options that are not 600 bucks for radiator

90turbo1

Registered User
So I searched and came up with 20 pages of stuff. i wana know what are my options for upgrading my radiator in my 1992. I currently have a all metal end cap which looks stock to me brass radiator. the core is starting to seep at the lower end cap.

i have read about griffen, be cool, SCP all metal ect.

what are my options in a nut shell.

i dont feel that 600 is a good price for a griffen from scp.

can the inter cooler brackets be removed and transfered to a different radiator?

it seems to me that they dont even do anything but hold the rubber bellows boot to the intercooler and provice a bracket to mount the radiator on the drivers side.

what options do I have from summit racing for say.
 
go to the local pull a part and get yourself a full size radiator from a 94+ 4.6 mn12 cougar or tbird, they have the better design $40

then order yourself a fmic from cxracing $120 and the piping kit $60

$220 and your golden :rolleyes:
 
and thats a good one?

sorry to tell you the truth I work on cars all day replacing them with stock units and such.

would this be a stock replacement only in aluminum?

it says its only a single row.
so would that even be an improvement over what I have (not including that mine is leaking but if mine was perfect stock one)
 
go to the local pull a part and get yourself a full size radiator from a 94+ 4.6 mn12 cougar or tbird, they have the better design $40

then order yourself a fmic from cxracing $120 and the piping kit $60

$220 and your golden :rolleyes:

i would also need a new blower top for that, and a way to attach the other pipe to the intake..

i dont see the pipes for 60 on that site.

www.crxracing.com is that right.
 
when you unbolt the flange at the blower top for the IC pipe the flange unscrews and you have a threaded end, just slip the supplied silicon coupler over it and clamp it down

the boost plenum you have 4 options

1> grind down the flange so its the same diameter as the pipe

2> cut the flange off and slide the coupler up to the ACT sensor

3> cut the IC pipe after the flange and put the coupler there

4> search for a better idea

hot-rodding requires fabrication
 
You could always take yours in to a rad shop and have them fix it up. Unless your making huge amounts of power the stock one works good, if everything else is working good of course.

I'm over 300rwhp and have no issues with cooling using a stock non plastic rad.

Fraser
 
I just ordered the non aluminum stock replacement one that has an IC bracket on it... If you get the aluminum one it won't have an IC bracket on it and you will have to attach your existing one to the new rad.... which might or might not be easy to do. I'm not totally sure, but I think I read on here that some IC brackets are bolted onto the radiator, but others are riveted or something.
 
You are paying for the "brackets" and stuff that Griffin tacks onto the radiator. That is why it's $600. The IC brackets aren't integral to the IC itself, but on the bottom side I think they include a post for the overall radiator mounting.

You can get a decent aluminum radiator of similar size online for about $200 shipped. But without swapping the factory brackets over (soldering?) you will have to come up with a new way to mount it. Your fan/shroud won't fit and will require custom mounts at a minimum (my fan needed hacked on a little bit to fit the new radiator). Your radiator tubing may not line up anymore either. Your overflow hose won't be a plug-n-play. When you consider all the modifications you will need to make, and if you need to pay someone for welding, suddenly the $600 doesn't look horrible.

Then again, you can save money by just doing a quick and dirty radiator install, but it won't look anywhere near as nice (and factory) as the Griffin.
 
My Griffin has horrible fitment issues. It's offset toward the PS by quite a bit and the upper radiator mounting plates/bushings had to be modified to make it fit. YMMV
 
My Griffin has horrible fitment issues. It's offset toward the PS by quite a bit and the upper radiator mounting plates/bushings had to be modified to make it fit. YMMV

see thats what I am talking about, there are a number of threads about them not fitting. so for me to pay an extra 300+$ just because they put the magical intercooler bracket on there and send it to me, thats what I was asking.

I do agree that a griffen radiator is a good radiator dont get me wrong but these companys see the somewhat rarity of this car (and others) and demand a premium.

i was just asking if there was a different alternative to there radiator.

which I found i beleive. so i guess we will see then I get it.

i do understand that some modifications may be required to fit a universal fit radiator (such as a be cool, or acutaully a griffen from summit racing). but asking 600 bucks for a radiator that is like said 200 shipped (lets go as high as 300 even) there is no reason that bracket should jump this price up that high. when the stock bracket could be mounted to the new radiator.

ahhh that feels better now... :)
 
i do understand that some modifications may be required to fit a universal fit radiator (such as a be cool, or acutaully a griffen from summit racing). but asking 600 bucks for a radiator that is like said 200 shipped (lets go as high as 300 even) there is no reason that bracket should jump this price up that high. when the stock bracket could be mounted to the new radiator.

ahhh that feels better now... :)

Except for the fact, that the stock bracket is steel which will not weld on to a universal aluminum radiator. If you go the universal aluminum way you'll have to fab the entire bracket assy and mounts.
 
Except for the fact, that the stock bracket is steel which will not weld on to a universal aluminum radiator. If you go the universal aluminum way you'll have to fab the entire bracket assy and mounts.

Dave Dalke tried ordering the new Griffin for my car without the brackets because I don't use them with the MP FMIC. It was going to cost an extra $100 and extend the delivery time a couple weeks because it would be classified as custom and require their engineering department to mark up some drawings.

We just bought the regular version with brackets and sawed them off.

David
 
Except for the fact, that the stock bracket is steel which will not weld on to a universal aluminum radiator. If you go the universal aluminum way you'll have to fab the entire bracket assy and mounts.

No need to weld can use epoxy.
 
no need to even attach it to the radiator, just get some L brackets and screw it to the radiator support... DONE
 
90turbo1, Just what I was thinking! But then...
no need to even attach it to the radiator, just get some L brackets and screw it to the radiator support... DONE
Just what I was thinking... L bracket. The fitment issues I have with the Radiator Express replacement is that the passenger side of the radiator sits a tad higher than the driver's side. Well, the drivers side IC bracket (mine) has the "too short" issue as well.

So, I was thinking of shimming the driver's side lower floating "pin" point (just so it doesn't appear high on the passenger side) and extending the upper diver's side securing tangs for the IC bracket as well as bolting an L-Bracket to the passenger's side upper mounting.

Otherwise, the Radiator Express replacement fitment is fine and considering the discount and delivery to my front door for $183.05; I'm content. Not perfect but then I'm not either.

Radiator Express included a wire strap or jumper that I am contemplating the placement of. The drain pet-cock is not Aluminum. Brass or Copper??? I'm thinking that both sides of the radiator should be coupled.

All suggestions are appreciated,
Camano Paul
 
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