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For the past while, Ive been wanting to replace both the intercooler and radiator for the hell of it.
There will be a series of post concerning install of both but first a post regarding which product has a better feel.
Mishimoto' Intercooler
On arrival the package is flashy. The packaging does get you excited to open up but I lost that soon after. I had read somewhere where Mishimoto stated they wanted their packaging to not only be good for the product but good looking too. Well, I would rather have safe for my product and I did not get that. Mishimoto can take some serious notes from Full Race here. To begin one the connector with the quick connect looks like it took some damage. Second: Some fins on the intercooler took some more damage. Last, the air diversion plates did not come with the mounting bolts.. Not sure if it was suppose to or not?
Some light fin damage
Some more light damage and a little heavier spot.
The fin damage, caught me the most off guard. Guess I just wasn't really expecting that.
Full Race Radiator
Originally, Stage 3 said 5-7 days to ship; it shipped next day. Packaging is nothing fancy on the outside, regular brown box. On the inside, oh boy. On the front and rear of the box there is another layer of cardboard. The radiator's fins, are covered by a blue plastic. No damage to these fins what so ever. No damage to anything at all, looks flawless.
Would have been nice if they would tell you approximately how much transmission fluid you would expect to need.
Some of the nicest welding available.
Plastic I'm saying Mishimoto should use
Both
For such expensive products, would it kill them to throw a pair of instructions in the box? Granted not to hard to do either but it would still be nice. Full Race has a downloadable set, which is slightly confusing. Mishimoto has a video.
For whatever its worth, FullRace throws in a nice sticker and a so so license plate frame. Not to shabby. Mishimoto not even a stick, would have been nice.
Thats the first impression. Not much just some basic stuff lol I'll get my truck back from the shop in a few weeks and then I'll do the install and keep you all updated!!
Last edited by diegoo.jayjay; 04-28-2018 at 11:12 PM.
Alright this one's for you Dan. I've been lazy....
Removal of Both
Disconnect battery. Unbolt the cable running to the fuse box.
Remove plug on radiator so it can drain while you remove some piping, use a tube to be cleaner.
To begin I had to remove the intake off my AFE system. The degas bottle and bottom air filter box can stay.
Remove cover in front of the fuse box, unbolt fuse box, pull out wiring harness from the fan and any mounting points along the way.
Remove cold side intercooler piping to throttle body. Set aside. Cap radiator should be dry by now.
Disconnect the hot side intercooler piping and unbolt top of intercooler.
Unplug the wires running to the blow off valve.
Unbolt bottom (Helps for a second set of hands.) Intercooler comes down, I did not lift my truck and had plenty of room.
Set up your Mishimoto Intercooler.
Take rubber off of the top bracket from the intercooler. Add to Mishi cooler.
Unbolt and twist off blowoff valve from OEM add to Mishimoto.
Remove both hoses from radiator.
Remove the two top bolts from the fan and radiator.
Pull radiator up, takes some wiggling be patient.
Loosen the two transmission lines and pull off. (Oil may or may not come out depending on temperature)
Lean the radiator back and pull off the AC condenser.
Lift radiator, leave AC condenser in place.
Set up Full Race Radiator.
Remove two rubber feet from radiator and place back in the mounting holes on the truck
The radiator has two nipple. One by the 20 psi cap another lower. Full Race recommends capping the lower one with supplied cap and using top for degas bottle.
Check size of your lower radiator connection (radiator side) and match with one of the two FR sends. I paint marked after tightening all the fittings so I can check for any movement.
DO NOT CUT THE FAN. FR instructions state to cut. I cut them and now I have the whole width I cut as a gap on the fan and radiator.
If you want to replace your thermostat now is the time.
Installation of Both.
Start with the Mishimoto intercooler.
Put intercooler in place. Not having the radiator in allows you to push back AC condenser for easier fitting.
Connect the two hot side pipes. Make sure they are tight or one will pop off.
Do not connect Cold side.
FR Radiator.
Just as you removed, you will insert and then fit theAC condenser to the radiator.
Place fan back in place.
Connect plumbing for the radiator.
Ensure your wire on the lower hose clips in securely. Replace upper hose oem clamp with regular stainless steel clamp.
Replace cold side pipe to throttle body.
Fill radiator.
Reconnect the wiring harness and replace the fuse box.
The air guides do not fit. I managed to fit the top hole to the intercooler but the bottom hole was about half an inch to low.
Sill need to email Mishimoto about that.
This thing will heat soak. In fact it loves too. I pulled our boat out of the water the next weekend after installing, drove 1 mile up hill back to camp. Sat for a couple minutes and it ran to 140*F. Granted it was 95* don't really blame it since when i started getting up to 55-60 MPH it did great cooling off to within 3-5* the ambient temperature. Sync will claim outside temp to be ~92*F and the truck through Torque will give me ~96*F; intake temp will be around ~98*F. Driving it will stay like that. Pull off the freeway and catch a red light and I will start to see 105-115*F. Keep driving and it goes back down.
Full Race Radiator.
It looks great. Unfortunately, I was running cooler with my OEM radiator.
So I emailed Full Race Tech Support and got no response within 48 Hrs. So I forwarded the same email to sales.
Hello,
I bought you radiator and installed a week ago.
Everything went smooth until I started running the truck. With the OEM radiator I was running 185-195 cruising highway. With yours it went up to 195-205.
Towing; the same boat, same route I was seeing 205-215 with the OEM radiator. Now I am seeing 215-225. Pretty alarming.
I am running the same 40% coolant 60% water as I live in SoCal. Nothing else has changed other than an increase in water temperature.
Is this normal? Any recommendations other than re install the oem.
The transmission did take an increase cooling capacity. It usually ran around 205-210 towing but now I am seeing 195 most of the time towing.
Thank you.
Their response.
Diego,
This would be the first I have heard of the radiator increasing the water temps. We have multiple trucks here in AZ that have installed the same radiator and have dropped 10-20 degrees in water temps. This is with 105+ degree outside air temps too.
Have you made sure that there is no air pockets in the cooling system? This would cause higher than normal operating temperatures.
Also are both cooling fan electrical connections connected?
I responded.
Yes and yes. I even turned on the heater to try to cool off the truck towing. The only thing I can think of is that per the instructions, I cut the fan shroud but it looks like it was not needed. On the web page it says no cutting, so not sure if I was or wasn't supposed to cut.
This is cruising home at 75 on my usual route home. Not towing.
No response. 6 Days later. I can hear my jet fans coming on still.
Maybe I am expecting more? Could cutting the fan and having a 1/2 inch gap in the top and bottom be creating an issue? Or the thermostat be getting stuck? I did fail to mention to FR, I had replaced the thermo. When the truck gets up to the 225-230 towing it will fly back down to 200 on the back side of the hills. Cruising south I see 195; crusing unloaded home (its all up hill) I'll hit 210-215* and when I hit the short 1/4 mile down hills the truck will drop to 195-205. I know these aren't exactly overheating temps, they're "warm". The needle didn't move. BUT it just seems like there is something off. I mean even the transmission took a cooling with the new radiator, why wouldn't the coolant do the same.
I have a Reische 170* and a Motorcraft 190*. I might install the 170* and see how it does for 4th of July when I go back out to the lake and then out to Laughlin. I ordered a new motorcraft fan, first one came in broken, replacement is on the way.
I know the thermostat would just give it extra time, before I reach those temps, but on one of our Ram 2500s the lower thermo let the truck run cooler for the most part. Was running 205 for the most part and now I see 190-195 with the mishimoto 180*.
So on my F150, I think it would allow the coolant to keep cooling down past the stock 190* and therefore give me the time to make the 5 and 10minute hill climbs. Just as the Ram 2500 does.
Anyones thoughts?
Oh yea once I pull out that thermo, although I replaced it when I did these "upgrades"; I am going to put it on the stove and check at what temp its opening.
Today was 92* on my way home.
Original screenshot I sent to Full Race.
Last edited by diegoo.jayjay; 06-21-2018 at 01:47 AM.
I installed the Reische 170 thermostat and the new fans. I now see the temps I want. Usually, I will be running between 175-185. On long uphill pulls the most I've seen is 208. Better than the 220 i was seeing before.
The thermostat is doing what i hoped. Giving the coolant enough space to make the climbs. With the radiator, the coolant quickly cools back down to 175-185 too.
Thanks Diegoo for your observations. I purchased the FR radiator from another member for a good price, so I jumped on it. We are finished with this year's tow season, but I think it helped - marginally. Similar observations you made. Next year will be the intercooler. I am also thinking about the big trans radiator that's only $100. I'd love to do the thermostat, however I live in the PNW where we can see -20 degree weather. I usually plug the truck in during those days/weeks, so perhaps it isn't an issue since I don't really reach operating temperature by the time I am at my work destination? I dunno.
Thanks Diegoo for your observations. I purchased the FR radiator from another member for a good price, so I jumped on it. We are finished with this year's tow season, but I think it helped - marginally. Similar observations you made. Next year will be the intercooler. I am also thinking about the big trans radiator that's only $100. I'd love to do the thermostat, however I live in the PNW where we can see -20 degree weather. I usually plug the truck in during those days/weeks, so perhaps it isn't an issue since I don't really reach operating temperature by the time I am at my work destination? I dunno.
I live in SoCal, so the 170* thermostat is adequate and the ambient temperatures are usually warm enough to not bring the engine temperatures to low. I will admit though at 60* outside air temperatures on a long downhill while towing I saw coolant temperatures drop to 156* (only temporarily) so I would say anything below 30 * outside the 170 is too low. Maybe you can find a 180*. Another issue is your engine oil will take long to warm up too, resulting in increased fuel in your oil.
I do not think that the transmission cooler needs to be upgraded anymore than the 7 row mine came with. Towing uphill on the way home in 95* weather at 55-60mph; temperatures for my transmission do not usually go past 205. With the radiator being cool, the transmission oil is helped big time.
Labor day weekend my load was ~7000 lbs. 8 mile uphill climb; my temperatures were 213 Engine coolant, 204 transmission oil, IAT was within 5 degrees of outside air. I was impressed, I've seen 230 ECT, 220 Transmission oil, and 20+ of ambient air.
04-28-2018, 11:10 PM
Intercooler and Radiator
Second: Some fins on the intercooler took some more damage. Last, the air diversion plates did not come with the mounting bolts.. Not sure if it was suppose to or not?
