Almost Done - Need Help w/ AC in S14a - Not What You Think

[voiddweller]

Bottom line: I need to get all these parts to work together. I know someone must have it figured out, but I've been searching for an hour with no luck... The car is in mint condition.

Issue: How to install the aftermarket FMIC, radiator, cruise control (without using KA TB) and OEM AC Cooling fan. Ideally, I'd rather not cut a hole in the battery tray and just use more pipe for the FMIC. I've searched the 240SX Bible and checked three other forums.

I'm frustrated and worked on it all last night.

Should I just cut the battery tray hole, revert to the small OEM KA radiator (w/ bottom shroud to make it easy to keep the OEM AC fan w/harness plug) or is there a better solution? I know someone must have tried something that works reasonably well... PLEASE HELP!

Setup:

S14a w/AC and ABS (auto to manual conversion)
S13 SR20DET Blacktop
DeatschWerks 550cc Injectors
Wiring Specialties Auto to Manual S13-to-S14 Harness
Cody Ace AC Brackets
AZHitman 2.5" Catback exhaust
GReddy VSPL S13 FMIC Kit
Koyo Aluminum Radiator
Single Flex-a-lite fan with controller
NISMO Power Brace

[Hijacker]

If you want to avoid cutting a hole in the battery tray, you're gonna have to consider a different FMIC. The low front mounts don't leave a lot of options when it comes to routing. You can opt for a different core. Apexi made a tall core that was the height/width of a radiator, and all you had to do was space your radiator back a bit to make it fit. Dave Coleman runs one in his S13 very successfully. I used an old Saab IC that was more or less the same just with plastic end tanks for about 5 years before switching to a Spearco IC that I could tuck under my front core support. The spearco setup requires airflow to that area of the front, which a standard pop up bumper doesn't allow, but my Silvia front with a GT-R grill does.

If you're going with a Koyo rad, it should have all the provisions to bolt a standard auxiliary fan to the radiator, but you can always resort to the wonderful through mount cables to latch it to the core. I've used them pretty successfully in the past on Koyos with dual fan setups and with my S13 aux fan hooked up to my S14 radiator.

[voiddweller]

Thanks for the insight! I'm thinking that there is no avoiding cutting with this setup.

If you have any more info on the Apexi & Spearco with some pics, I'd really like to see them! Did you notice a difference when you switched?