| SR20DET Radiator Upgrade - Just Chill
It's sad that when most people think of performance, an efficient cooling system is the last thing on their minds. It's important to know that excess heat will increase engine wear and decreases the engine's ability to perform properly. Sometimes the factory radiator isn't designed to put up with the abuse of a motor with major upgrades. And once your radiator gives, you can be sure that many other motor troubles will soon follow. If you didn't know by now, our S14 chassis 240SX is using an SR20DET motor. When swapping in the SR20DET motor, you generally have two options for using a factory radiator. The KA24DE unit, which leaves you with an ugly top hose, that runs across the front of the motor, or the SR20DET one which isn't as easy to locate. When we did our swap, we didn't use either. We went to a local radiator shop and had them slap one together for us. Although it wasn't close to being the best option, it still held its own. But, the time came when more power was needed from the motor and a more performance-oriented radiator was needed. Talking to Jeff Tutino at Fluidyne for the past few months, we were aware that they were in the midst of producing a KA24DE radiator for the S14 chassis 240SX. That's exciting news for KA lovers, but what about loyal SR owners that don't want to pay $800, plus overseas shipping, for an upgraded radiator. We asked Jeff if he could have the radiator modified slightly so we could use it with an SR20DET swap. He said he could do even better than that, and that if we provided him with the measurements, he'd start producing units solely for SR20DET applications. What's even more dope is that whether you have an S13, S14, or S15 motor, this Fluidyne unit will still fit as long as it's an S14 chassis. That was music to our ears. But what would a cooling system upgrade be without a high power electric fan? So we contacted Lisa Chissus from Flex-A-Lite and she hooked us up with their low profile, dual electric cooling fans. Due to the built-in shroud, the slightly smaller fans actually cover more surface area of the radiator than a single large fan would. We didn't really have any problems with clearance, but the slim design would be very beneficial in a FWD turbo car. So sit back, relax, and grab a cool one. Cool one, get it?
The Low DownMSRP: Fluidyne radiator: $599
Pros: Radiator available for S14 ('95-'98) KA24DE and SR20DET motor setups with mounting points for factory fans and shroud.
Cons: Still working on S13 ('89-'94) applications.
Install Difficulty: Beginner
Verdict: Can't wait for the S13 and Skyline RB26DETT radiators to finish production.
The Low DownMSRP: Flex-A-Lite dual fans: $290
Pros: Several fan sizes, colors, and variations available for different applications.
Cons: Had to cut shroud slightly to make fans fit with radiator.
Install Difficulty: Beginner
Verdict: Dual fans suck more hot air than a Taylor Hayes and Nikki Tyler duo.