Aluminum radiator

Discussion and technical advice for 84-89 AW10 & AW11 MR2. 3A-LU, 4A-GE, 4A-GZE.

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FrankBelgium
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:11 pm
Location: Willebroek Belgium

Aluminum radiator

Post by FrankBelgium »

Hello,

I’m currently working on my winter project:20V blacktop with Megasquirt EFI. I was in need of a new project and just couldn’t sell my MR2 (too much work putted in and too much fun to drive!)

I first was thinking about putting ITB’s on a 16V Redtop head (like Lauren’s idea) but after 3 months looking for the right engine, I found a blacktop with GB, engine harness and ECU in Belgium.
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The Megasquirt is now fully built and it is time for the bench testing phase so I’m working at the cable harness. It is a really challenging job!:-)

Since I have to make a little adjustments at the coolant system, I thought it was time to put a new radiator and waterless coolant.
Anyone have experience with waterless coolant on a AW11?
And I was thinking about installing an aluminum radiator, does anyone knows a good brand in the UK? I already checked Ebay but didn’t find anything interesting!

Thanks,

Frank
kaiowas
Posts: 1953
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2005 3:06 pm
Location: Norfolk
Contact:

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by kaiowas »

Paul Woods was developing an alloy radiator kit a couple of years ago including all of the mounting brackets etc necessary to make it a straight swap modification. Can't remember whether it ever reached the point of being a complete product but I'm sure he'll be able to help you.
XLarge
Posts: 123
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:44 pm
Location: Germany

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by XLarge »

I´ve searched for an aluminium radiator and couldn´t find one anywhere of any make. The only offer I´ve found was on US eBay so I bought that radiator.

Due to my heart disease I was´t able to work on my cars in 2012 and so the radiator is still not fitted to my car.

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*edit:

Searched for the offer and they still sell it:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-aluminum-r ... 86&vxp=mtr
PW@Woodsport
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Location: durham
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Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by PW@Woodsport »

Yes my aluminium rad was launched a few years ago, but it was primarily aimed at Mk1's with big V6 or 3s-gte engines, for a 4age Mk1 the stock rad is totally adequate, to be honest the stock rad copes perfectly well with the bigger engines too, so even the alloy rad was overkill.

It's just a nice trinket to have on a MK1 but doesn't really help with anything.
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FrankBelgium
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:11 pm
Location: Willebroek Belgium

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by FrankBelgium »

PW@Woodsport wrote:
It's just a nice trinket to have on a MK1 but doesn't really help with anything.


It was kind of the idea to be honest! O:)
I don't have any heating problem fot the moment but last time I took the radiator off, I gave it a little clean but you can see it is already for very long on the car!
Since I was planning to switch to waterless coolant ( really no one on the forum use this?), I was thinking it was a good idea to put a new radiator.

Paul, do you still have a radiator kit and how much do you want for it?
I have a Mk1a and I know the mounting is slightly different.

XLarge wrote:
The only offer I´ve found was on US eBay so I bought that radiator.

Thanks for the info, but I'm a little tired to pay taxes to the Belgian customs so I was first looking in the UK.
They really rip me off with the Megasquirt and the wide band O2 sensor! #-o
Is it good quality and good fitting? Does it also fit a Mk1a?

Thanks,

Frank
stenky
Posts: 356
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:04 pm
Location: Slovakia

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by stenky »

I do plan filling mine up with Evans waterless coolant. Haven't done that yet, because it is not cheap and I would like to overhaul the piping and hoses before I spend that much on a coolant :) Which brings up the idea of silicone hoses for AW11. I haven't seen a kit for our cars, but I once managed to send my Celica hoses to China and now the only silicone hose kit for ST182 on ebay is the one copied from my OEM hoses :) So if there's interest, I could try to have AW11 OEM radiator hoses made of silicone.
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SuperRedMR2
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Location: Wickford, Essex

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by SuperRedMR2 »

Stenky there was a silicon group buy on the mk1 club but I think it was in the region of 150 quid - too much if you ask me for a few pipes.
stenky
Posts: 356
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:04 pm
Location: Slovakia

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by stenky »

I bet I could do them cheaper than that in china :) OEM aren't cheap either and the silicone lasts a lifetime at least :)
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XLarge
Posts: 123
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:44 pm
Location: Germany

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by XLarge »

FrankBelgium wrote:
Thanks for the info, but I'm a little tired to pay taxes to the Belgian customs so I was first looking in the UK.
They really rip me off with the Megasquirt and the wide band O2 sensor! #-o
Is it good quality and good fitting? Does it also fit a Mk1a?

Thanks,

Frank


As above, I´ve searched everywhere and would have preferred to buy one in Europe too, but I couln´t find one. So I bought the one from the states. They added a "special bill" and the German customs accepted it. So I´ve received it without paying import fees and tax. :lol:

Quality seems to be good and it was well packaged too, but I can´t say anything about fitment as I couln´t fit it so far. I have a Mk1a too and will have to do some work to fit it too, but I don´t know how much work will be needed. I don´t await to much, but at least new upper brackets due to the different angeled position. I will use a set of brackets from my donor car I´ve kept therefor or will build some custom ones. Not sure about the fan shrouds, but I´ll put on two Spal fans that I´ve already bought anyway I´ll have to build my own brackets and electric connectors for.
PW@Woodsport
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Location: durham
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Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by PW@Woodsport »

Sorry Frank i no longer stock the rads, there really wasn't a demand for them, you can buy one from the US that looks ok, but i've never seen it in first hand.
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coanda
Posts: 512
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:22 pm

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by coanda »

A member on here (charged) has helped set up a coolant hose kit with SFS. It's in the works.....

http://www.sfsperformance.co.uk/prod_ca ... ake=toyota

These are the original hoses that will be re-done.

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And he'll be posting his adventures with the new hose kit soon....

Won't you Olly? :)
FrankBelgium
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:11 pm
Location: Willebroek Belgium

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by FrankBelgium »

stenky wrote:So if there's interest, I could try to have AW11 OEM radiator hoses made of silicone.


Yes I'm very interested but what hoses are you speaking about? Everything between the engine en radiator I suppose. I tried to look at TOYODIY site to have an idea but couldn't find much hoses. I 'm planning to buy a conversion kit for AW11 to blacktop I found on Internet but those are only engine hoses.

PW@Woodsport wrote:Sorry Frank i no longer stock the rads


Ok no prob, I will go for the US one and try to ask them to send it as a gift...

XLarge wrote:
Quality seems to be good and it was well packaged too, but I can´t say anything about fitment as I couln´t fit it so far. I have a Mk1a too and will have to do some work to fit it too, but I don´t know how much work will be needed. I don´t await to much, but at least new upper brackets due to the different angeled position. I will use a set of brackets from my donor car I´ve kept therefor or will build some custom ones. Not sure about the fan shrouds, but I´ll put on two Spal fans that I´ve already bought anyway I´ll have to build my own brackets and electric connectors for.


Thanks for the info! I'll have a look at the SPAL fans too. But if you get rid of the OEM fans there will be again less weight in the front of the car!!! :whistle:
stenky
Posts: 356
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Location: Slovakia

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by stenky »

Frank, I mean all the hoses from the engine all the way to the front and back, like coanda's picture. It's 6 or 7 hoses.
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FrankBelgium
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:11 pm
Location: Willebroek Belgium

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by FrankBelgium »

Ok stenky, please let me know how much it would cost for the set.
Thanks!
elbon50
Posts: 3598
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:29 am
Location: Stafford

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by elbon50 »

stenky wrote:Frank, I mean all the hoses from the engine all the way to the front and back, like coanda's picture. It's 6 or 7 hoses.


Including the hoses in the heater system Stenky ?

There's quite a few of those

Peter
stenky
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Location: Slovakia

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by stenky »

Just the engine cooling hoses.

Dealing with the Chinese is a bit complicated though. It took tem 6 months to reproduce my ST182 hoses. Slow shipping, then they forgot, then they did them, afterwards they forgot to send them to me, and after 6 months I finally got them. But it was worth it. As they were forgetting stuff all the time, they sent me the first pair and accidentally shipped a second one after a while... :D

I have to contact them first and see whether they can make me an offer :) Then I'll strip my donor car and take out the hoses, ship them to china thats around 20GBP and then they could be probably for sale on ebay. My estimation is 150-170USD for set with free shipping... But that's just my guess :)
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elbon50
Posts: 3598
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:29 am
Location: Stafford

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by elbon50 »

stenky wrote:Just the engine cooling hoses.


To make the cooling system secure & reliable the heater hoses would need to be replaced as well though :-k
FrankBelgium
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:11 pm
Location: Willebroek Belgium

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by FrankBelgium »

elbon50 wrote:
stenky wrote:Just the engine cooling hoses.


To make the cooling system secure & reliable the heater hoses would need to be replaced as well though :-k


Completely forgot those inside the car! #-o
But not a bad question...
stenky
Posts: 356
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:04 pm
Location: Slovakia

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by stenky »

Heater has 2 hoses iirc? I can throw them in the kit-to-be as they are not that long or large. I will keep you informed as soon as I can be bothered to compose and send a "chinglish" friendly email :D
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elbon50
Posts: 3598
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:29 am
Location: Stafford

Re: Aluminum radiator

Post by elbon50 »

stenky wrote:Heater has 2 hoses iirc? I can throw them in the kit-to-be as they are not that long or large. I will keep you informed as soon as I can be bothered to compose and send a "chinglish" friendly email :D


Two under the front of the car plus two more inside the frunk as far as I remember :-k
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