civic radiator conversion

[NateDog]

hey i am planning to swap out the stock radiator w/ a civic fluidyne. has any one done this conversion? or am i going to be the first? i plan on doing the radiator swap at the end of the summer into mid-fall. what do u all think of this idea? i have everything i need but the radiator.

[Marlon]

i was gonna do the same thing when i turbo my car

[Shady469]

i know we tried to put the 92-00 civic radiator in but it was too tall. and if you angle the bottom then there is no room for the coolant hose. your going to have to make a bracket that sits the radiator further down than the cross member.
the swap was nearly done when we started messing with it so i just forgo the rad. for my stock one.<p>maldo swapped in a 240 radiator with only a few complications. personally i think this is a better option as it is a full radiator not a half like the civic.<p>[ June 11, 2003: Message edited by: Shady469 ]</p>

[maldo]

Koyo rads are almost double the size of the Fluidyne, much more capacity. If you are interested in doing this swap, you will need to know how to weld and have the proper tools. You will also have to have the guts to cut the center of your car out. This is where I got my rad, Phase2Motorsports. The stock fan does fit with some cutting, I will be upgrading those soon.<p>If you need some details, let me know.

[ltjrunner]

hey maldo...what complications did you run into when putting in the radiator off the 240?

[maldo]

The section that runs parallel to the factory rad, where the cross member bolts up in the front, needs to be cut out (entirely). I then fabricated a new section using 1"x2" box section tubing to create a new support. I have some simple tabs made to hold the rad at the top but do need to fab up some better ones. The biggest problem is the size difference (26"x17.5") vs. the stock rad. One that might be better would be a rad for the Focus as it is just 13.5" high (much closer to the stock size).

[ltjrunner]

ahh...well i might stick with the one off the 240 cuz i have one for me for 15 from a friend. so, would there be anything i could take outta the car to help in the mounting prccess like the front cross member or anything? and whatsize inter cooler can i then put in front of the radiator...im hoping at least 3"

[maldo]

There is a difference between the 240sx radiator and one designed for an S13-15. The inlet/outlet on the 240sx are in the wrong location. The S13. S14 and S15 rads are designed for the SR20DET which repositions the inlet and outlet to the factory locations on the MX-3. Upgrading to a OEM 240sx rad makes no sense for the work involved. You can get the KOYO brand radiator thru Phase2motortrend.com for much less than the factory replacement from Mazda. The size allows for the i/c pipes to pass thru to the front since the rad isn't as long as the factory unit. This will help keep the pipes short for better throttle response. There is plenty of room up front for a 3" thick intercooler but why do you need one that thick?

[ltjrunner]

well thats like asking why do you need one thats 6inch.....but the lil gt-r(240 with the skyline r34 engine, not sure of its the rb20det cuz im just learning bout 240's) but hey, cooler air to help keep the temp down. so how much did this radiator run you? and is it just a replacement for a stock one or do you have to cut the cross member for this one?

[maldo]

It isn't a direct replacement, you have to cut the frame. It was for a Nissan S14, this means the SR20DET powered Silvias in Japan. It is entirely different than the North American models here. It is the same dimensions and can be put into a 240SX but really only when the SR20DET swap is performed. The rad cost me about $550 CDN once shipped. The link I provided is to where I purchased mine, very good guys. You need the one designed for the Silvia, not the 240sx, to keep the inlet and outlet in the factory position.<p>FYI, there is no Silvia powered by an RB26DETT from the factory. I believe Top Secret did the swap but never Nissan. The Pulsar GTi-R came with the SR20DET but was in an awd format and is much more similar to a 323GTR than it is to a Silvia.

[ltjrunner]

alrighty....thank you much.

[D_Gagne]

so which rad will fit like the stock one almost or like it?s13 or s14 and how much work has to be done like custom work

[maldo]

How much of my previous post did you read?<p> <blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>The section that runs parallel to the factory rad, where the cross member bolts up in the front, needs to be cut out (entirely). I then fabricated a new section using 1"x2" box section tubing to create a new support. I have some simple tabs made to hold the rad at the top but do need to fab up some better ones. The biggest problem is the size difference (26"x17.5") vs. the stock rad. One that might be better would be a rad for the Focus as it is just 13.5" high (much closer to the stock size). <hr></blockquote><p> <blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr> There is a difference between the 240sx radiator and one designed for an S13-15. The inlet/outlet on the 240sx are in the wrong location. The S13. S14 and S15 rads are designed for the SR20DET which repositions the inlet and outlet to the factory locations on the MX-3. Upgrading to a OEM 240sx rad makes no sense for the work involved. You can get the KOYO brand radiator thru Phase2motortrend.com for much less than the factory replacement from Mazda. <hr></blockquote><p>Since both the S13 and S14 are the same radiator except for fan mounting tabs, neither are direct fit. Like I mentioned above, the Focus rad would be closer but nothing is direct. You will have to fabricate mounting brackets at the very least or fabricate an entire mounting tray with new frame section like I did. You will have to decide what you want to do.

[ltjrunner]

thanx for that site<p>[ June 20, 2003: Message edited by: ltjrunner ]</p>