Opinions on this rad please ?

[2qk4u]

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300105484773&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ::1

[Grizzly]

You get what you pay for.

If you buy a Good name rad you will get good welds and the fit quality should be good.

If you want my Opinion buy a Good named rad, there not stupid money and you won\'t run into problems. At the end of the day do you want to scrap a 3-4k engine because you did\'nt spend an extra few quid on some thing as important as a rad.

[Jonathan_F]

Hi,

Looks good to me, although slightly restrictive to coolant flow with the 90degree inlet and outlets. I\'ve just come back from Japan where we get our radiators manufactured. They are braised together also. Its the preferred technique, even over tig welding. Custon rads are tig welded because the production jigs required for braising are involved, and you need a large braising bath to pass the rad through. Braised rads are about a quarter of the price of a welded rad, and less likely to crack/leak.

Are you sure you need a new radiator? Most people I\'ve seen have removed all the ducting that directs air into the radiator to fit a FMIC. They up the engine power and are suprised the rad doesn\'t cope.

The standard cooling system should have a reserve. Typicallly the most demanding situation is driving up a steep hill at low revs. Cooling systems are generally very effective at high revs and air flow speeds. The wankel is heavily oil cooled. I would concentrate on increasing the efficiency of your standard system. If you have a single oil cooler, fit the twin cooler from an early car. The legend that is Lyn E Handover (sp) favours this route also.

My tuppence.

Jonathan

[Grizzly]

Hi,

Looks good to me, although slightly restrictive to coolant flow with the 90degree inlet and outlets. I\'ve just come back from Japan where we get our radiators manufactured. They are braised together also. Its the preferred technique, even over tig welding. Custon rads are tig welded because the production jigs required for braising are involved, and you need a large braising bath to pass the rad through. Braised rads are about a quarter of the price of a welded rad, and less likely to crack/leak.

I\'m a little confused? i thought Alloy rads are Tig welded (mainly because its neat etc) and Brass high end rads are Brazed (oviously you can get Brazing robs to stick to alloy) The Brass Rads are the Big bucks best you can get etc etc or are we talking about another sort of Brazing? its just i can\'t remember the last time i saw a Alloy rad with Brass coloured welds?

The Cores are the issue, just like IC\'s Muti Core rads must be sealed between the cores, On cheaper Rads they just High Temp Sealer which does last but not as well as a Quality rad that is Welded, Then there is Pressure testing, I good rad Is tested for leaks up to twice the Standard Op Temp where as the cheap ones are not.

When i bought My PWR rad i did alot of reading up on the net but i also spoke to a Guy who repairs rads and he told me buy the best i can afford.

I guess it all depends on what you are going to use it for, every day driving may be fine but put alot of load through it for a Prelonged period and you may see problems.

I stick to Buy a good quality not a Cheap no namer, A rads a little too important to be taking risks with.

[Initial-D]

This would be a better option:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KOYO-RACING-ALUMINUM-RADIATOR-RX7-RX-7-FD3S-93-95-R1-R2_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33602QQihZ020QQitemZ300109806988QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[Grizzly]

Yep Koyo\'s are good, I like the Look of the New N-flo, there a little bit more than that but the water goes through the rad in an N pattern so it uses more of the rad too cool the water (basicly does\'nt take the easyest route)

[Initial-D]

It works out to about 225 delivered (excluding what Customs will add) proper bargain! The N-flow sound good, but on ebay at least, the sellers have an identical listing for it so I\'m not sure if it would be wise to get one and then find its a normal Koyo!

[2qk4u]

Do I need an alu rad or will the stock rad do me,ill change the smic,fit induction kit,bov,apexi pfc...and what else should I do ?

[Grizzly]

Ok, The alloy rad is more of a saftey thing in a more stock fd, the oe rad has a nasty habbit of cracking the plastic end tanks (its more of an issue with sligtly dodgy motors with going or gone water seals, kind of the weakest link), But as you get more tuned (single turbo\'s etc) you will notice the water temp will get warmer as a knock on effect of more power hence the bigger rad.

It can be said fitting a thicker rad in the stock location may hinder the air flow through it, so to keep you temps down make sure your front lower dirt Sheald is in good condtion and fixed properly and rig up some sort of ducting splitting the rad and IC way from one another.

[2qk4u]

Ok, The alloy rad is more of a saftey thing in a more stock fd, the oe rad has a nasty habbit of cracking the plastic end tanks (its more of an issue with sligtly dodgy motors with going or gone water seals, kind of the weakest link), But as you get more tuned (single turbo\'s etc) you will notice the water temp will get warmer as a knock on effect of more power hence the bigger rad.

It can be said fitting a thicker rad in the stock location may hinder the air flow through it, so to keep you temps down make sure your front lower dirt Sheald is in good condtion and fixed properly and rig up some sort of ducting splitting the rad and IC way from one another.

I have a rebuild with only 2500 kms done so far,Im not going for big power or mods like single turbo,injectors ect.. Will the stock rad do ?

[Grizzly]

Thats your call, but there are alot of big HP cars out there with stock rads still.

[2qk4u]

Thats your call, but there are alot of big HP cars out there with stock rads still.

Thanks.....

[Jonathan_F]

Grizzly, I\'ve have not heard of brass rads..not can recall ever seeing them on a road or race car. Aluminium would out perform brass in the heat transfer stakes 2 to 1. Are you sure someone\'s not having you on? I believe all OE rads have braised cores and end caps where they are alluminium.

Brazing out performs tig because there is less thermal effect on the base alloy. The heat effected zone around a tig weld is a stress raiser.

[Grizzly]

Sorry my mistake i ment Copper Rads, They used to make rads out of Brass but its a bit of a health Risk.

From what i have read up on this Copper Rads are the BEST you can Buy, they have much better heat Transfer than Alloy but cost twice as much to make (Thats why the best Kichen Pans are Copper not alloy because of there Heat Transfer) But Copper has side effects such as they Rot quite quickly and are quite Soft (don\'t take Stone impacts very well) so you often find them painted Black which is another reason people like the Shiny Alloy ones.

Thing is because of the cost involved you will only find Copper Rads in the very High end of the Tuning world, For example Feed\'s most expencive rad is Copper. Alloy rads do the Job very well indeed and for large Volume rads are Proberly Prefered as well as the extra Impact Protection but for efficancy a Copper Rad will always Disperse heat better than an Alloy one.

If you don\'t belive there is Such a Thing take a Trip to a Clasic car show and have a Look at the Big Jag\'s and the More expencive Sports cars there

[Grizzly]

Brazing out performs tig because there is less thermal effect on the base alloy. The heat effected zone around a tig weld is a stress raiser.

Yep, I see your Point, we\'re having this problem welding Boron at the Mo, it tends to go Brital around the welds if you get it too warm.

I think the other factor on anything that Holds presure thats made of Alloy is the Quality of the Alloy its made from, real Alluminuim is Expencive and is quite Brital so it has to be said Alluminium as an Ore is the most Messed about with metal out there they add all sorts of other metals too it to make an Alloy, depending on Quantites and whats been added you could end up with Monkey metal (that is cheap C**p that doesn\'t weld well etc) or the other end of the scale is Nickle alloys that are HIGH-STRENGTH/STRESS-CORROSION RESISTAN and are mainly used in the Aircraft Industry where it is Highly regulated and Ultra Expencive and you\'ll proberly find in most racers radiators.