Dual fans or New Radiator.

07-23-2004, 02:17 PM

Hey guys whats up. I just got done with my ca18det swap like last week and I have seem to run into a slight problem. Ok I was driving and I would shift at like 4.5k rpms and after about 2 hours of car usuage on an off the coolant started to boil out of the plastic container. And it turned orange. Ok so this has happened a couple times now. So I asked around and people said that I should get a new radiator beacuse aparantley a KA radiator is not enough. Other people are saying that I need dual fans beacuse aparantley a KA electric fan just isnt good enough either. So I ordered a koyo racing radiator and I was wondering wether I should return it and just get dual fans and keep the stock radiator?

GRiDRaceTech · 07-23-2004, 03:17 PM

Did you bleed the coolant? Have you tried Redline Water Wetter? Have you tried a Nismo thermostat? Always do the (relatively) cheap stuff before you do the expensive stuff.

07-23-2004, 03:47 PM

Its not any of the above problems. I know its either the radiator or the fan I just need to know which I should rather buy to get my cooling level at a high. Thanks anyways though.

Ghost of Duluth · 07-23-2004, 04:22 PM

When in doubt, bo with the radiator. Yours may be clogged in some parts and the added needs may be overtaxing it. Would be a shame to buy the fans, install them and still need a radiator.

JunpoweR · 08-19-2004, 03:58 PM

ok you might have a blown head gasket.
Cumbustion leaking into the cooling system.We rotary guys know so well.
Anyways Take off the radiator cap while the car is cold and warm it up cap off..
Make sure the water is full up to the filler neck..just let the engine warm up naturaly dont rev it and watch the water in the radiator cap..After it warms up do you notice its foamy or bubbling??
than ur motor needs a new gasket at least.

hope this helps with ur overheating problems and yes if your engine is fine then get a better radiator and electric fan

Ghost of Duluth · 08-19-2004, 04:10 PM

Yeap, and you can check the oil too, if it looks like a Milkshake then you probably have a blown head gasket.

CrazyHawaiian · 08-19-2004, 10:32 PM

First I would remove the thermostat and drill a single 1/8th inch hole on one side. This will keep the water flowing between the radiator and the engine (but the flow is not fast enough where the water in the radiator does not have time to be cooled), should keep things a bit cooler. Second I would wire up whatever fans you have to a switch (remove computer fan control) and make sure the switch is on when you're drifting. Generally the cooling systems in our cars are designed to use the airflow from the front of the car in conjunction with the fans to keep the radiator cooled. But when we drift the cars are moving sideways, so the ammount of airflow to the radiator is reduced. Because of this the fans play a more important role, and if the factory setup is set to turn on at too high of a temp then your cooling system is working overtime trying to catch up. Try those two things (basically free/cheap) and let us know how it turns out. If you feel the need to spend money you could get a different temp thermostat and a fan switch. I say if neither of those help then look into replacing either the radiator or the fans. The honest truth is that most OEM cooling systems are not up to the task of hard racing, but sometimes you can mess with it a little and get it manageable.

07-23-2004, 02:17 PM	#1
turbo_blitz21 Guest Posts: n/a	Dual fans or New Radiator. Hey guys whats up. I just got done with my ca18det swap like last week and I have seem to run into a slight problem. Ok I was driving and I would shift at like 4.5k rpms and after about 2 hours of car usuage on an off the coolant started to boil out of the plastic container. And it turned orange. Ok so this has happened a couple times now. So I asked around and people said that I should get a new radiator beacuse aparantley a KA radiator is not enough. Other people are saying that I need dual fans beacuse aparantley a KA electric fan just isnt good enough either. So I ordered a koyo racing radiator and I was wondering wether I should return it and just get dual fans and keep the stock radiator?

07-23-2004, 04:22 PM	#4
Ghost of Duluth Sixgun Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Neverland Posts: 2,280	When in doubt, bo with the radiator. Yours may be clogged in some parts and the added needs may be overtaxing it. Would be a shame to buy the fans, install them and still need a radiator. __________________ Team SIXGUN, Don't whine about the food chain, be the top of it. Tokyo Pimps, Godzilla is coming. Lorin, oh Lorin, where have you gone?? If you're in the stands warming the bench, don't whine about the guys in the drivers seats.

08-19-2004, 03:58 PM	#5
JunpoweR Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: ~San~Francisco~415~510~ Posts: 434	ok you might have a blown head gasket. Cumbustion leaking into the cooling system.We rotary guys know so well. Anyways Take off the radiator cap while the car is cold and warm it up cap off.. Make sure the water is full up to the filler neck..just let the engine warm up naturaly dont rev it and watch the water in the radiator cap..After it warms up do you notice its foamy or bubbling?? than ur motor needs a new gasket at least. hope this helps with ur overheating problems and yes if your engine is fine then get a better radiator and electric fan Last edited by JunpoweR; 08-19-2004 at 04:14 PM.

08-19-2004, 04:10 PM	#6
Ghost of Duluth Sixgun Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Neverland Posts: 2,280	Yeap, and you can check the oil too, if it looks like a Milkshake then you probably have a blown head gasket. __________________ Team SIXGUN, Don't whine about the food chain, be the top of it. Tokyo Pimps, Godzilla is coming. Lorin, oh Lorin, where have you gone?? If you're in the stands warming the bench, don't whine about the guys in the drivers seats.

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07-23-2004, 03:17 PM	#2
GRiDRaceTech Opposite Lock Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: SoCal Posts: 1,096	Did you bleed the coolant? Have you tried Redline Water Wetter? Have you tried a Nismo thermostat? Always do the (relatively) cheap stuff before you do the expensive stuff.

07-23-2004, 03:47 PM	#3
turbo_blitz21 Guest Posts: n/a	Its not any of the above problems. I know its either the radiator or the fan I just need to know which I should rather buy to get my cooling level at a high. Thanks anyways though.

08-19-2004, 10:32 PM	#7
CrazyHawaiian Sample One Time!! Join Date: May 2003 Location: Hawaii Posts: 1,276	First I would remove the thermostat and drill a single 1/8th inch hole on one side. This will keep the water flowing between the radiator and the engine (but the flow is not fast enough where the water in the radiator does not have time to be cooled), should keep things a bit cooler. Second I would wire up whatever fans you have to a switch (remove computer fan control) and make sure the switch is on when you're drifting. Generally the cooling systems in our cars are designed to use the airflow from the front of the car in conjunction with the fans to keep the radiator cooled. But when we drift the cars are moving sideways, so the ammount of airflow to the radiator is reduced. Because of this the fans play a more important role, and if the factory setup is set to turn on at too high of a temp then your cooling system is working overtime trying to catch up. Try those two things (basically free/cheap) and let us know how it turns out. If you feel the need to spend money you could get a different temp thermostat and a fan switch. I say if neither of those help then look into replacing either the radiator or the fans. The honest truth is that most OEM cooling systems are not up to the task of hard racing, but sometimes you can mess with it a little and get it manageable.