One of the most important aspects to understand is how the oil will flow from the engine, through the cooler and or filter relocation, and back to the engine. Inside the guide are some pictures identifying the inlets and outlets of various adapters we offer.
Due to how critical cooling is in a competitive environment we urge you to read fully through the following guidelines prior to installation. If you don’t fully understand the instructions please have a competent shop perform the installation.
So you have a RWD vehicle and you've seen some YouTube clips
You mucked around on side streets and behind factories and now you think you're a baller. You've decided it's time to hit the track. Here are some key vehicle and personal components you must not overlook.
Now where to begin. There are 3 steps in a track-ready drift setup.
SAFETY - RELIABILITY - PERFORMANCE in that order.
First of all. Before hitting any type of track or event.. even before any “spirited driving”. Your car must be SAFE. Not everyone has the same standard for safety. So let's call it the Vehicle Safety Standard put out by your city, town, province, state, wherever you are.
This includes:
Quality front tires, fully functional brakes, working seatbelts, bolted-down seat, no sketchy battery tray strap zip-tied ball of yarn bullshit.
Don’t forget 9/10 track days you will be required (as well as your passenger) to have:
Fully enclosed shoes, full-length pants, a full-length shirt, and obviously an approved full-face helmet. Might as well get some racing gloves at this point too.
Now that you have a safe well-running vehicle and the bare minimum personal safety outfit.. seat time is your main priority when at a local drift event. Having a reliable vehicle is the defining factor between a good track day or a bad track day. Given you don't smack a wall.
To ensure a full day’s work out of your ride you'll want to cover the basics. Overheating seems to be the leading cause of “total bummer dude” at any track day. Before you go do a “big turbo upgrade” or throw any “stage 3 ECU CHIP” or any so-called power adders for that matter. Do yourself and your engine a favour and spend some $$ on cooling components. Learn more about our Grassroots Performance Cooling Systems here.
An aluminum radiator is a great place to start. Maybe even a set of electric fans and fan shroud. Anything really over the old junk you may have in there now - should be considered an upgrade. Next up is your oil cooler, a mini radiator for your engine oil. Think of it this way...even with the best radiator setup you can muster up. As soon as your engine oil overheats, it heat soaks the rest of your engine. Meaning the oil is so hot it heats up the surrounding area your radiator is trying to cool. Not to mention the oil loses most of its viscosity properties once out of operating temperature as well. These two components are vital to all performance cooling systems.
Now if you’re a real baller and you wanna smashish some hashish the first day. Then you can even go as far as a power steering cooler. Yea, all that steering and scandy flicks get that fluid going and heats her up real good. There are easy inexpensive ways to do this. Do some research. Lastly. Now we are not saying to go and buy carbon fiber brake ducting kits from Europe. But we are suggesting you take a look at your brake fluid. If it’s old and shitty. It will overheat, you will get brake fade, you will crash. It’s proven. So an easy brake upgrade is putting some proper brake fluid. Something with a higher operating temp value. Anything really over the old junk you have in there now is considered an upgrade. See what’s happening here?
Find more Grassroots Performance Cooling products here. Universal & Direct-Fit Applications.
Now you’re safe, reliable, and ready. Well, maybe. But your car might not be. Some final performance factors you should be interested in acquiring are as follows.
Do not show up with an underpowered vehicle, open diff, stock suspension, and expect to have the result you’re looking for. The bare minimum we would suggest for any DECENT RWD vehicle is as follows. Now keep in mind, all vehicles vary in power, handling, etc.. these are the general bolt-on upgrades needed for a reputable setup.
In no particular order here are 6 easy upgrades to get your vehicle legit:
It may seem overwhelming. Bottom line is “You wanna play, you gotta pay”. You can either pay the price of money and efforts by following these steps. Or you can pay the price of having a crappy day at the track. If you cover these basics you will have just as much fun as the next guy who's running a sequential gearbox v8 turbo. At least to a certain degree.
At the same time, you will benefit the most of all your pals because you will be on the track making skids the longest. Don’t worry about 500hp, don’t worry about this crazy angle kit you don’t have. Get out there get some seat time and make good times!
Hope this helps.
Why you should upgrade to an aftermarket performance radiator
A radiator is a vital component of any liquid cooled engine. With a cracked or leaking radiator, you constantly run the risk of overheating your ride. At the same time, even if your radiator is fine, if it's not bled properly it will have air pockets that can result in fluctuating engine temps and possible overheating. If you plan on racing or doing any sort of extended spirited driving, an upgraded aluminum radiator is one of the first things that should be taken into consideration.
This is a brief description of how to remove, install, and bleed an aluminum radiator on a liquid cooled engine. There are a variety of techniques that can be done to have the same end result, this is what we’ve found most efficient and effective.
The ride that will be going under the knife today is our trusty Nissan 180sx S13 with an sr20det.This vehicle has been with us for almost a decade now. And is still going. Maintenance is a vital component to keeping your ride reliable. Street or track.
Tools & Materials Needed
Step 1: How to drain a radiator
**MAKE SURE ENGINE IS COOLED DOWN FOR THIS PROCESS
****A quick and dirty way to drain your radiator would be to just remove the lower radiator hose completely, and the coolant will come rushing out. This will make a mess of your workspace. We do not recommend this.
Step 2: Remove the Radiator
At this time it is recommended to replace your thermostat. Especially if your car was overheating before beginning this install there is a likely chance that your existing thermostat could have been damaged.
Step 3: Prep/Install New Radiator
All Grassroots Performance Radiators are tested, quality inspected, and come with a lifetime warranty. Includes a Radiator Cap.
Step 4: How to bleed a radiator
This is a question that’s been answered many times. There is a variety of right and wrong ways to do this. But it’s really quite simple. Here at Grassroots Performance, we have never had an issue using the standard “Radiator Bleed Kit”. Available at Canadian Tire, or any other auto parts store. If you’re really on a budget, or just don’t want to make the trip to get it. You can follow the same procedure by just being careful and watching the radiator neck.
Bleed Process
Congratulations, you just installed a performance radiator. Now get to the track and enjoy some extended track time with your cooler running engine.
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Grassroots Performance has a variety of radiators and cooling components with a lifetime warranty. Including silicone hoses, fan shrouds, electric fans, oil cooler kits, and other race car essentials. For many makes and models.
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