Thoughts on My Cooling System Upgrade Path Wanted

[rico05]

Tired of seeing my temps spike after every highway run or quick burst through town. Here is where I am going, let me know what you think, and if I am missing anything important:

Already have:-New OEM thermostat-Altima fans, hard wired on high-Nismo radiator cap

Getting:-B&M import oil cooler -Koyo 3 row alu radiator-Master Parts CA18ET waterpump-alu rad panel (eBay)

Anything I am missing? I really want to start upping the power, but I need a reliable base first. Plus, the temp issue is what has been keeping me from tracking my car, and I MUST get some track time in the spring season!

Modified by rico05 at 11:20 AM 11/10/2005
Modified by rico05 at 11:42 PM 11/14/2005

[ca18detdrift]

I think what youre getting will make a huge diffrence. If your car overheats why dont you just get rid of the thermostat all together? Thats what im doing, but recently its starting to get cold and i need my car to warm up faster so im putting it in for the winter.

Also i found this link some time ago on here i think... take a look at it, it has great cooling info, and setups.

http://home.satx.rr.com/nissan...t.htm

hope this helps... some

[float_6969]

That should be plenty rico. I'm actually running a brand new stock style radiator and a big 16" fan I stole out of a turbo dodge caravan. My car has never been over 200 degrees Farenheit.

Before you drop that new Radiator in there, why don't flush the cooling system, like 5 times. I'll get you'll be suprised how much crap you'll get out of it. My guess is that your cooling problems are coming from the stock radiators cooling passages being plugged up.

Note: I'm only running 7psi and I haven't run much more or beat on the car enough to know how my current setup is going to hold up at higher temperatures and power levels.

[originalsin]

in the warm weather just run water and water wetter, water cools better

im running a stock rad, stock thermostat no fans wat so ever and i can drive hard as hell and it barely goes up

[rico05]

Well, I have cleaned/flushed my cooling system a few times. I also run about 1/2gal premix and the rest water. Also, my stupid Autometer water temp gauge never goes over 150^F in the summer, but my stock gauge rests at 2/3 the way up, and genreally spikes to over H after some abuse. I have however, never boiled over. I know that there is no leaks (Ryan and I figured that one out LOL) and I run a Nismo radiator cap. Any more imput is appreciated!!

[Not_a_sr]

dsm radiator, and the stock dual fans with dual speed control. they cool the car off more then i need with nothing else done with the system.

[silvia_ca18det]

i have made a custom aluminum fan shroud to fit the koyo rad's and a 14inch electric fan is mounted to it, it does wounders for dirrecting air right onto motor and liiks VERY sexy when polished up......i will have sme pics of it when installed and if anyone is interesded in one i can make a few up!

but i will get pics first

[mbmbmb23]

If you have a non-pignose you could install a "Group A scoop" from a Suprahttp://www.jspec.com/groupscoop.htmlinto the front bumper. You'd have to cut air passages through the bumper support but I've seen these scoops installed in "JDM" S13's and they look really cool if done right and it will increase the airflow past the bumper. My other suggestion would be to figure out how your Altima fans are wired. When do they both come on? Do they both come on?

-m

[lifelicksballs]

ey rico where're you getting your 'master tech' ca18et waterpump...my autozone one keeps breaking on me (2nd time) and it's killing me

[rico05]

The water pump is from O'Reilly, and is actually a Master parts, not Tech lol. OOPS! They have 2 for the CA, but one is dual referenced for the CA18DE FWD and the CA18ET 200X RWD. Since Ryan mentioned in a previous thread about getting the RWD one, I have opted to go for the more pricey (like $43 compared to $30) RWD pump. It is a brand new one, where as the other listed pump is an A1 Cardone remanufactured one, and requires a core exchange. The Oreilly part number is:CP9063

My Altima fans are wired correctly (circuit design by my buddy who has an electrical engineering degree and is properly setup using regulators and fuses), and both come on at the high setting whenever the fuel pump is powered (when the key is in the on position) They flow a TON more air than the stock fan.

[lifelicksballs]

i went the taurus e-fan route which is pretty common in junkyards compared to the altimas its single but at low settings it pushes more than enough

[biosehnsucht]

I have to say running no t-stat is never a good ideakeep that t-stat in there!

the t-stat keeps the engine at the right temp, otherwise you risk running too hot and too cold possibly very quickly together, which will **** with your performance among other things

[sdtouge]

hmmmi would go with a clutch fan again honeslty. they flow mad air and you cant beat the rliability.also if you down to change the coolant alot (tp prevent rust) id run water and water wetter thats it.

[biosehnsucht]

clutch fans only flow more at high engine speedsat high engine speeds you should be moving forward, which gives even more airflow. fans only matter at idle and stop and go traffic, at which point e-fans are more effective (good ones anyways)

you definately want a fan shroud of some kind, either built into the e-fans or stock one w/ mech fan, if you have neither that will hurt cooling.

[rico05]

Altima fans come with an integrated shroud, so that is no issue for me.

[sdtouge]

clutch fans only flow more at high engine speedsat high engine speeds you should be moving forward, which gives even more airflow. fans only matter at idle and stop and go traffic, at which point e-fans are more effective (good ones anyways)

you definately want a fan shroud of some kind, either built into the e-fans or stock one w/ mech fan, if you have neither that will hurt cooling.

please proove to me they flow more airbeind my dual fans, and put my hand behing clutch fan, the differnece was night and day.... clutch fan took it by a mile

just sayinmy next car will have clutch fan....

[biosehnsucht]

my KA's clutch fan pulled less air and its clutch was stuck always on - I couldn't feel it pulling air at idle past my hand in front of the condesnor+radiator.. (it did whip up a ton of turbulance BEHIND the radiator, but didn't pull for squat THROUGH it, even w/ the stock fanshroud in place.. I eventually just ditched it and wired the AC condensor fan to be always on w/ engine on not just ac on so it kicks in at 198+F.. ) of course the condesnsor is all kinds of fubar and won't flow well, but hte rad is a koyo now (was stock aftermarket replacement before, but that would haveh ardly flowed better being less than half the thickness and being almost new itself, so no major blockage there)

my dual 11" efans you can feel for sure.. altho they pull a ton of juice. I haven't properly wired them to a dual stage thermoswitch yet, so they both kick on w/ the stock AC switch at 198+F which isn't the best ( a bit hot to turn them on ) .. I got a nice VW/Audi switch just need to make up a pipe to fit it in (its some crazy huge almost 1" diameter thread) and redo the wiring a tad to run the fans independantly. Right now when it turns on the idle sags noticibly and the headlights dim, but then its only every coming on when I've just got off the highway and am stuck 3 cars back at a drive through

hell those fans pull so much air when they do come on they start cycling on for 1-3 secs then off for like 7-10 and repeat.. I'm considering find a large, high amp/watt tolerant resistor to drop the voltage on one fan for the low temp side of things, or something..

again, since it only ever matters when you're not going anywhere, either is really fine, but arguing that faster revs = more flow on mech fan is irrelevant, it will never matter, unless you like to try and blow engines waiting for the light to turn green.

I'd rather have e-fans just because its less directly loaded on the engine, and takes up less space, leaving more to work in. changing the alt used to be near impossible w/o removing the fan , had to get it lodged in the fanblades and rotate the fan w/ the alt around to the bottom to get it out.

a working clutch fan is fine, so are properly installed efan(s). Keep in mind mech fans are generally either temp controlled (temp through the water pump housing / belt drive / fan mount, not exactly highly accurate one way or another, but not normally an issue) or are some kind of inertial or some such rotational speed release gizmo (assumes at high speed you don't need to turn the fan, just let it freewheel in the airstream - which is a logical assumption). efan(s) done right will turn on only when temp requires it, but then again a sensor failure can be baaad.

Once properly installed, IMHO efan(s) are less of a hassle to deal with. If I bought a new car I wasn't going to have to monkey on I wouldn't change the stock setup (whatever it is), but since I am often screwing around with my car for some reason or another its worth the easier access to the engine area, along with the relatively increased reliability (for me - both my mech fans had bent fins - that would be bye bye water pump in no time - plus, IIRC both fan clutches were stuck in place like my old KA's was, sure sounds mean on high RPMs but no good for performance)

whee.. I'm a rambling man

[sdtouge]

you can feel air being pulled through on the opposite side of the rad?how are you fans hooked up? on hte inside with puller mode right?

[WeldingHank]

i used an AC fan from a 1995 Ford probe. when it was on, i could feel the airflow from it on my leg if i had it sitting outside of the car.

[NeedCAforS13]

I can feel my altima fans sucking through my fmic and radiator from in front of my bumper. clutch fan feels like its blowing a ton because it blows stuff all over the engine bay, but I dunno if it really sucks as well as it feels like.

Sean

[biosehnsucht]

yeah, the fans I have only work properly as pullers. They are on the 'inside' side of the rad/condenser. If I put my hadn in front of the condesner ('outside' side) in the front bumper area, I can feel the air pulling past.

these are my fans.