Radiator mod for v-mounts
 

So quick question.. Why is the outlet of rads moved to the top when used in a v-mount? Is it just to make the hoses shorter?

For the sake of an example, take a koyo n-flo. What's stopping me from leaving it as is and just hard piping it from the usual outlet back to the block?

usually the lower pipe is too close to the ground. run over something and bam lose all your coolant. i question some of the v-mount radiators you see on ebay and whatnot, b/c both inlet and outlet are on the same endtank. it would be better if there was a divider in the middle of the endtank to prevent coolant from bypassing the tubes. or have the endtanks on the sides and not the bottom/top

^^^^^^^^ this, the smart people at Defined Autowork did this on their V Mount. I've busted the hose a few times. I could've done a better kit myself, but whatever.

If you don't have a divided in the endtank, the entire radiator is turned into nothing more than a heatsink with no coolant passing through the tubesits going to follow the path of least resistance, nothing is forcing it through the tubes so why would it go there?
Ive done a few VMIC setups using stock replacement rads by cutting off the fittings, building my own endtanks from plate AL and welding on nipples or an fittings

Yea, the defined kit is crap.

TTT, at that point wouldn't it be easier to just buy a core and weld on the endtanks? That's what I will be doing this year on my fd.

if the measurements work you could start this way.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-380350/overview/

It's purely for packaging/routing concerns on particular kits. Some kits (ie HKS) use an unmodified radiator.

I got a replacement VM radiator from RX7store since my original one was seeping coolant. I finally got it, installed it, started pouring in coolant and it sounded like I was pouring it right on the floor, because I might as well have been. When they drilled the hole on top for the coolant inlet, they drilled a hole about 1/4" right into the core. I talked to Jason about it and asked if they pressure tested their radiators and he said they used to do them all but now they do one out of every ten or so. I tried to get it repaired because I was trying to make it to SevenStock, and my buddy that has a shop and was trying to fix it said the guy that originally did the modification HAD to know he drilled that hole because it was right below where you weld the elbow on. My buddy tried to fix it but it never was quite right, still leaked a little. It was then that I realized how easy it would be to make your own VM radiator, but Jason still owed me a radiator so he sent me a new one and this one was good, but I made sure to pressure test it myself to verify before I installed it. If I ever have to replace this one, I'll just get a regular one from Koyo and modify it myself or have it done locally.

I was looking at the rx7store and it's 580 for a modded koyo n-flow and like a little over 300 for just a regular one. Is that outrageous or is that actually what you would expect to pay a shop for something like that?

Yes and no. If you can get a rad that fits well and already has the endtanks on it, it will save a little time and hassle building the endtanks, you'll just have to weld on your own fittings

That's basically what I started with :)

Yeah... it will take about 2 or three hours to cut the koyo up and build half an end tank and turn it into a double pass. I've done it a few times @ S1 when doing VMIC's and the customer had an existing non-stock but stock mount rad, meaning they we're all Koyo's :lol: