Radiator Fan Options?

[DSR-3]

The fans that came with my "donor parts" are over half-junk, so it looks like more replacement parts are in order.
Anyone have comments on the OEM and/or aftermarket options? Pretty easy to find used parts- just not sure if that's the best choice to buy.
Thanks

[lance corsi]

Personally, I don't care for the stock donor radiator. I used a dual pass aluminum rad from Superior Radiator with a single 16" electric fan. I modified the fan shroud to allow more air to flow through the rad when the fan isn't running. Thermostat delete, with an electric water pump, controlled by the ecu. Also removed the pump impeller on my new stock water pump to allow for free flow through pump housing. And Evans waterless coolant instead of water based coolant.

[ssssly]

The stock fans actually work pretty darn well, are dual speed and can be had very cheap used.

The stock radiator does leave a bit to be desired.

[longislandwrx]

I got a low miles sti radiator with fans and overflow tank shipped for $200 the oem setup is much lighter than an aluminum replacement.

mishimoto makes 2 different fan setups, a direct replacement (with oem wiring and a place for the coolant bottle) and a plain one that just has pigtails. (you can get away with the plain one as the bottle bracketry is not used anyway.)

many people have used them with good luck.

[STiPWRD]

I went with an aluminum CX racing radiator, fans and shroud combo for $222. The quality is quite good.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CXRacing-Rad...tS4wcR&vxp=mtr

[UnhipPopano]

If you are going to purchase a new radiator, would the Forester one fit?

[DSR-3]

Thanks for the info.
I'm looking at fans only. Evidently the rad. was not worth recovering, so I received a new aftermarket Al. unit.

[lance corsi]

I went with an aluminum CX racing radiator, fans and shroud combo for $222. The quality is quite good.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CXRacing-Rad...tS4wcR&vxp=mtr

Those radiators are single pass thru. Much of the coolant does not spend adequate time in the airstream to release the heat. Dual pass is the secret, not pretty looks.

[STiPWRD]

Those radiators are single pass thru. Much of the coolant does not spend adequate time in the airstream to release the heat. Dual pass is the secret, not pretty looks.

I ran this radiator in my wrx for 5 years and for 18 miles (so far) in the 818 with no cooling issues. I'm not sure what you mean by dual pass but this radiator is the same configuration (inlet and outlet locations) as stock except it's thicker than the stock unit.

[lance corsi]

I ran this radiator in my wrx for 5 years and for 18 miles (so far) in the 818 with no cooling issues. I'm not sure what you mean by dual pass but this radiator is the same configuration (inlet and outlet locations) as stock except it's thicker than the stock unit.

A dual pass radiator usually as the tanks on both sides, with the inlet and outlet on a common tank, which will have a block off plate that forces the coolant to travel across the radiator, then down through the opposite tank and back across the air stream to the outlet. The Subaru rad has tanks at top and bottom, allowing the hot coolant to travel vertically down to the exit point without necessarily spending much time in the air stream. That's the difference. Most manufacturers use the dual pass type nowadays if its not an econobox.

[STiPWRD]

A dual pass radiator usually as the tanks on both sides, with the inlet and outlet on a common tank, which will have a block off plate that forces the coolant to travel across the radiator, then down through the opposite tank and back across the air stream to the outlet. The Subaru rad has tanks at top and bottom, allowing the hot coolant to travel vertically down to the exit point without necessarily spending much time in the air stream. That's the difference. Most manufacturers use the dual pass type nowadays if its not an econobox.

Lance, I respect your build skills and I think you're doing some great custom work but, in general, I have to disagree with you here (but not completely). In some cases, it does make sense to run a dual pass radiator such as for plumbing - when you need to have the inlet and outlet on the same side or when you're specifically designing with a water pump in mind that will handle the extra pressure drop. But I don't think you can blanket say that dual pass has the special sauce and single pass is because car companies are trying to be cheap. The radiator (or heat exchanger) needs to be specifically sized for the pump being used and the heat that needs to be dissipated. Anytime you force the fluid to make a U bend, such as in a dual pass radiator, it greatly increases your pressure drop, which as a ripple effect - it puts you at a lower operating point on your pump curve, which reduces flow, so Reynolds number goes down, causing Nusselt number to go down and your heat transfer coefficient goes down (i.e. reduced cooling). A dual pass radiator does decrease the overall hydraulic diameter of the radiator, which helps increase flow velocity, but you cannot escape the pressure drop, the trade-off may not work. So I would say you could make a dual pass radiator work better than single pass with the right water pump, which it sounds like you have done with the electric pump and deleting the impeller from the stock pump. But the stock subaru pump was just not designed for dual pass. For street driving I wouldn't expect much of a difference with either option.

[Hindsight]

Have people really had issues in the 818 with OEM rad efficiency or function? If so, I havent heard about it.

[STiPWRD]

I don't think so for daily driving. Any cooling issues would probably surface on hot days or when pushing the motor. Although, most people that race usually upgrade the cooling system.

[lance corsi]

Have people really had issues in the 818 with OEM rad efficiency or function? If so, I havent heard about it.

I've seen lots of evidence regarding engine bay temps being on the high side, thru reading this forum. As far as I can tell, the issue still hasn't been fully solved. The dual pass rad is just my method of a solution, along with some other key elements.
Mid engined cars are becoming commonplace in the sports car arena, and so far, every manufacturer that has built mid engine cars has had to deal with these same issues. It is possible to solve this, and probably using various methods. What I do know is this;if one uses all the same methods for front engine cooling, its no surprise that cooling issues arise when this system is employed on a mid engined car.
Thanks for the education regarding radiators. I'm going too pursue my methods first, rather than go backwards.
Lubrication is another issue that still hasn't been fully examined. Its been beaten to death, but in my opinion, there's a better solution than the remedies I've been reading about.

[C.Plavan]

It's hard to beat the stock fans. The Mishimoto fans I had were not better.