Just wanted to post about this so others who compete can also be a bit careful.

Today at an autox event I punctured my radiator on a run and lost all my coolant. Towards the end of the run the check engine light came on and then I realized the temp gauge was pegged. FWIW the course was ~1.5 minutes (fast folks) to almost 2 minutes time wise.

I already have a replacement radiator (Thanks Nick!) and will repair things tomorrow and do an oil change. I'll take pictures of the damage when I remove the old radiator so folks can see how stupid and easy you could fall into my situation.

Very glad I had AAA+ today. 56 mile tow from the dunkin doughnuts in Ayer to Londonderry was free. They cover up to 100 miles, so all you folks who do these local events should get it if you don't have it.


PS, anyone know where I can get a cheap front skid plate?

Paul G.

How'd you puncture the rad Paul? :huh:

Something en route to the autoX???

-mykr.

Get AAA Premium if you need 200 mile tows

Something en route to the autoX???

-mykr.



I punctured my radiator on a run and lost all my coolant

Maybe a piece of debris on the track? Hell, look at what a few little metal chunks did to the Concord.

If anyone is interested, and they have gauges that have lights that can come on at preset needle positions, I soldered a simple circuit to activate a Piezzo Buzzer (86 dB) whenever the preset LED light comes on. This kind of circuit could also be connected to a check engine light.

Circuit Diagram

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=5299096


http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=474726

How'd you puncture the rad Paul? :huh:

Something en route to the autoX???

-mykr.

I'm not 100% sure. It was not in route to the event though. This was on my 7th run of the day. I spun the car early in my run, I actually don't remember taking any cones out though. I'm guessing it was a cone though. I had taken a few out earlier in the day too. Couse was wet, very hard rain, etc. all day pretty much, so no one called in a leak since no one saw the car leaking.

Wait until you see the pictures. It just just beyond stupid.

Paul G.

A CONE punctured your radiator? I've got to see those pictures. Maybe you guys should stop filling your cones with concrete..hehe.

Dave M

A cone did that much damage? That's uncommon for sure. I'll wait for the pics. :)

you must be racing with solid metal cones :confused:

When the cones attack...

When you see the pictures you'll understand a bit better. I couldn't find any damage until we poured water into the radiator and saw it come out the bottom. No fins are damaged or anything. The botom of the radiator is plastic just like the top.

Pictures coming, I'm heading outside now to start taking the old one out.

Paul G.

Pictures with the radiator still in the car:

http://album.pattiandken.com/albums/paul/cars/Current_vehicles/Subaru_2001_Impreza_L/radiator/IMG_0943.jpg

http://album.pattiandken.com/albums/paul/cars/Current_vehicles/Subaru_2001_Impreza_L/radiator/IMG_0944.jpg


Radiator removed:

http://album.pattiandken.com/albums/paul/cars/Current_vehicles/Subaru_2001_Impreza_L/radiator/IMG_0945.jpg

http://album.pattiandken.com/albums/paul/cars/Current_vehicles/Subaru_2001_Impreza_L/radiator/IMG_0948.jpg

http://album.pattiandken.com/albums/paul/cars/Current_vehicles/Subaru_2001_Impreza_L/radiator/IMG_0947.jpg

Paul G.

Granted our stock radiators have plastic end caps, but I highly doubt a cone did that.

What does your stock plastic under body sheild (a.k.a. skid plate) look like?

Wow... I had no idea the lower part of our radiators were that flimsy.

FWIW I paid around over $125 for my skid plate, and beyond proving its worth at a rallyx, it again came in handy when I ran over an axle from a hand truck in busy traffic two winters ago. Pretty sure I'd have had a hole in my oil pan without :)

aluminum skid plate and radiator might be a good idea . plus bling yo' :lol: that sux, i had that happen to me before on a road trip .

Granted our stock radiators have plastic end caps, but I highly doubt a cone did that.

What does your stock plastic under body sheild (a.k.a. skid plate) look like?


There is no plastic cover in that area. In the "installed in car pics" you can see the oil filter, etc. which is as stock, I didn't remove anything for the pictures. Nothing to keep you from reaching up and touching the crank pully, or the bottom of the radiator. Most of the radiator sits on the frame mount, but this little piece extends beyond it towards the motor.

The fan plug was also pulled from its mount (if you look at the pass. side plug it is still mounted). The clip looks like it broke too.

The new radiator is in. It is all metal, from a '98 RS with an auto. Doesn't exactly bolt up, and rad. cap is on the oppisite side, but it is in. Going to drop the oil now, change filter, and fill the coolant up.


Paul G.

Paul, how many miles on your car? I see from your profile that it's a 2001, so it's not that old, but repeated heating and cooling with make the plastic on the radiator get more and more brittle. I found that out the hard way on my Camaro when I went to replace hoses, and managed to crack one of the plastic hose outlets on the radiator with very little applied force.

If you hit a cone dead on (and if I'm not mistaken, it's still kinda cold up your way, so cold cones can equal body damage too!! :eek: ), and you're traveling at any kind of speed, I could see damage that damage happening. Did a cone get wedged up in the front end too?

I hit a cone dead on in Corey Ridgick's car at the Toledo ProSolo last June, and while it wasn't cold or anything, it still left a terrible gouge in the front fascia. :( :( Cones are dangerous little animals when threatened!!!

Karen

Paul, how many miles on your car? I see from your profile that it's a 2001, so it's not that old, but repeated heating and cooling with make the plastic on the radiator get more and more brittle. I found that out the hard way on my Camaro when I went to replace hoses, and managed to crack one of the plastic hose outlets on the radiator with very little applied force.

The car model is a 2001, but it only has 40K miles on it. I don't think the plastic was extra brittle.

If you hit a cone dead on (and if I'm not mistaken, it's still kinda cold up your way, so cold cones can equal body damage too!! :eek: ), and you're traveling at any kind of speed, I could see damage that damage happening. Did a cone get wedged up in the front end too?
It was a bit chilly yesterday (in the low 50's), wet with rain most of the day, but I don't think I hit the cone head on. I couldn't find any evidence on the front bumper, and to be honest I don't recall hitting a cone with the dead center of my front bumper. I think when I spun I collected a cone while going backwards, and it went out the front of the car hitting that area of the radiator on it's way out.

It's been a long day. The new radiator didn't bolt right in, but will do. FWIW I replaced the one above with a '98 Impreza 2.5RS radiator (from a car with an automatic). The entire radiator is all metal, and it has no areas that stick out (like the plastic one).

To conclude a sort of crappy weekend I did get to bolt on the RS hood with scoops and vents. :)

Paul G.

So ya broke a nipple aye? The spin explains a lot of it. If you hit it head on it would have been shielded by your front bumper. It must have snuck up under there in the spin.

Dave

Does the skidplate raise any class-legality issues? It doesn't sound like comfort and convenience.

I lost my oil temp sender (Omori; comes out of the drain plug) when I hit a piece of debris on the highway, and after I replace it it would be nice to not have to worry about it anymore :)

john

It shouldn't as its a wieght adder, and all the ones I've seen will cause performance penalties if anything. Certianly won't make you faster.

According to someone in my local tread here skid plates are not legal in most SCCA classes:
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=757890

Dear skidplate users. Please understand, that skidplates are illegal for most classes of SCCA autocrossing. They do not fall under comfort and convenience, and in fact are consider front undertrays. Not legal in stock, sp, sts/x/u/or sm.

Yes...it seems petty...but I've seen a protest initiated because of a skidplate. After that, I always removed my skidplate on my RS at national level events when I ran in G-stock.

just thought i would mention it.

Chris H.


My thoughts on that rule:
Yeah, I don't compete with clubs who use SCCA classes or rules, so I'm not too worried about adding one.

Just seems silly. It was raining yesterday, but if it had been nice and dry the course would have a large trail of antifreeze on the couse line, which wouldn't do much for anyone else at the event. A skidplate would have prevented that sort of situation.

Paul G.

If folks want to bring this situation up to the SCCA folks feel free to send them my pictures/thread. I wouldn't know who to contact. I do know alot of cars these days come with plastic tanks on the radiators.

Paul G.

Here are some pics of the replacement setup:

Top mounts are different, so zip ties do the trick:
http://album.pattiandken.com/albums/paul/cars/Current_vehicles/Subaru_2001_Impreza_L/radiator/normal_IMG_0951.jpg

Here you can see the coolant overflow tank sort of resting on the A/C line, and the blocked off auto trans. cooler lines.
http://album.pattiandken.com/albums/paul/cars/Current_vehicles/Subaru_2001_Impreza_L/radiator/normal_IMG_0953.jpg

This the the passenger side of the radiator, which also rubs a bit on the lower A/C line:
http://album.pattiandken.com/albums/paul/cars/Current_vehicles/Subaru_2001_Impreza_L/radiator/normal_IMG_0955.jpg

Car runs nice and cool though. :)

Paul G.

That is exactly where my radiator was damaged at an Auto-X. The base of the cone is pretty stiff, and it hit that exact same "boss" coming off the radiator, and split the entire bottom tank.

That is exactly where my radiator was damaged at an Auto-X. The base of the cone is pretty stiff, and it hit that exact same "boss" coming off the radiator, and split the entire bottom tank.
Wow, I don't feel so alone on this one then. :)

Did you have the radiator repaired?

While a skidplate is a weight addition, you're also adding it to the bottom of the car which means a more favorable CG. While it may hurt a little in acceleration or even braking, some might make an effective case for it aiding balance and transitions on some vehicles.

Just a thought. Don't get me wrong I'd like a skidplate myself.

that sucks, makes me feel even better about getting the Koyo aluminum radiator