DIY radiator Shroud / Cooling Plate

[smurfwrx]

Originally Posted by 4wdrift

Ya gonna paint the alternator shroud?

That's what I was thinking. THat would look sharp.

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[Bad Noodle]

Here's what it looks like a year later (except it's charcoal flake metallic)

[JohnnyC]

I definitely like the charcoal better. Nice job.

[litowrx]

Originally Posted by Bad Noodle

Here's what it looks like a year later (except it's charcoal flake metallic)

one question...

what that think you put on the right side fm pipe? next to the battery.. i was thinking of doing something similtar...once i almost electrecuted myself when taking out the baterry haha

and, i also did a radiator shroud maybe a year ago... i found that to have the bend done right, i had to make just a litle trace with a razor, and just did a few passes on where the bend is suposed to be. it looks like a more finished piece...maybe i'll post pics later..i recently took it out for paint

[DC16A2]

So, what's the benefit of having a "radiator shroud/cooling plate?" Does it separate flow or something? How well does it work with a funnel intake (like on a WRX)?

[Kiel]

Originally Posted by DC16A2

So, what's the benefit of having a "radiator shroud/cooling plate?" Does it separate flow or something? How well does it work with a funnel intake (like on a WRX)?

It forces airflow through the radiator rather than over top of it through the gap.

[DC16A2]

^Hmmm, thought so. Thanks!

Anyone have the documented difference in say coolant temperature with it on/off? I wonder if I should left a slot/gap on the passenger-side for the intake funnel...

[hoffmanEstates]

do these cooling plates work. or do we like to think "they work"

[Carlito2002WGN]

Originally Posted by DC16A2

^Hmmm, thought so. Thanks!

Anyone have the documented difference in say coolant temperature with it on/off? I wonder if I should left a slot/gap on the passenger-side for the intake funnel...

IF these plates actually make a difference, I don't think that it would be in lower coolant temps, but rather in more efficiently lowering the coolant temp down to where it would be anyway due to the thermostat, from high temps that could result from high ambient temps and high load.

Did that make any sense? I know it did in my head.

Carlos

[DeathSStar]

It doesn't make the coolant in the radiator cooler, per se. It directs more airflow directly into the radiator, so there is more airflow through the radiator. I guess it may help coolant temps at lower speeds but on the highway I don't think you'd notice a difference.

Regardless, it looks good and it does help air flow through the radiator better.

[AlxSti]

nice work!

[trueno16v]

Nice, some of you guys are frickin geniuses!

[Patrick Olsen]

Originally Posted by Carlito2002WGN

IF these plates actually make a difference, I don't think that it would be in lower coolant temps, but rather in more efficiently lowering the coolant temp down to where it would be anyway due to the thermostat, from high temps that could result from high ambient temps and high load.

For street driving, one of these almost certainly will never be necessary. They do look nice, and I'm all about efficiency, particularly when it can be done cheaply.

If you are subjecting the engine to prolonged high loads (in other words, track days), you'll need to optimize the cooling system. Even with my N/A EJ25 the coolant temp stabilizes about 25degF above the thermostat when I do track events, and that's with an undertray and radiator shroud that both helped control temps. On my track-prepped Mustang I have the radiator almost fully boxed in so that air has no path to escape around the sides. It really starts to make a difference when you're flogging the car hard for 20 or 30min at a time.

Pat Olsen

[nbiesold]

Just did mine. pretty easy actually and i used a scrap piece i had lying around. way better than paying $60 for one and gave me something to do for the night.

[2point0]

I made mine this past weekend also. Fun little project! I didn't like how the expensive ones still left the gap between the grill bezel and the radiator support.

[FloridaGatorsJWett]

looks good!
could you post a template of your shroud?

[2point0]

Umm...lol my template was a Sony DVD player box. I held it up to the radiator and made some marks, then measured for the sake of nice even numbers. After that, I just transferred those measurements to the sheet metal. Much of it was eye-balling and fine-tuning.

[feint05]

good job! clean, looks like you bought it

[impreza2.0]

Am I looking at a really stealthy FMIC in those pics, or is that an NA setup with tons of intake ramming going on? I don't know much about our internals yet, so what is going on outside is still somewhat new to me as well. I only know my own engine and what is done to it. Yours looks stock at first. Creepy.

[Patrick Olsen]

"Creepy"?

[hoffmanEstates]

i was going to make one, but found a $10 GTSpec for sale. cheaper then buying the sheet metal.

[peteh82]

Originally Posted by 2point0

I made mine this past weekend also. Fun little project! I didn't like how the expensive ones still left the gap between the grill bezel and the radiator support.

Looks like your edges are round. How did you do it and what did you use? I want to make the edges round to prevent cutting myself while opening my hood in future.

[klorti]

Originally Posted by hoffmanEstates

do these cooling plates work. or do we like to think "they work"

http://www.importtuner.com/tech/impp...els/index.html

Here's a recent document I came across. Not related to the Scooby community, but same concept.

[juno09866]

klorti beat me to it, but yes i read that article standing in target one day, very interesting, but the cf one on that nissan owns the aluminum one in design so i would expect that one to perform better.

[RoxyTheImpreza]

Originally Posted by peteh82

Looks like your edges are round. How did you do it and what did you use? I want to make the edges round to prevent cutting myself while opening my hood in future.

use a dremel to sand down the edges