Purchasing a new stainless full length clutch cable that replaces the metal section that normally bolts to the bellhousing. Don't have many options now that the center metal section is likely tossed in the garbage can.
Things procured in the last couple of months:
Quaife LSD FWD, with bearings for the AWD.
Koyo Factory replacement radiator - direct replacement for my unusual factory radiator, see lines below for more commentary on that.
Radiator in the car when I purchased it - possibly some aftermarket upgrade with a larger upper hose inlet 1-1/8" stock, mine had 1-3/8"!!
Further research dealing with 1800Radiator.com had the sales advisor calling the tech support guys. Tech support says that the 234 style radiator and factory replacement 235 variation I received, were all designed with a 1-1/8" upper inlet connection! When using the 1991 4g63t aluminum thermostat outlet, the hose size is 1-3/16" wide, so a little too big to connect to the rad inlet. Well, this was never an issue with the rad you see pictured above, as it had the dual matched sizing of 1-3/16" on both hose connections. The plot thickens..... So, I have pictured, the successor to the 234 (CU234 of which I have one also), which is the 235.
Koyo factory replacement 235KO Inlet 1-1/8" inlet, needs a rumored-to-exist sleeve to make the inlet larger. Honda SI's apparently have this issue according to 1800Radiator, and as such the advisor said they likely exist, I just have to find one. Hmmm...
Spectra Premium (SPI) CU234 radiators are not painted but have a neat feature on the upper hose attachment - they have a dual fitment inlet! The inlet necks up to a larger size as you push in to it's furthest inward position. So, a dual upper inlet fitment means a swapped engine and matching hoses, will work when using a stock 89-92 full size radiator. Not the news I wanted, but the Koyo rad is so nice, and has all the tabs in the correct location, and fan attachment points are also in the proper spots, that I want to keep it to use. Whether you choose the 234 or the successor, the 235 (pricier), you will get the same flow through the inlet, regardless of what hose is attached, as the plastic for the inlet is the same internal diameter all the way in. I was only worried that it might knock down the flow to the radiator, and going with an increase in power well above factory output (130/140 USDM-160HP JDM) into the 260+HP territory minimum, I wanted something as thick as the radiator I had in the car in the first place. A radiator that I had always thought was the factory stock piece. IF my "original" (installed when I bought the car in 2005?) radiator, which is thicker than all variations on the market today (factory replacements - not performance, unpainted larger/multiple core race pieces), and has all the attachement points, water inlet/outlet matching to the larger matched hose sizes of the 4g6X engines, and even the coolant overflow outlet aimed appropriately, were not repairable and likely have some possible weak points, I would have repaired it.
From all internet searching I could do, via Rockauto/1800Radiator/google, I have not found any dual core factory replacement radiators for the Mirage/Colt/Summit platform. Sure you can likely make a GVR4 radiator work, with its top/bottom locator pins in exactly the same location and the coolant overflow nipple aimed to the wrong side of the car (easily remedied), but even those are single core as well, so no advantage unless you are stuck for availability of the CSM/turbo parts. You could likely run a base Galant radiator and have no issues, upgrading to the GVR4 radiator would just make sense, because it should be a dual core like the Colt/Mirage turbo radiator. If the aftermarket aluminum stock replacement radiators have gone down to single core, I would start to wonder unless they have a very close, at a minimum, core thickness. Sure you can make other rads fit, but I wanted a direct fitment and was hoping to keep my stock fan in place, and locate a turbo model AC fan. It's looking more to me like the AC fan which I figure was mounted in front of the condenser, was actually located in the engine bay; yet another anomaly!
So, radiator fitment is now proper once again, but my car is AC equipped and as such, should likely have a dual fan setup? Right? Every car I see in for repair these days, that is AC equipped will have dual fans for the ultimate in engine and AC cooling abilities. Well, my car never came with a second fan. I always figured there had to be a second fan. Looking in ASA, I see pictures of a dual fan setup, but it shows both fans in the engine bay. Okay, that sounds logical! This won't work however .... and here's why. The fan and shroud you saw pictured above, takes up so much space across the engine side face of the radiator, that there is nothing left for fitment of a second fan and shroud, from the factory. Side note. Okay, my car had no AC tensioner assembly installed when I received it and until two years ago, the AC was not running with a belt. Once the tensioner and belt were installed, the AC functioned properly, but idling and at low speeds the AC performance was dropping off considerably and after a highway trip across town, on a hot day and subsequent idling in a drive thru, my engine performance dropped to almost nill where I couldn't accelerate the car and the engine almost stalled. Temps in the rad were within spec (not engine seizing hot), so I still have a few questions about the pressures that developed in the AC system , and or what was likely happening with overheated 2G MAF sensor.
Back on topic, my car has a ceramic resistor much like the injector resistor pack on the firewall, up in front of the condenser. It was randomly zip tied to the radiator support bar. Not sure how much of the AC was disabled and removed when the PO performed the timing belt job and GVR4 intercooler/related piping, and as he told me, didn't want to take the time to re-install the AC bits that were removed in the process. So, was there a front mounted AC fan? Pusher style? Lots of cars have them now, tucked neatly in behind the bumper support and attached directly to the rad supports, or the condenser via tabs. Our condensers do not have tabs, but we have lots of nuts welded to the lower and upper portions of the radiator supports.
Anyone have an original turbo car or 4g15 with a full length radiator and AC, that can take pics of their AC fan setup?
I need to dispell the myths I have in my head about factory fitments. I am not opposed to fitting a random fan in front of the condenser, but zip-tying to a component that is still charged with R12, is not what I want to do for many reasons.
Some day I will hook up an AC machine and see what my AC pressures are like at idle in the warm weather, with and without a second fan being controlled by the AC switches/module on the drivers side frame rail. On with the show .......
Register
Login
Forum
Gallery
FAQ
. I have a chip emulator again, so testing/tuning can be done in real time if need be.