I added a second radiator to my S13 to fix cooling issues.

[OutToWinPAHC]

So I had an issue when the summer temps started to peek. My engine and cooling system would heat soak and my overall operation temps would rise into a range I did not like. With the system bled It would still occur when driving hard or in high temps with stop and go driving. In my case the fiberglass front end holds the heat, the hood is no vented, and my intake air temps rise.

One night after running the car hard I tossed the heat on and now with a place for the heat to escape and not get trapped in the engine bay my temp would stay in a range I liked, but the problem was it was exiting into my face.

So I came up with an idea. I added a larger radiator core as a second radiator, with a cooling fan on it. I mounted it under the front bumper outside of the engine bay. Overall it increases the cooling capacity and allows the heat to escape.

Now this of coarse is a LS series engine, but you can do the same with any engine. You need the following -

-Larger heater core (I used one for a 3500 series van, I would suggest a QX56 or Armada because they will have the proper inlet outlet sizes)-Heater core hose, I used 3/4 inch and 5/8 because thats what my water pump and core take.-90 degree fittings, and hose couplers from home dept, teflon tape, and hose clamps-1/8th steel bar 1/2 inch thick, and hardware.-Motocycle cooling fan

Mock up core in a place where it is safe and you wont have any interference with suspension, wheel, or anything else.

Once mocked up, connect hoses and route in a fashion thats safe. Mine go over the tension rod, under the engine crossmember and up to the engine crossmemeber and up to the water pump. I went this rote because there is no chance of pinching the lines in the fashion.

At first the just bent the lines and connected them to the pump, but they were starting to pinch. So I made the 90 degree bends from a 1/2 90 brass bend with hose adapters from home depot.

Unseen on the back of the cooler is a very very powerful Buell Motorcycle fan. Its a 6 inch puller made by Spal.

I also added the ARC S14 Kouki cooling panel, and a 3300 cfm Permacool pusher fan. Replaced some hoses and clamp, and painted the radiator core.

In this photo you can see my water pump with the actual heater core hoses connected.

Now you can see my hard 90 bends sending the new hoses down and hout of the engine bay.

They now come to the back of the heater core mounted here. The heater core is upside down keeping th hoses out of wheel and suspensions harm. Once pressurized and bled it will not be an issue. In this photo you can also see the cooling fan mounts.

Fan relays mounted to battery tray, insulating material (Nomex) to keep heat off.

Cleaned up some swap wiring

Still need to clean up this side.

3300 cfm Permacool Fan mounted as a push infront of the radiator, and behind the trans cooler.

Rad core and transcooler painted black for that sleeper look

Mishimotor fan shroud with 2 1300cfm puller fans

Cleaned and painted the crank pulley while the front end and rad were off/out

ARC S14 Kouki cooling panel

Front shot, but the intake is just sitting, it does not go there.
Modified by OutToWinPAHC at 9:02 PM 7/23/2009

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Do those cooling panels do anything?

Anyways, nice work dude. I <3 your car!

[OutToWinPAHC]

I can see how these coolers work. The direct the airflow into the radiator and not over it. In theroy sure they work, but whos to say if they really do.

Oh and this radiator core is about 15-20 percent the size of the real radiator, so if I drop 15 - 20 degress for a 75 dollar project then its awesome.

The heater core new was 25, the fan used was 20, lines, then lines clamps and fittings.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

What do you use as far as coolant?

I hear distilled water and "water wetter" works the best, try that.

[OutToWinPAHC]

70% distilled water1.5 bottles of water wetter30% coolant (green) this prevents corrosion and lubricates the pump

Water wetter and water do cool the best, but the lubrication properties are iffy. A little coolant lubes and also raises the boiling point.

[slipnfall]

Props for the clean front end... what were your coolant and underhood temps before and after?

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Btw, you never answered my e-mail.

How do you like the Mishimoto radiator?

[Gabes13]

cooooool

[OutToWinPAHC]

The LS motors run hot, much hotter then a KA or an SR

In the spring when it was 50-60 out she would run about 190-200. I monitor both the head and radiator temps. These temps are good for this engine. Once it hit 75-80 out I would run 195 200 then it would start to heat soak and raise into the 220's, oil temp would also raise, and intake temp would shoot up. With the heat running and me sweating like a pig I was running 195 head temp.

The issue was not air or bleeding, its the front end holding heat.

So I added the 3300 cfm pusher fan, for a total of 5900cfm on the radiator.

Added the second rad with its own cooling fan rated at 800cfm for a 6 inch fan its a beast.

I am also adding a 30 row oil cooler, this will also lower my operating temps.

my goal is to run 180-185 all the time.

[OutToWinPAHC]

Btw, you never answered my e-mail.

How do you like the Mishimoto radiator?

email me again

[AZ89two4Tsx]

sent

[OutToWinPAHC]

reply sent.....

Oh and in this pic, you can see my actual heater core lines tucked up under the overflow tank. Come winter I will just re-connect.

[kazama]

omg ~ LS1 ? S15 front, how much u put in this car ?i think a much thicker radiator is what u need instead of 2, the one hide from behind is not goin to gain any cool air, so is not really doin a radiator's job...... just my own opinion .........

[OutToWinPAHC]

The cooling fan behind that thing is very very strong. And my front bumper has a large opening right infront of it.

[kazama]

omg ~ LS1 ? S15 front, how much u put in this car ?i think a much thicker radiator is what u need instead of 2, the one hide from behind is not goin to gain any cool air, so is not really doin a radiator's job...... just my own opinion .........

sorry to point out one more thing .... ur front tires n ur front reinforcement, with a V8 400+ hp ....... r u sure ....... ur car is no way preforming 80% of its potential

[OutToWinPAHC]

I run a 225 45 17 in the front. And the reinforcent had to be trimmed to fit my bumper, something is better than nothing.

Neither have no affect of my performance. Car handles nice, its not a drifter, and the entire front is glass, so yeah if I hit something I'm screwed anyhow?

[maryjane]

sorry to point out one more thing .... ur front tires n ur front reinforcement, with a V8 400+ hp ....... r u sure ....... ur car is no way preforming 80% of its potential

how would his front tires make a difference for the car, rb motors weigh 150 lbs more then a ls swap,

clean car btw

[OutToWinPAHC]

Oh and thicker is not better for all radiators. The thicker they are they harder it is to flow air through them.

None the less Greddy, Koyo, Mishimoto all use the same core size. However some are 2 core others are 3. There are other even better quality radiators out there, some even cross flow. None the less 2 inch core is the thickest you can find, I wouldn't want to go thicker for flow reasons.

I sold a S13 KA rad when I swapped fronts, and I got this radiator here.

I plan to go back to a Koyo, or possibly buy the LS1 conversion radiator hinson sells which eliminates the steam vent adapter in the top line

[hbpignosePA]

bad a** dude i love your car too its sooo clean

[Kalypso]

badass indeed...

if that doesnt work you could eventually do a thick griffin drag racing radiator.

something thats 4 or 5 inches thick... that would be dope.

[i240sx]

should have use DEI..water wetter get foaming when shake and it take couple minutes to disappear.DEI doesn't foam.

[OutToWinPAHC]

Drag radiators are designed for cars that go straight without a t stat.

They heat up, get romped on for a few seconds then take a ginger ride and sit in line. They are thick because they are designed for a car that sits. They disperse the heat while they are resting. With no t-stat and a huge radiator it acts like an old home radiator, just giving of tons of heat with no airflow. With no Tstat they draw the heat out of the motor in a molecule to molecule transfer and it just radiates off. Then the process is repeated.

In an application where the car is moving a lot the air would hit that huge 4-6 row radiator like a brick wall.

A valid suggestion, but they are for a very limited and specific application.

[i240sx]

Drag radiators are designed for cars that go straight without a t stat.

They heat up, get romped on for a few seconds then take a ginger ride and sit in line. They are thick because they are designed for a car that sits. They disperse the heat while they are resting. With no t-stat and a huge radiator it acts like an old home radiator, just giving of tons of heat with no airflow. With no Tstat they draw the heat out of the motor in a molecule to molecule transfer and it just radiates off. Then the process is repeated.

In an application where the car is moving a lot the air would hit that huge 4-6 row radiator like a brick wall.

A valid suggestion, but they are for a very limited and specific application.

VERY NICE..I LIKE U

[Kalypso]

A valid suggestion, but they are for a very limited and specific application.

cool..

since you take well to criticism..I have to say this with only the best intentions....





you should swap off the front bumper, and get wider wheels. even the ones posted above are just shy of the overfender... and need about -10 more on the wheels offset. but you see what im saying.

you're car could look better then this.

[finalgear]

nice car love the ls, but that s14 cooling panel is not an ARC panel

[presidential]

cool..

since you take well to criticism..I have to say this with only the best intentions....





you should swap off the front bumper, and get wider wheels. even the ones posted above are just shy of the overfender... and need about -10 more on the wheels offset. but you see what im saying.

you're car could look better then this.

I miss this car. Someday, Sean will have it riding again.

[TheRealNap0le0n]

At first i was all huh?? Then i was like ohhhh? Now im totally ahhh!

[OutToWinPAHC]

may or may not be. Came from Zilvia used, listed and sold as arc, was very very beat up and dingy, I have to strip it and polish it.

[Razi]

Cool idea PAHC!

[killernoodle]

Drag radiators are designed for cars that go straight without a t stat.

They heat up, get romped on for a few seconds then take a ginger ride and sit in line. They are thick because they are designed for a car that sits. They disperse the heat while they are resting. With no t-stat and a huge radiator it acts like an old home radiator, just giving of tons of heat with no airflow. With no Tstat they draw the heat out of the motor in a molecule to molecule transfer and it just radiates off. Then the process is repeated.

In an application where the car is moving a lot the air would hit that huge 4-6 row radiator like a brick wall.

A valid suggestion, but they are for a very limited and specific application.

Not so fast... A big radiator has tons of surface area, so the air will be able to pull more heat away with less airflow. It all works out well in the end.

A big thick radiator will definitely be a plus at high speed and high power situations. 70mph air tends to go through even the thickest radiators fine.

I'm using a 3 core 3" thick racing radiator in my s13, Its really tall and doesn't fit without making a new crossmember, but it should be able to cool the turboed 4.6 just fine. Its a southwest speed thats 26" wide and 19" tall.

Remember, a radiator only works at peak performance with the highest flow of water, the highest flow of air, and the most surface area exposed to that airflow. If you can get all 3, then you're golden.