Anyone have Stock Spirit rad/IC Pics

[bfarroo]

I have installed a rad/intercooler on my spirit, I believe it originally cam off a RT and the car is running a little on the hot side. My spirit is an 89 auto car. First off there seems to be a larger gap at the top of the radiator between it and the condenser. maybe 1.5 - 2 inches. My daytona Shelby Z is much closer. There also isn't any plastic deflector on the lower core support although I have no idea if the spirit came with them. Anyone have any pics of the rad/ic in a Spirit? I'm thinking of closing off the gap at the top and adding a deflector to the core support.

Here's a few pics of mine
http://www.extremepsi.org/gallery/albums/album08/DSC01015.jpg
http://www.extremepsi.org/gallery/albums/album08/DSC01016.jpg

[Turbo3Iroc]

From the pics it looks like it is a RT rad/cooler/fan and bottle. The Spirits did have a lower air dam from the factory so that might be why the car is running hot. I haven't noticed that difference on the top and bottom on my car but I have to take the rad out this week so I will find out soon enough.

[Turbo3Iroc]

Got a chance to work on the Spirit today. I don't see that large gap on my car that you seem to have. I also have an a/c condenser up there but that is under the the upper rad support.

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u113/turbo3iroc/mopar/b2f4af95.jpg

[rx2mazda]

Your problem, as you can see in the pics, is that your core support on your 89 flares out where the tabs mount. Our 91 spirits don't, it's flat as you can see in the above pics.

[Turbo3Iroc]

Oh yea I see it now. I saw that the brackets hang straight down but they flare out first. You might be able to flip the mounting bushings if you're really concerned about it.

[bfarroo]

I'm going to see if I can get a piece of plastic or metal to cover the gap and get a air dam for the core support. Hopefully that will take car of the temps.

[Turbo3Iroc]

Ok, let us know how it works out for you.

[bfarroo]

I ended up picking up some pieces of foam for sealing up home ac units it's 1.5" wide. I pushed it down into the gap to seal it up. I then picked up some plastic and made a air dam across the bottom of the core support. The car is still getting hot. I put may scanner on it and watched and I'm getting up around 205. It's worst when cruising on the highway at 70. I'm wondering if there's an issue with the radiator. It was fine in the previous owners car but he didn't have a condensor in front of it or a trans cooler in front of that. I rarely got over 185 with the old rad although that was the full size unit. When the fan kicks on at a stop it pulls the temp down fine. I haven't tried wiring the fan constant but that's would be just a band-aid rather than a fix. I checked the surface temps with a IR thermometer and it seemed to be even. I guess my next try may be a water pump. I'm going to check surface temps again just to make sure it's even but from there I have no idea.

[Turbo3Iroc]

I was really hoping bocking off that gap would get your temps down. I've never had a problem with my T3 cars running hot at cruise except when I didn't put that lower air dam back on after a clutch job. The water pump is a start but that core might be getting a bit clogged up. You could take it out and have it flushed or bid on the NOS rad I have on ebay right now :eyebrows:

[bfarroo]

I seen that but I only paid 500 for the car, I'd have half the car's value in a radiator! I checked the surface temp of the radiator and it's not getting all that hot but is even up and down, side to side. It has a new Dodge 195 T-stat in it also. I'm going to pull the T-stat and check it just because it's easy. Also when running the heat in the car it will bring the temp down. I'm thinking something is blocking the flow somewhere. we'll see. If anything a new waterpump is cheap insurance.

[Turbo3Iroc]

Yea I was just bustin on ya a bit about my rad on ebay. I'll try to get my scan tool in the car to see what my cruise temps are but the gauge in the car rides pretty low in the range.

[bfarroo]

I drained the system and flushed water through it and it looks like coolant is flowing through the radiator ok, but it did look like there is some buildup on the inside. Some sort of deposits. I went and got two bottles of radiator flush and followed the directions on the back. Rinsed the system with water twice and reinstalled the coolant. Still ran hot on the way to work this morning. I switched the radiator cap at work and drove home. It seemed to be cooler on the way home with the different cap although there was a light mist out so that could be contributing to it. Hopefully the cap was bad and wasn't holding pressure although there is still some buildup inside the radiator that I'd like to be able to clean out. Any ideas on any other cleaners that will break down the buildup without damaging the radiator?