I know I know! I had about 36 hours before I had to leave for college to get the stinkin radiator and fan fully opperational. I bought a $25 relay/185* switch combo, but it was a POS 25A relay and shoddy wiring. I opted to use the 40A relay I pulled from the Taurus I pilfered the fan from and hard wired it. I pretty much did this the night before I left. I couldnt think straight and wasnt sure what wires had switched 12V so I just ran it from the battery and put the toggle between the relay and a ground under the console. When I have time to go home, or make friends with someone with a garage, Ill find a switched 12V source and run the ground straight to the body. Ive driven the car a few times since the 220* mishap and its not bubbling coolant or hard to start, so I think I got lucky!

Lol, you can use my garage - but i'm a bit far.

At least you know you need that switch. I have seen too many people who dont...

I was very skeptical about using the toggle switch method. I know I neglect my gauges too much anyways, which is why my aftermarket gauge is 2-5/8" and mounted on the gauge surround, 6" from my face. Even then, I get distracted driving around a city I dont know. But as a statement to how massive that rad is, It took less than 2 minutes to suck the gauge from 220 to 180 with my fan on low at idle.

220F is nothing.
The motor will tolerate 220F - 230F no problem.
My car used to regularly hit 225F, as I was using the stock thermo switch as a trigger.
(The stock thermo switch is supposed to switch at a 207F spec, but my SPI water temp gauge said it didn't trigger till 225F.)
We've had our race car hit 250F - beat that! - and it still held together on the track.
Not that I recommend doing this...


-Ted

Got a quote from a local to get four brackets tig'd on will be around $30.

Thats pretty good - better than my quote. Who's doing it?

Yeah Ted, I wasnt really loosing any sleep over 220, but Id like to prevent it. What stock sensor are you using for fan activation? There is a switch on the S4 thermostat neck on car with certain options, but my car didnt have one so thats where I mounted my temp gauge. Is this the one you are referring to? I thought about finding a 3/8" NPT sender from a domestic car that grounds out around 195 and just weld a bung below the upper rad inlet.

Vex, where are you getting the tabs welded? The rad already has a mounting tab along the top of that core. It lines up nicely with the stock rad support.

A guy down here in CCVT. Pretty cool cat, does alot of work for the club.

I've yet to surpass 100C (212F) in my car during 100F+ track events. This is with the CSF 2 row running an 80/20 mix and clutch fan.

To add to the confusion of aluminum radiators I picked up some Royal Purple Purple Ice, Radiator Super-Coolant Additive. It's supposed to reduce radiator temperatures, condition water pump seals, and unsurpassed performance... Not sure what the third one has to do with anything. It comes in a 16oz bottle and is see-through purple. But here's the confusing part; on the back of the bottle it reads:
Did I read that right? If you don't use distilled water on an aluminum radiator, what are you supposed to use? I'm confused... Think it's a typo?

What about the Redline Water Wetter- does that have the same or similar label?

Odd they would mention that, although I do know the Al-13 rads tend to suffer from galvanic corrosion, not diluting your antifreeze or coolant with the stuff seems weird...

from doing a little research and remembering some forgotten chemistry, i believe distilled water INCREASES the rate at which corrosion will occur.

I thought distilled water was just straight H2O... If you can't use distilled water what are you supposed to use? 50/50 premix? I imagine 50/50 premix that has "Safe on Aluminum Radiators" on its label would be fine. But what if you want to mix your own stuff? maybe go 80/20 or 70/30 or any other which you want?

i think the impurities in hose water might actually prevent it. Distilled water usually is the preferred base for solutions in chemical reactions and the water wetter stuff might chemically react. who knows.

could call their tech support.

Distilled water has a low pH. Water by nature tries to seek a balanced pH and when distilled water is put next to aluminum, it'll leach the minerals it wants from the alloy. This causes build up and soot in the radiator tubes.

If you use an "aluminum safe" antifreeze, you'll be ok as it has silicates in it on purpose to act as sacrificial mineral deposits.