Question about installing a Fluidyne radiator on a '96 cobra

[SVTmunks]

I'm putting a fluidyne radiator in the cobra but it doesn't fit into both lower radiator supports. There is about an extra inch of space. Has anybody else had to relocate their lower and/or upper radiator supports? Also, what fan would you recommend using, as I am replacing that too. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
-Kevin

 

[dilireus]

Kevin,
Please post what you end up doing with the radiator. I've got a Fluidyne sitting in my office that I'm about ready to install in my 97. Would be nice to know about problems I'm going to face before hand.

 

[SVTmunks]

Will do! With the lower radiator support, Ill probably end up taking on off, and drilling new holes to bolt it back on where it needs to be. I still need to take a look at the upper supports. I'm not sure if you'll end up running into the same problems though, from what I understand, the '96 has a defferent radiator then the '97 & '98

 

[TERMINATED97]

Heres a fluidyne in my 97...you can see where the top tabs are bent. Hope this helps at all.
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=468122

 

[SVTStrikesBack]

I'm putting a fluidyne radiator in the cobra but it doesn't fit into both lower radiator supports. There is about an extra inch of space. Has anybody else had to relocate their lower and/or upper radiator supports? Also, what fan would you recommend using, as I am replacing that too. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
-Kevin

Have you looked at it to see why it isn't going all the way in? Mine didn't want to cooperate becuase the coolant overflow tank support was kind of in the way. I just bent it a little, and everything went in o.k. I wouldn't say it was the BEST fitting thing in the world, but it doesn't move and it will fit in there snug, the way it is supposd to.

 

[Helomech74]

It's possible that your radiator isn't fitting because your 96 never had the cooling mod done and you bought a radiator for 97 and up car, or your car had the cooling mod done and you bought a radiator for the 96 model. If the factory cooling TSB was done on your 96 and you bought a fluidyne for a 96 then it won't fit. You would have to get one for a 97+ car.

 

[bssmith1220]

I just installed one on my 96, it didn't want to line up with the passenger side lower support, but I was able to make it work with some persuasion.

 

[351inside]

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/showthread.php?t=467893

:beer:

 

[ProChargedSnake]

Mine was a straight bolt in, no coolant fix at the dealer- said NC cars wern't covered ...no problems with install though, works GREAT!!!!!

 

[FATPAUL]

Good Read

 

[SVTmunks]

As far as I know the radiator & fan that I took out was all the factory original. The radiator that Fluidyne sent me is marked for a '96 so I'm not sure. There is just an extra inch of space down there it seems. For example, if the posts on the bottom of the radiator that go into the lower radiator supports are 30 inches apart, the actual lower radiator supports are about 31-31 1/2 inches apart. I'm sure I could find a way to move one over so it fits in right, I just wasn't sure if anybody else had had the same problems. I'm still not sure on what fan to go with though...

 

[ProChargedSnake]

Factory fan will be fine with the Fluidyne

 

[shelbycobra]

96 fluidyne

my 96 cobra had a fluidyne in it,but i had to make sure it was for a 96,because the mounts are different,if you got one for a 97 or newer,it wont line up unless you buy a newer radiator support, or re drill new holes for it to fit.

 

[SVTStrikesBack]

It's possible that your radiator isn't fitting because your 96 never had the cooling mod done and you bought a radiator for 97 and up car, or your car had the cooling mod done and you bought a radiator for the 96 model. If the factory cooling TSB was done on your 96 and you bought a fluidyne for a 96 then it won't fit. You would have to get one for a 97+ car.

That's a good point that I didn't consider. Seems kind of dumb that Ford would design a "replacement" radiator that required new mounts since Fluidyne seemed to do just fine without them. I think all condersers are the same size (outer demisnions) so that can't be it either.

Mine was a straight bolt in, no coolant fix at the dealer- said NC cars wern't covered ...no problems with install though, works GREAT!!!!!

That is got to the bumbest thing I have heard today, and totaly what I would expect out of a Ford scammer, I mean dealer. I guess once you buy a car in North Carolina you are never allowed to take you car out of state.

I have seen the TSB and I know the areas that were having the problems were in the south, but that certainly doesn't mean that if you owned a car in Alaska you shouldn't be able to get it done. FOrd should have done a better jod on R&D for this motor's cooling PERIOD.

 

[SVTmunks]

Does anyone know if there is a way to tell if its still the factory '96 cooling system, or if the '97/'98 cooling system mod was done? The fluidyne radiator that I have is stamped as a '96, but it doesn't sit in the lower radiator supports, the fan I took out doesn't bolt up to it, & the upper supports are no where near where they would need to be.

 

[diablostang]

My fluidyne didn't fit very well either in my 96, and my Dad had a different one for his 97 and it didn't fit well either. I had to bend the bottom mounting tabs a little to fit.

 

[SVTmunks]

Yeah, the bottom tabs I can make work, but there is absolutely no way the top ones will work. Even the radiator doesn't bolt up to it...