Hey, which is better the fluidyne or the 03/04 termi radiator? Are there any pro/cons to either of them? and will a fluidyne radiator for a 4v fit a 2v or are they not different?
thanks, Jimmy
thanks, Jimmy
03/04 cobra radiator or fluidyne radiator?
- Thread starter jymboslice
- Start date
fluidyne is a tight tight fit. really looks nice tho.
any advantages over the 03 radiator? or does it just look good
Put a Riesche 170 thermostat in to see a difference.
Better for what? Cooling high horsepower or your budget?
The Fluidyne and other race radiators of that size will not fit(an 03/04 Cobra) until you slot the holes on the ABS unit's mounting bracket and move it back away from the rad about a 1/4 inch. The hard lines will flex without a problem.
A larger radiator holds more coolant, which will slow down the speed at which a car will get too hot. Without added air flow it is kinda like a big heat sink, which is often good enough for street strip cars that don't use sustained WOT for long periods of time.
A thicker radiator will also resist air flow more than the thinner stock one will.
So with a big rad unless you do some air flow mods like boxing in(increases volume and inlet pressure) and additional venting(decreases under hood air pressure and facilitates higher air flow rates) you will not take full advantage of that radiator's ability to reject heat.
A wider deeper air dam will also increase the difference in inlet and under hood air pressure and help increase air flow.
GT and Cobra radiators are interchangeable as far as I know.
My take out stocker rad is still serving duty in an N/A 99 Cobra open track car.
Obviously stock or stock replacement will be cheaper than a Fluidyne.
I've been through it with radiators. I put an LFP in twice and they both leaked. Sending the second one back now and already expecting my Mishomoto from Lethal Performance by tomorrow. I stayed away from the Mishimoto because it sounded Japanese but come to find out it's arguably the highest quality radiator on the market and it's company is right here in North Carolina. They're all contracted out to CHINA anyway. Go with Mishimoto for $229 at Lethal. Fluidynes were over $400
A two row Fluidyne radiator will have double the surface area over the stock rad and the coolant will stay in there twice as long exposed to cooling air (I would stick with a single pass (Fluidyne) over a multi-pass radiator which will impose less restriction on the pump).
Jimmy
Not sure what you mean by the radiator "rejecting heat" unless I am misunderstanding something ("heat rejection" and "radiator" should never be used in the same sentence unless there is something very wrong with the design). They are aluminum which readily accepts heat, maybe the term "heat transfer" is what you meant to say. There will be some additional restrictions thru a double row radiator over a single row but I don't think it's enough to negate the benefit of the extra cooling capacity. My understanding is even removing the AC condenser does not impact the radiators ability to cool very much. Good points everywhere else especially regarding sealing the opening around the radiator.
Jimmy
Not sure what you mean by the radiator "rejecting heat" unless I am misunderstanding something ("heat rejection" and "radiator" should never be used in the same sentence unless there is something very wrong with the design). They are aluminum which readily accepts heat, maybe the term "heat transfer" is what you meant to say. There will be some additional restrictions thru a double row radiator over a single row but I don't think it's enough to negate the benefit of the extra cooling capacity. My understanding is even removing the AC condenser does not impact the radiators ability to cool very much. Good points everywhere else especially regarding sealing the opening around the radiator.
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