Cooling Pro Radiators

[timk]

what rad cap are people using for their PWR rad??? part number etc plz??

I used the stock one on my PWR equipped NA. You have to twist the cap further than expected. Same applies for the Cooling Pro.

[TieNN89]

Now I'm worried, everything fitted straight up, no bloody washers,the lower mount pins fit and the drain plug is protected by a shoulder,even the fans line up perfectly. It seems to be manufactured reasonably well, no awards for welding neatness but for the money it'll do.

What do you mean by the drain plug is protected by a shoulder?



It seems the cooling pro have improved so shouldn't have any fitment issues any more

So which is better ASI or Cooling Pro?

anyone??

[philz]

both the same? I just haven't heard fitment problems with ASI, however there are less people who have used ASI for the mx5.

ASI is cheaper anyway.

[evil_weevil]

Im fitting my ASI one on sunday so hopefully mine goes all good

[evil_weevil]

well,
got my ASI 42mm fitted, and went in ok.

only drama was refitting the fan, sits up against the intake pipe, well, that large bit that hangs off the standard pipe

[TieNN89]

After having a Cooling Pro in my hand then returning it and getting an ASI

I must say if you have an NB and ASI radiator is the way to go

cheaper, doesn't look so restrictive in the inlets and outlets...

[philz]

good to hear tien

How's fitment?

[Jeo]

42mm ASI in my NA6. Fits like a dream.

[TieNN89]

good to hear tien

How's fitment?

Its big alright lol
It just fit
It just touches my sway bar
But it should be alright
I'm very happy with it

I'll post up some pics when I get a chance

[Bauer]

another advocate for ASI here. Good communication. They let me know when it was sent so I could keep an eye out for it.

arrived this morning (i expected it maybe Friday at the earliest or today/Wednesday). Very well packed as you would expect it should be

It went in without a hitch. Everything simply lined up as per the original.

I was tempted to do the timing belt and water pump while I was in there but I think this old mechanic will bide his time and get used to using the tools again before I tackle that. The NA8 I have was brand new when I last worked on a car for a living so I was happy enough to get the radiator done without messing something up

[Okibi]

While it's not an MX-5 I put an ASI raditator in the GC8, everything lined up spot on.

[stb]

Finished installation of an ASI into NA8 yesterday (except I'm waiting on new radiator hoses).
Bit tricky to install with the A/C condensor (as noted above), but got it to fit.
A couple of issues with the small fan fitment - the shroud contacts the sway bar and needs clearing, and there is a large gap between the fan shrouds and the core. I'll probably take the fan out and shorten the mounting bosses to fix both at once.
Mounts line up well enough, although there was a bit of twist in the radiator that doing up the bolts straightened out.
A/C hose mounts needed remaking to stop flexing of the alloy tubes.
Not sure about the fitment of the radiator cap - the factory one fits snug the length of the tube, but this one is loose. I don't see how the coolant recovery will work.
Finish isn't perfect, but good for what you pay. Still not sure if its a worthwhile upgrade over a factory radiator - time will tell I guess. I'm a pretty fussy buyer though!

[93_Clubman]

previously from the sound of the asi it seemed like a good replacement, but yours doesn't sound that good - i wonder if quality has declined over time.

[emilmh]

I installed an ASI 42mm radiator into an 1990 NA6 with air condition and power steering.

Problems:
Air conditiong lines dont meet up with original brackets as the ASI radiator is much thicker. I had to fabricate some new brackets from aluminium "angle iron/L extrusion" i had lying around.
Fans sit out much further. I had to modify the fans to make them sit "over" the bosses to sit closer to the core.
It was also a tight fit putting in the fans as it almost interferes with the intake pipe.

In conclusion, the radiator fit in the end without any real problems, however I wasnt happy about things not lining up as they should (ie i was hoping for oem fitment). I didnt have any of the problems with the radiator actually touching sway bars or anything, as others have had, however the clearance left is only about 5mm or so. If you dont have AC I imagine it would fit a lot nicer clearance wise.
Quality could be much better, but is acceptable given the price.

Would i do it again? NO. Given that i didnt suffer from any overheating before (i just had a cracked radiator tank, and an unused second hand ASI came up for sale at the time), in hindsight I would have preferred to retain the a stock sized replacement. Because: a)stock quality seems far superior b) stock radiator is a lighter unit c)as the stock unit is also smaller it means there is less fluid, again making it lighter, without any adverse cooling affects d) I prefer the conservative stock look e)the fans and AC condensor lines fit as the should without modification f)there is more room for airflow and bigger clearances between other engine parts.

I hope this helps anyone else making a choice out there! If you want to have a look/inspection at my setup feel free to PM me.

Cheers,
Emil

[timk]

I had to add extra shrouding to keep things at a reasonable level after fitting the thicker unit. Specifically rubber strips between the fan shrouds and the radiator for help with cooling at slow speeds. I also blocked the 1" gap between the radiator and undertray at the bottom and sides to aid high speed airflow.