Question regards installing this radiator to 3G:

1) Does battery & tray needs to be either relocated or trim to compensate clearance for the radiator fans?

2) Are the stock brackets direct bolt on for the Koyo even for stock location? (not planning to relocate it).

My radiator decide to take a dump today (62k miles), water leaked out from the lower passenger side tube/fins! Stucked waiting for tow guy to come for 1.5 hours, and after 2 hours of fiasco the car is back at my house.

Everyone please change your radiator to aluminum. It's a walking time bomb with the stock radiator and ast.

Btw, I got my Koyo from Phase 2 radiator group buy for $335 + shipping! good deal!

Timmy

 

1) yes
2) yes

There's a thread that had comlete installation instructions, search for it.

 

For me the only thing I had to do was swap right/left mounting brackets to lower the rad about an ince. As RZFD said there is a thread with more complete instructions in case the bracket swap isn't enough to make it fit for you.

 

Thanks guys.

Timmy

 

I just put mine in yesterday and all I had to do was like Tom93R1 said, swap the brackets and in ya go. It's kind of hard getting the bolts tight since there is no room, but it's doable. I did not move or cut my battery tray.
-Jedon

 

O well, somebody told me they used a smaller battery, don't remeber who though. Sorry for the misinformation.

 

Okay guys, I installed the Koyo today, started at 10am and finished 2:30pm.

The install of the radiator for 'my car' is DIRECT BOLT ON. No modification to any bracket is needed. However, I have to cut off the passenger front inner bumper lining because it's hitting the radiator and not being able to push it back down the bracket. I cut that, gave it a good push, and everything fell in place like factory.

Overall, I am very impressed with the size, built quality and ease of install on the Koyo radiator. No battery miniturization is needed, and also clears my stock SMIC (no air shroud though). Another issue is the driver side fan will seemed to touch the battery tray alittle, but after several minutes of driving with fan on, the blade cut enough of the tray material off that there is no contact anymore.

Observations:

Average cruising temp with stock radiator is 87deg, now with the Koyo is 81 deg Celsius!!

I am a happy man now.

Timmy

 

Isn't it kinda redundant to say that? BTW, congrats ont he install, now does anybody know about the Fluidyne and its ease of installation?

 

Alot of people wonder about the Koyo radiator clearance issues with upgraded SMIC. So I figure if it clears my stock SMIC, upgrade SMIC shouldn't be too much of an issue.

My friend has the Fluidyne on his car, direct bolt on except the battery mounting is off alittle so he had to cut away the holes bigger to mount the fans on the Fluidyne.

Some of the discrepancies in install experience I think results in:

1) Front accidents (major or minor)
2) R1 vs. Touring. R1 does not equip with factory A/C from Japan, and has to be added in the U.S which MIGHT use different a/c bracket and etc. My car is a touring, so install experience should be somewhat not deviate as much from other touring FD's.

That's all I can think of tonight..

Timmy