't expect it to come from you. That basically equates me with any shyster who'll say anything to make a buck. If that were the case, I'd be selling FMICs all day long - which sell like hotcakes mind you - which I think are TRULY race-inspired ONLY, and have absolutely NO business being on the street for *any* reason.
I was that you knew me well enough to know I wouldn't sell something I don't stand behind 100%, and I wouldn't stand behind something 100% unless it was actually legit - in many senses of the word. But sadly it seems you don't think quite so highly of me... And apparently it's too much to expect some common sense from our customers as well...
~Ramy
Modifications like this are race inspired and belong in that arena in which they were designed.
So are turbos Someone wanted more power to what...pick up groceries? lol. No. Virtually all the performance mods we have today were first designed and engineered for racing purposes, at which point the technology become affordable enough to be mass produced or made available for street use via the aftermarket industry.Your argument is akin to saying any power mods to an FD is a race inspired modification and thus the car has no right to be on the street, as it is no longer a safe street machine. Of course no one can make such a broad sweeping claim. There is a spectrum, and it depends on where you are on that spectrum.
As I mentioned, if the V-mount is correctly designed with *reasonable* street use in mind (not daily driving in New Jersey's potholes) and the owner takes the effort necessary to modify the undertray so that it is still in place, they should be just fine. It's definitely a more performance-oriented mod, but it's not in any stretch an off-road-use-only mod.
With such a setup, a pothole that's bad enough to take out a component of your V-mount *with the undertray in place* is just as likely to take out your front bumper, your oil cooler lines (if they run from below), your oil pan, your sideskirts, and even your tires & rims. But wait, would you advocate that anyone with ANY of these non-stock mods not drive their car on the street because of these race-inspired mods? C'mon now...
However, every salesman is going to backup their product so I would expect no less here.
I was that you knew me well enough to know I wouldn't sell something I don't stand behind 100%, and I wouldn't stand behind something 100% unless it was actually legit - in many senses of the word. But sadly it seems you don't think quite so highly of me... And apparently it's too much to expect some common sense from our customers as well...
~Ramy
Last edited by FDNewbie; 12-30-07 at 09:40 PM.
12-30-07, 10:03 PM
#15
I truly resent that Mahjik. That's low. Very low, and honestly I didn't expect it to come from you. That basically equates me with any shyster who'll say anything to make a buck. If that were the case, I'd be selling FMICs all day long - which sell like hotcakes mind you - which I think are TRULY race-inspired ONLY, and have absolutely NO business being on the street for *any* reason.
I was that you knew me well enough to know I wouldn't sell something I don't stand behind 100%, and I wouldn't stand behind something 100% unless it was actually legit - in many senses of the word. But sadly it seems you don't think quite so highly of me... And apparently it's too much to expect some common sense from our customers as well...
I was that you knew me well enough to know I wouldn't sell something I don't stand behind 100%, and I wouldn't stand behind something 100% unless it was actually legit - in many senses of the word. But sadly it seems you don't think quite so highly of me... And apparently it's too much to expect some common sense from our customers as well...
You can't and never will know every customer's intent with their car. When someone asks you to create a V-Mount or dual oil cooler kit, do you first ask them what they plan to do with the car or do you first suggest getting enough people interested to make it a worth wild endeavor?
It has nothing to do with thinking highly of anyone. It's clear that modifications like v-mounts, large oil coolers, large cast oil pans and others are mainly for people driving their car hards on controlled surfaces like road courses. Using them on public streets is risky especially in areas which see seasons change which equates to potholes. Is the risk really worth it to someone who will never use the modification to it's potential on public streets? Probably not. However, would that stop most store owners from selling something to a customer if they wanted it? Heck no.
12-30-07, 10:23 PM
#16
Yes. If you look at any thread where people ask "what mods should I do" where I have replied, I first ask what the purpose of their car is. If it's not for track driving, I don't suggest mods which are clearly for track use (i.e. larger oil coolers which might have the fittings hanging low).
Ramy,
You can't and never will know every customer's intent with their car. When someone asks you to create a V-Mount or dual oil cooler kit, do you first ask them what they plan to do with the car or do you first suggest getting enough people interested to make it a worth wild endeavor?
You can't and never will know every customer's intent with their car. When someone asks you to create a V-Mount or dual oil cooler kit, do you first ask them what they plan to do with the car or do you first suggest getting enough people interested to make it a worth wild endeavor?
It has nothing to do with thinking highly of anyone. It's clear that modifications like v-mounts, large oil coolers, large cast oil pans and others are mainly for people driving their car hards on controlled surfaces like road courses. Using them on public streets is risky especially in areas which see seasons change which equates to potholes.
Is the risk really worth it to someone who will never use the modification to it's potential on public streets? Probably not. However, would that stop most store owners from selling something to a customer if they wanted it? Heck no.
In simpler terms, I'd hope you'd have enough faith in me (don't care about others; talking about me specifically) to know that even though I wanna do Surgery, I wouldn't tell ya that you need an operation just cuz I wanna cut...(and or eat/pay bills). There ARE ppl out there who indeed hold themselves to higher moral standards Mahjik. I just hope you haven't given up on us prematurely
~Ramy
12-30-07, 10:51 PM
#20
I highly doubt an undertray would have done anything for me. 1-2mm of plastic in front of the radiator wouldn't have protected me from this.
Here are some pictures of the carnage (shot beautifully with my new Powershot G9):
Bonus shot of my empty engine bay!
Here are some pictures of the carnage (shot beautifully with my new Powershot G9):
Bonus shot of my empty engine bay!
Last edited by Wompa164; 12-30-07 at 11:00 PM.
