Replaced Radiator and Thermostat

[salvatore1]

...All I can say is "oh what a difference". For a measly 120 plus 15 for 180 thermostat I got a brand new cooling system. Now she runs cool as cucumber (generally center of gauge or lower). The only thing I do notice is that it wil creep up past the half mark if I do not have the A/C on - but I'm happy. I'll say one thing though, these cars a pain in the *** to burp - it took me quite awhile to lose all the air pockets.

[Kb7tif]

Hey there can i ask why did you deside to replace them in the first place.

[salvatore1]

Hey there can i ask why did you deside to replace them in the first place.


Temp needle kept hanging around the 3/4 mark. Even though the car has 33k miles, its still 18 years old, so I figured it was time to buy new stuff.

[Pqtaces]

I'm getting ready to take mine in for the same thing. Which rad did you put in, the AC Delco replacement?

Also, where in CA are you?

[salvatore1]

I'm getting ready to take mine in for the same thing. Which rad did you put in, the AC Delco replacement?

Also, where in CA are you?

"Take yours in"? - with a few basic tools you can do this yourself.

I just ordered a replacement radiator through rockautoparts.....great parts vendor in my opinion.

[GOLDCYLON]

How much garbage and grit and debries did you find in the rad shroud area? :mrgreen:

I agree the stock replacement is fine. The key is keeping the rad area as free of debries as possible. The c4 cooling system is a bottom feeder and everything get sucked up in there.

[salvatore1]

How much garbage and grit and debries did you find in the rad shroud area? :mrgreen:

I agree the stock replacement is fine. The key is keeping the rad area as free of debries as possible. The c4 cooling system is a bottom feeder and everything get sucked up in there.

It was filthy - and I hardly drive the damn car. I just layed the old radiator down, and you should have seen the dirt it left on the driveway when I moved it.

[GOLDCYLON]

It was filthy - and I hardly drive the damn car. I just layed the old radiator down, and you should have seen the dirt it left on the driveway when I moved it.

I did this job last summer along with a water pump replacement, I would have been surprised if you had seen anything different. Hope you thought to do the hoses while you where there. GC

[tomtom72]

Just a fwiw, take a look at this link. It keeps my system clean.

http://www.zr1netregistry.com/ZR1_radiatorscreen.htm


:cheers:
Tom

[Pqtaces]

"Take yours in"? - with a few basic tools you can do this yourself.

I just ordered a replacement radiator through rockautoparts.....great parts vendor in my opinion.

Unfortunately, I am as mechanically capable as a baboon with no hands. So I have to take it in to get everything done. :dontknow:

I'm still trying to decide whether to put in the high capacity rad or not. I posted here asking if it was worth it and got a mixed response. Its only a $300 difference so I will probably just do it.

I am just waiting for my daily to come back from the body shop (dump truck lost it's load on the frwy and pelted me with rocks) so I can take the Z in.

[secondchance]

Unfortunately, I am as mechanically capable as a baboon with no hands. So I have to take it in to get everything done. :dontknow:

I'm still trying to decide whether to put in the high capacity rad or not. I posted here asking if it was worth it and got a mixed response. Its only a $300 difference so I will probably just do it.

I am just waiting for my daily to come back from the body shop (dump truck lost it's load on the frwy and pelted me with rocks) so I can take the Z in.

Be aware that some high capacity radiator is good at keeping the motor cool at sustained high speed (as in racing) but may not help much in low speed street driving because at low speed you are relying on rad fans. Rad fans may not be able to pull sufficient air through thicker radiator.
I recall seeing a thread discussing merits and demerits between Dewitt and Fluidyne radiators. If I remember (I may have this backwards) correct, Fluidyne seemed to be the better choice for street use.
I replaced mine with factory radiator that came out of a 95 with a few thousand miles from a forum member. He was extremely generous and let me have it for $50 (you know who you are...Thanks!). Cooling has not been a issue ever since.
Also, I thought about intake screen but when I pulled the old rad, it was obvious that it wasn't just small debris but amount of fine particles that came out between fins were quite a bit. I can't see any type of screen that could allow air and yet keep fine particulate from collecting between rad fins.

[bobbyhi]

Be aware that some high capacity radiator is good at keeping the motor cool at sustained high speed (as in racing) but may not help much in low speed street driving because at low speed you are relying on rad fans. Rad fans may not be able to pull sufficient air through thicker radiator.
I recall seeing a thread discussing merits and demerits between Dewitt and Fluidyne radiators. If I remember (I may have this backwards) correct, Fluidyne seemed to be the better choice for street use.
I replaced mine with factory radiator that came out of a 95 with a few thousand miles from a forum member. He was extremely generous and let me have it for $50 (you know who you are...Thanks!). Cooling has not been a issue ever since.
Also, I thought about intake screen but when I pulled the old rad, it was obvious that it wasn't just small debris but amount of fine particles that came out between fins were quite a bit. I can't see any type of screen that could allow air and yet keep fine particulate from collecting between rad fins.


I have to agree about the HD radiator. When I did mine I put an OEM back in and no problems. Also regarding the screen, I did that when I had my radiator out. You wouldn't believe how small of particals that it stops from going up into your radiator. Even if you are not mechanically inclined this can be done with very little effort and most of the tools you would have laying around your house. Try it - you won't be disappointed:-D
Good luck and save some money with the OEM radiator:mrgreen::mrgreen: More Mods...:thumbsup:

[GOLDCYLON]

I can't see any type of screen that could allow air and yet keep fine particulate from collecting between rad fins.


Correct sand, dirt and slit wont be blocked, but the major debries like leaves, bags, straws and everything else will.

[secondchance]

Correct sand, dirt and slit wont be blocked, but the major debries like leaves, bags, straws and everything else will.

I hear you.
I have been known to make some wild evasive action to maneuver around crap blown around in front of me.:mrgreen:

[salvatore1]

Unfortunately, I am as mechanically capable as a baboon with no hands. So I have to take it in to get everything done. :dontknow:

I'm still trying to decide whether to put in the high capacity rad or not. I posted here asking if it was worth it and got a mixed response. Its only a $300 difference so I will probably just do it.

I am just waiting for my daily to come back from the body shop (dump truck lost it's load on the frwy and pelted me with rocks) so I can take the Z in.

Short answer - DONT waste your money buying a "high performance" rad. You will not notice the difference between the two, and you can save yourself about $180.

[secondchance]

Short answer - DONT waste your money buying a "high performance" rad. You will not notice the difference between the two, and you can save yourself about $180.

Unless you run the car on track.

[Ccmano]

You do know that a HC radiator is not a drop in...? Mods to the mounts will be required because they are thicker.
H
:cheers:

[tomtom72]

On the particulates......this is just a fwiw.

When I made my screen, I wrapped the rigid screen in regular fiberglass screen ( the replacement stuff on the roll ). I did a lousey job in that the fine screen material ended up having alot of folds in it on both sideas of the rigid stuff. Ya know I do find a good bit of dirt particles in it when I clean out the leafs & junk.


:redface: I was actually kicking around the thought of using the HVAC filter material that you can buy in the HDW store/ Home Depot. It looks like fiberglass matt as the fibers are randomly oriented...it's plastic fibers not fiberglass. Usually the stuff is used in air handlers at the "exhanger" location as a particulate filter. There is very little or no resistance to flow across this material. I just can't figure a way to make it easily changed out.

:cheers:
Tom

[GOLDCYLON]

On the particulates......this is just a fwiw.

When I made my screen, I wrapped the rigid screen in regular fiberglass screen ( the replacement stuff on the roll ). I did a lousey job in that the fine screen material ended up having alot of folds in it on both sideas of the rigid stuff. Ya know I do find a good bit of dirt particles in it when I clean out the leafs & junk.


:redface: I was actually kicking around the thought of using the HVAC filter material that you can buy in the HDW store/ Home Depot. It looks like fiberglass matt as the fibers are randomly oriented...it's plastic fibers not fiberglass. Usually the stuff is used in air handlers at the "exhanger" location as a particulate filter. There is very little or no resistance to flow across this material. I just can't figure a way to make it easily changed out.

:cheers:
Tom

Thats a good idea Tom but in AZ I dont think we could get away with that one we need lots and lots of air flow. However you just made me think of something done long ago and might be an easier material to get a hold of.

Another idea the old sand rail dune buggy crowd was to place panty hose (Nylons) over their air filters to keep the fine sand and grit out. Military used this in DS/DS in th 90s as well.

[RKC]

Just replaced my high performance radiator with a stock unit. What a difference! Temperature stays nice and cool when driving around town. Before, thirty seconds after getting off the freeway the needle would be bumping the max temperature line.

I did a nice test drive just long enough for the gas guage to break. Now it reads empty all the time. Probably the sending unit. Oh well, as I said before, as soon as I fix one thing, something else goes wrong.