Radiator upgrade?

[talonpunk831]

Hey guys, i have an 03 ep3 with a k24a2 swap. And im looking to upgrade my radiator lines and radiator. Ive found alot of silicone radiator lines for cheap, but im wondering what are your recomendations for a radiator upgrade? Thanks

[LouisianaEP3]

Koyo or mishimoto

[Manny Kid 15]

I would recommend mishimoto, koyo, or jvt which is made by mishimoto


Sent from MANNY KID 15 using Tapatalk

[Blah1219]

What's wrong with your rad right now? Why not get a mugen, spoon, t1r thermostat and fan switch. You would benefit more on that then a aftermarket rad.

[RHCP0801]

stock rad is more than enough for a k24a2

[sleepy ep3]

Koyo rad with Mugen thermostat. The Koyo is a beautiful piece of work. I was really happy when I opened the box when I got mine. My temps stay perfect, even in 90 degree weather. It's more expensive than the Mishimoto or whatever, but it's a nicer piece IMO.

[usedep3]

Koyo rad with Mugen thermostat. The Koyo is a beautiful piece of work. I was really happy when I opened the box when I got mine. My temps stay perfect, even in 90 degree weather. It's more expensive than the Mishimoto or whatever, but it's a nicer piece IMO.

What kind of ECT temps are you seeing?

[Lucid Moments]

No radiator upgrade is needed. I'm running a blown k24 frank, tracking it in the southeast and have never had problems with ECTs. I did notice however that the OP asked specifically about hoses so he may just be looking to dress the engine bay up a little.

[talonpunk831]

My radiator has a leak, so might as well upgrade when i replace, living in Arizona and all. It averages 110+ here lol

[tinman5]

I am a fan of stock Gates replacement hoses. They are an OE manufacturer and quality is always top notch. Now if you want something a step above, i recomend the Gates Racing line of hoses. These are a step above the regular hoses with a nice "Cusco" blue outer layer. These have higher temp and burst ratings and are half the cost of silicone replacements.

As for the radiator, you cant go wrong with Koyo or Mishimoto. Do you have to upgrade? Probably not, however, make no mistake, an aluminum radiator is an upgrade. A bit more coolant capacity, plastic end tanks WILL leak/crack properly welded alloy will not (plus it is far easier and cheaper to weld and patch up should it spring a leak) and lastly aluminum will shed heat quicker.

Again, not a neccesity, but if the price difference between a stock replacement radiator and an alloy one is acceptable to you the buyer, go alluminum.

[differentK]

never had a problem with my stock rad with regards to cooling my blown k24... but i just recently upgraded to a mishimoto rad with fan switch after deciding to retire the old stock one- 9 yrs of daily abuse left it pretty beat up. the mishimoto is a nice piece i really like it- engine temps have gone down noticeably as well

[tinman5]

That is one of the first things I noticed. My fans dont come in as often nor do they stay on for more than a moment when idling for long periods if time.
In my humble opinion it is a worthwhile investment.

[los]

Doesnt mugen thermostats make the car run way cooler than normal ? Cant this cause issues if the car dont get to normal running temps ?

[tinman5]

Doesnt mugen thermostats make the car run way cooler than normal ? Cant this cause issues if the car dont get to normal running temps ?

The thermostat is at the mercy of the engine and the radiator. The engine is going to generate x amount of heat and that temperature will rise with engine speed. The thermostat with a weaker/colder spring will then open sooner and stay open longer based on how well the radiator is able to extract the heat from the coolant.
Lower temperature t-stats are mainly used in performance engines to help with consistency and to help keep the coolant and engine closer to optimum operating temperature. Believe me that 20* window from a stock t-stat to a lower temperature performance t-stat becomes more apparent when spending serious quality time at redline.

[Reaper27]

It's funny, I was just about to post a thread about this because my stock rad is leaking and was just going to upgrade when replacing it. The one question I had was would it be worth it to upgrade to electric fans and if so what size would fit? Or are the stock fans fine?

[tinman5]

The Mishimoto and Koyo are stock based replacements all be it a bit beefier. The tabs and threaded nipples are placed to accept the factory fans.
If you want to go aftermarket depending on the size of the core, you can run a pair of 12", a pair of 10", or a single 12" and single 10" side by side. If you want to get real fancy with it, buy a large sheet of aluminum or steel (about 20 gauge or 2mm thick) and fab a shroud. Be advised these are available for about $100 maybe less, but I am a hands on kinda guy and I enjoying building some chit. Wire in an adjustable thermostatic switch available at pretty much any parts store for $30 to $60 depending on bells and whistles, and you can have an improved cooling system with some adjustability not available stock. And of course line in a temperature gauge on the upper hose. To help you...keep track of some chit.

[Euro-Yellow-Ep3]

The Mishimoto and Koyo are stock based replacements all be it a bit beefier. The tabs and threaded nipples are placed to accept the factory fans.
If you want to go aftermarket depending on the size of the core, you can run a pair of 12", a pair of 10", or a single 12" and single 10" side by side. If you want to get real fancy with it, buy a large sheet of aluminum or steel (about 20 gauge or 2mm thick) and fab a shroud. Be advised these are available for about $100 maybe less, but I am a hands on kinda guy and I enjoying building some chit. Wire in an adjustable thermostatic switch available at pretty much any parts store for $30 to $60 depending on bells and whistles, and you can have an improved cooling system with some adjustability not available stock. And of course line in a temperature gauge on the upper hose. To help you...keep track of some chit.

Great idea, First id get a Mugen thermostat, then a Koyo rad then a set of Samco hoses for a lil bling.

[Reaper27]

But would there be a big enough benefit for this with all the wrk envolved?

[Blah1219]

But would there be a big enough benefit for this with all the wrk envolved?

An aftermarket thermostat and fan switch, you would see a difference immediately.