Fun with Radiators

[Dan_Gyoba]

Well, the top tank on my radiator bit the dust. Fortunately, I knew it was coming and had ordered a Koyo radiator from SupraSport much earlier. Early enough that it's actually here, anyway.

The problem is this: There's a threaded hole in the bottom of the radiator, and I don't know what it's for. Maybe a temp sending unit or for some sort of other cooler or something? I don't know.

I've got a generic temp sender unit, I'll try plugging hte hole with that, but if that's not it, I'm at a loss. I'm going to have to lug this radiator to a hardware store and find a plug for it.

(It's not the drain plug, it's right next to the drain spigot.)

Pictures attached: The crack in the factory radiator tank, and the problem hole with the Koyo Radiator

[azrael]

Not the drainplug?

[Dan_Gyoba]

Well, it is a drain plug, but not the regular one. That's the black part to the left.

I went to PartSource, and bought an oilpan drain plug. 16mm 1.5mm thread pitch. Bolted that in there. Most likely that plug will still be in the radiator, unmoved the day that they haul the car away for scrap. (The radiator may or may not be in the shell on that day.)

[Supra_Soul]

If I had to guess I would say it is for a trans cooler. If it is, then it isn't part of the rad core and will not require any kind of plug. The stock MKII rads just have little rubber caps to keep the crap out.

Simple way to find out. fill the rad with water and see if any comes out of said hole.

[Dan_Gyoba]

Well, I did something a little less specific. I put the rad cap on, covered the lower hose outlet and blew into the upper hose inlet. Nice gust of air coming out of that hole. It appears to be a second drain plug. I will confess to being a *little* disappointed that the plug didn't come with the radiator.

[Funkycheeze]

my koyo had the same thing, i ended up machining a plug

[Dan_Gyoba]

Heh. Well, not having the equipment to machine a new plug, I'm just as happy that I could buy one from PartSource for $3.50 with a gasket.

[annoyingrob]

The threaded fitting on the bottom is for the 1JZ hydraulic fan temperature sensor!

The radiator is designed for a JZA70 Supra, that's why. This is also why they did not actually send you a plug for it.


You don't need it, just plug teh hole.

[Dan_Gyoba]

Heh. It'd be nice if the people selling the radiator knew that.

Well, I left the information in my review of the radiator on the SupraSport website.

[azrael]

It's just a drainplug, guys.

[annoyingrob]

It's just a drainplug, guys.
no, it's a 1JZ temperature bung :)

[azrael]

My point is that it's not a big deal.

[Supra_Newfie]

Hey, I have a Koyo Rad in mine and it's a 3/8" NPT threaded bung. I used it for my electric fan temp sensor.

Cheers,
Grant

[Dan_Gyoba]

It's not a big deal until you have your radiator out, and need to get to the parts shop to get a plug for the thing -- and the car's your transportation.

Sure, it's a $3.50 part, but if you don't have it, it's a show-stopper. You can't put coolant in the radiator without it.

[Dan_Gyoba]

I figured that I'd add some pics

While I was under the hood, I installed the eBay cone filter that I bought. I don't think that much of the filter, but the adapter is nice, once it's been fixed so that I can actually attach it to the AFM with all 4 screws.

I also installed the 2.75" silicone hump hose betweent he 3000 pipe and the TB. I'll be eliminating the 3000 pipe when I finish my intercooler piping, but I'll be keeping the silicone hump hose.

Anyway, it's all in, now.

[Supra_Newfie]

Looks like the rad I have in my MKII. What a pain in the ass it was to find the upper rad hose to fit. One off a celica does though...at least that's what came up on the part number at Canadian Tire (My bro works there back home so he took me out back to the sea of hoses!!)

The issue in a mkii is the the top hose outlet and the rad cap location are reversed. So the hose needs to be a little over an inch shorter between the bends.

Anyways...looks good. Keep checking for leaks for the first bit! ;)

Grant

[annoyingrob]

another member of the "well, I THOUGHT red silicone hoses would look cool, but it just looks like spagetti" ;)

http://offsite.lostjournal.com/rob/Supra%20Pics/Motor%20Rebuild/Rebuild%2027.JPG

[Dan_Gyoba]

LOL!

Actually, when I was ordering hte silicone hoses for my 7M-GTE rebuild (Back when I thought it was going to be a couple weeks at most) Suprastore.com was listing no stock for the black ones, which were my first choice.

Then, it turned out they didn't have stock in the red ones, either.

Oh well, I'm not that appearance concious for the stuff under my hood, though with all the Al that I'm putting under there, you'd never know it.

[azrael]

I think my 7M needs some blue accents.

Which means it also needs some blue painted pieces.

You know, after it runs.

Ohhh dear.

[Dan_Gyoba]

LOL! Good one, Keegan.

Meh. The only colour that Driftmotion had the silicone in was blue, so blue is what I got.