Review: Mishimoto Stock Mount Rad
07-28-09, 09:01 AM
#1
Review: Mishimoto Stock Mount Rad
Alright.. i'll take some pictures and post them up later, but I thought i'd give you my impressions..
First off, looking at the Rad, it's clearly huge. It's way thicker than the regular stock mount koyo, closer to the koyo n-flow race rad. I'll measure it up when I take photos.
It's definitely pretty, polished aluminum (too bad it's buried under a bunch of other crap), and should cool much better. It did need some tweaking to solve fitment issues, etc. Here's the issues I ran into:
1. There were no top mounting tabs on the rad, unlike the stock rad. I had to have aluminum tabs welded on. As I was test fitting in the car, I marked the bolts, and then notched them with a grinder to make a slotted tab like the stock mount
2. You have to bend the bottom brackets to accomodate the thicker core.
3. No AST nipple was on the rad. the bottom tank had to be drilled, and then the fitting added. Not an issue for you guys that have already eliminated the AST.
4. I have a PFS intake / intercooler setup, and I had fitment issues getting the ducting back into the nose of the car. It's really tight. Could be solved by relocating the bottom brackets a little further back, requiring more grinding / welding.
5. Rad fan shroud mounting tabs on the bottom of the rad had to be relocated further down, because the shroud did not line up with the bolt holes on the rad.
6. Because the rad sits lower, i'll have to put a spacer in and use longer bolts to bolt up the A/C condenser and the power steering lines.
I'll try and take some photos to compare to stock, and to show what's missing, so those of you that want to use one know what needs to be modified. I think Mishimoto has stopped listing the rad on their website because of fitment issues with the FD. Besides the fitment problems, it looks like a pretty stout core, and should do the job, and it was cheap compared to a koyo race rad or a fluidyne. This really is not a reflection on their other products though, because I've seen firsthand the quality of some of their other applications, and it's really top-notch. I guess it's pretty tough to stuff that much rad into a car with that little extra room. I thought the lack of top mounting tabs, and the poor location of the fan shroud brackets was pretty bad though.
Pics to come!
-Matt
First off, looking at the Rad, it's clearly huge. It's way thicker than the regular stock mount koyo, closer to the koyo n-flow race rad. I'll measure it up when I take photos.
It's definitely pretty, polished aluminum (too bad it's buried under a bunch of other crap), and should cool much better. It did need some tweaking to solve fitment issues, etc. Here's the issues I ran into:
1. There were no top mounting tabs on the rad, unlike the stock rad. I had to have aluminum tabs welded on. As I was test fitting in the car, I marked the bolts, and then notched them with a grinder to make a slotted tab like the stock mount
2. You have to bend the bottom brackets to accomodate the thicker core.
3. No AST nipple was on the rad. the bottom tank had to be drilled, and then the fitting added. Not an issue for you guys that have already eliminated the AST.
4. I have a PFS intake / intercooler setup, and I had fitment issues getting the ducting back into the nose of the car. It's really tight. Could be solved by relocating the bottom brackets a little further back, requiring more grinding / welding.
5. Rad fan shroud mounting tabs on the bottom of the rad had to be relocated further down, because the shroud did not line up with the bolt holes on the rad.
6. Because the rad sits lower, i'll have to put a spacer in and use longer bolts to bolt up the A/C condenser and the power steering lines.
I'll try and take some photos to compare to stock, and to show what's missing, so those of you that want to use one know what needs to be modified. I think Mishimoto has stopped listing the rad on their website because of fitment issues with the FD. Besides the fitment problems, it looks like a pretty stout core, and should do the job, and it was cheap compared to a koyo race rad or a fluidyne. This really is not a reflection on their other products though, because I've seen firsthand the quality of some of their other applications, and it's really top-notch. I guess it's pretty tough to stuff that much rad into a car with that little extra room. I thought the lack of top mounting tabs, and the poor location of the fan shroud brackets was pretty bad though.
Pics to come!
-Matt
07-28-09, 10:37 AM
#2
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I bought one a year ago and there was no drain plug on the bottom of the radiator. I bought a new ron davis (mazdaspeed) radiator. I dont know if they fixed that as of yet
07-28-09, 02:24 PM
#7
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I've had my fluidyne over 7 years now now going strong. At Gotham we probably installed fifty of them in the time I was there, I think it's the best reliable radiator for a street car.
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07-30-09, 09:31 PM
#14
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i just installed a mishimoto 2 row rad. there is definitely work you have to do to fit it. alot of things dont line up. and well atleast it gave me the innitiative to eliminate my ast. 
putting in a cold air intake since the original airbox will not fit now. and the a/c condenser did have to be moved. but its in and doesnt leak or anything.
putting in a cold air intake since the original airbox will not fit now. and the a/c condenser did have to be moved. but its in and doesnt leak or anything.
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