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In the process of building a supercharger setup where I had a shop custom fabricate an intercooler setup for me with a stock cooling system on the laid back cradle and treadstone front mount. My water and oil temps are much higher than I like so looking for advice on what I should do next. Should I fab up a custom shield on top to force the air into the radiator fins? I still have the lower shroud to force air north but I don't think it does much because I see higher temps driving and temps lower when I come to a stop. Anyone have any experience with the license plate converted grill? Or am I better off just upgrading the radiator? I'd like to leave that as the last resort of I can save some money and get the stock system efficient. I think it's a 180 thermostat in it right now. Im seeing water temps around 230 when I get on it and cruising. I want to stay around 190-210..
Last edited by directnosfogger; Jul 3, 2015 at 01:25 PM.
I really like the Dewitt's cutdown radiator and the mezerie pump. The cool thing about the electric water pumps is that at idle and lower engine speeds they are on full blast so it's flowing like the stock pump would at full engine speed.
The drawback (if you want to call it one) to an EWP is that at higher engine speeds it flows slightly less than a factory pump but you should be able to offset that disadvantage with the larger radiator and not laying the radiator back (in other words have a radiator cradle made or make one yourself). Edelbrock and Evans make mechanical(belt driven) pumps that are supposed to flow higher than stock. Id like to find a way to integrate and electric and mechanical pump to my car to sort of have the best of both worlds.
I really like the Dewitt's cutdown radiator and the mezerie pump. The cool thing about the electric water pumps is that at idle and lower engine speeds they are on full blast so it's flowing like the stock pump would at full engine speed.
The drawback (if you want to call it one) to an EWP is that at higher engine speeds it flows slightly less than a factory pump but you should be able to offset that disadvantage with the larger radiator and not laying the radiator back (in other words have a radiator cradle made or make one yourself). Edelbrock and Evans make mechanical(belt driven) pumps that are supposed to flow higher than stock. Id like to find a way to integrate and electric and mechanical pump to my car to sort of have the best of both worlds.
Touché it has been down a lot. and thought it's been down for multiple things... Overheating wasn't one of them. I know I know... It's tough for those who have a high powered car that drives a half mile or less at a time to understand.
Last edited by MVP'S ZO6; Jul 3, 2015 at 11:19 PM.
Op on a serious note, a cover will help. (I didn't even notice you mentioned it was missing until I read again and looked at the pics) You could probably skip the EWP and just do a radiator but a cover will certainly help. In fact it wouldn't surprise me a bit if you just did a cover and it solved your problems.
Maybe you could consider a set of spal fans too. If you are making your own cover you could make a fan shroud for a set of spal's as well.
Last edited by MVP'S ZO6; Jul 3, 2015 at 11:11 PM.
No perfect answer here bud, the tune and when your fans are set to come on dictates a lot for cooling. I have an A&A kit so I have the shields that come with the kit installed. Disclaimer: I don't have the stock radiator but even so I was still running a bit higher than before after the SC install.
I went ahead and did the front plate filler mod to get more air flow. I cut out the front shield of the kit and made a pass through to the IC. Did some hose work to keep the air flowing straight back to the IC rather than fill the front bumper like a parachute. This added airflow I feel has helped some with temps as well. Also, not sure if you have the stock plastic fog light housings, consider either opening them up or removing for added flow. If you do maybe get the fog light screens to go with it.
Over the last few hot weekends we have had here in LHV, my car has not seen over 200 yet- either in stop and go and definitely not on the hwy. I would try some of that before spending money you may use else where for now and see how that works. In the end, I would suggest when you can afford to do so, upgrading your radiator is always a good idea. The stock unit is at least 15+ years old and likely looking rough and may not be quite up to the task for the added cooling requirements with an SC.
Last edited by ezrider4u2; Jul 4, 2015 at 07:00 AM.
Thanks guys, this puts some ideas into my head. I don't have any fog lights so I'm going to look into what it will require to get the air flowing where it needs to be. The side areas once housed the crappy procharger intercoolers so that's a completely open area right now. I might be able to route some air with that as well.
I am going to take your advice and just replace the radiator. Seems like I would be foolish not to at this point. You're absolutely right that my stock one has seen better days. I saw dewitts makes 2 different styles, shorty and oem with trans cooler and oil cooler. If I stick with the laid back cradle, would it be best to just get the oem size with EOC and TOC? Or is it better to not try and leverage oil and trans fluid through the same rad for water?
Can you guys give me some ideas on how the different companies create the lower shrouds to force air up? I'd like to redo the stock shroud since it doesn't seem to be doing much but scraping the ground.
The shorter radiator (cut down version) is for centri cars so the blower air intake clears.
As for the radiator with the EOC and TOC if your car has it like that from the factory I suggest using it. If not you can always get a radiator without the EOC / TOC and do remote mount EOC and TOC but it will cost more.
i would leave the stock waterpump and radiator and fans in
build a cover for the top and make sure u have a lower valance to direct air through also ....
also make sure your fans are programmed to come on sooner and a 160 stat
FYI...i just did a kit on a 2004 ...all stock but the supercharger..ecs 1500sl kit
160 stat,i reprogramed the fans and a great tune from my tuner
runs like a champ..pulls hard and runs 180 all day
i would leave the stock waterpump and radiator and fans in
build a cover for the top and make sure u have a lower valance to direct air through also ....
also make sure your fans are programmed to come on sooner and a 160 stat
FYI...i just did a kit on a 2004 ...all stock but the supercharger..ecs 1500sl kit
160 stat,i reprogramed the fans and a great tune from my tuner
runs like a champ..pulls hard and runs 180 all day
that's good news. buddy of mine is getting me some sheet metal since he is in the sheet metal union. lol.
The only thing I'm not too keen on is the stock lower valence. maybe I need to have someone weld a metal bracket to the bottom of the intercooler like A&A does.. or figure out something to attach to the cradle. Hopefully the cover helps out and then when I get a new radiator I will really be in good shape.
I have a TTiX car which unfortunately brings LOTS of cooling challenges due to the setup.
it has an auto trans with the B&M tranny cooler and fan up front (which I HATE as it's in front of the intercooler), big intercooler, and a big aftermarket rad which makes for a very thick cooling stack.
I went with the dual spal fans in the Dewitts setup, and use a tiger shark front end and haltech stinger hood.
I can now run the AC in 100 degree traffic without going over 225 which is my target high temp.
I don't even have a cooler thermostat as that only decreases the crooze operating temps and my target was 180 at the coolest and 225 as the hotest.
oil temps still get above 210 and max out at 230 (on hard street use) which is just fine.
the c5 is a "bottom breather" and I think the tiger shark front with the chin spoiler does a great job at increasing the air flow during crooze and the dewitts/spal fans (I think they are 2000 or so cfm each) has enough pull to get the air moving through the thick cooling stack at idle.
and thought it's been down for multiple things... Overheating wasn't one of them. 
I know I know... It's tough for those who have a high powered car that drives a half mile or less at a time to understand. 
