Fluidyne radiator install

[exdeath]

Anyone here that has installed their own Fluidyne radiator in their Terminator? Any fit issues? Doing cooling and longevity/safety mods before major power upgrades as always, and it just so happened that my stock radiator sprung a pinhole leak in one of the tubes in a place that isn't repairable. Ah... perfect time to upgrade.

The Fluidyne is supposed to be a direct fit bolt on OEM replacement. I read "direct fit" literally.. yeah I know its a bigger unit but when I read "direct fit" that tells me that those changes are made such that it still simply bolts in despite the increased size.

But I'm having interference with the condenser lines on the passenger side tank preventing the bottom mounts from lining up. I can force it, but I don't like having the corner of the tank ride the condenser lines that hard, and I don't think it quite sits all the way down in the passenger side lower mount.

Just sitting it in the car, it doesn't look like the upper mounts can reach either. I can really compress the bushings and get the tab in the hole, but the screw holes are definately not going to be usable.

The ABS lines are going to interfere with the fan; there is like 1/8" to 1/4" space between the ABS lines and the radiator.

The stock intercooler tank won't reach it's mount point.

Anyone else also have these issues with their Fluidyne radiator and if so how did you deal with them? Just want to check everyone else's experience before I start modifying things on the car just to fit a "direct fit" radiator (such as shifting the condenser mounts left and the radiator mounts right, slotting out the ABS bracket so I can slide it back further, etc).

 

[exdeath]

Sweet, I'm the first one in the world to have a Fluidyne radiator :dw:

 

[racebronco2]

The Fluidyne is supposed to be a direct fit bolt on OEM replacement. I read "direct fit" literally.. yeah I know its a bigger unit but when I read "direct fit" that tells me that those changes are made such that it still simply bolts in despite the increased size.

But I'm having interference with the condenser lines on the passenger side tank preventing the bottom mounts from lining up. I can force it, but I don't like having the corner of the tank ride the condenser lines that hard, and I don't think it quite sits all the way down in the passenger side lower mount.

Just sitting it in the car, it doesn't look like the upper mounts can reach either. I can really compress the bushings and get the tab in the hole, but the screw holes are definately not going to be usable.

The ABS lines are going to interfere with the fan; there is like 1/8" to 1/4" space between the ABS lines and the radiator.

The stock intercooler tank won't reach it's mount point.

Anyone else also have these issues with their Fluidyne radiator and if so how did you deal with them? Just want to check everyone else's experience before I start modifying things on the car just to fit a "direct fit" radiator (such as shifting the condenser mounts left and the radiator mounts right, slotting out the ABS bracket so I can slide it back further, etc).

you will need to mod the abs bracket, do a search. I think i just had to bend the ac lines a little.

 

[exdeath]

you will need to mod the abs bracket, do a search. I think i just had to bend the ac lines a little.

The ABS is the least of my concerns. The condenser lines, even after being bent, interfere with the tank, causing issues with that sides mount popping out when trying to get the other side in. At this point I can't even get the damn thing in the lower mounts.

Pure junk, this is not a "direct fit" as advertised.

I'm returning it and getting the LFP which has the tank trimmed on that side to clear the condenser lines.

 

[ShelbyGuy]

Wow you must be new to aftermarket parts.

 

[exdeath]

Nah, I've just never had problems with things fitting this bad before.

I expected to have to get a after market I/C tank and push the ABS back, but there isn't much I can do about the condenser after loosening it so it can slide freely and bending the lines almost 45 degrees (it's the front corner of the passenger side tank hitting the base of the condenser lines right at the condenser itself so they can't be bent out of the way any further). And in that state, the lower mounts did not line up and the top of the radiator was too far away for the upper mounts to be installed.

With so many people using the Fluidyne, and I've seen pics of it installed in other cars with the factory mount points and holes at the top, I wonder if the mounts in my car are biased toward the passenger side or something... the lower mounts are welded so I can't shift them, and the condenser was jammed towards the passenger side as far as it would go (the AC line fitting block was jammed against the sheet metal)

At any rate it's frustrating not being able to drive the car for another week each time I have to wait for something else in the mail again...

 

[Dana]

The fix is easy. Relocate the radiator to the left about an inch. Just find a whole saw that is about 1 1/2 inches or what ever the current hole size is and redrill both lower mount holes over about an inch. That will give you plenty of room on the A/C lines.

The upper mounts will twist a little because of this, but I didn't think it was a big deal.

The ABS support has to be modified to move it back 1 inch.

The expansion tank bracket has to be redrilled to accomodate the added thickness of the radiator. It moves toward the rear about an inch, but it is covered by the plastic over the radiator.

Dana