Need input... my car is always on the edge of overheating, and has overheated briefly at times on the track..
After reading plenty of older and newer Oil Cooler threads, here is what I have concluded:
1. It's necessary
2. Kevin's latest setup with the AM crash bar (can't remember who made it, but I want it), guides, and short & wide profile seems to be the most effective that I have seen.
After reading through the radiator threads, they all seem to be far outdated today.
- Questions -
A. Who makes the most effective off the shelf OC these days? (I see that JBR just released on not too long ago, though I haven't found any feedback)
B. Which radiator seems to be the most effective and reliable? (I have found no concensus on this, so I'm looking for input from those of you who have ACTUALLY installed one and tracked your car)
C. I have the bigger cp-e FMIC, which is already a tight fit to the bumper. What kinds of issues could I run into with AM radiator fitment?
D. I am skeptical of sanding down the back of the grille to expose the holes, where this can't be reversed if it turns out only to make things hotter somehow.. Has the community come to a concensus on whether to open up the grille holes or to leave them as is for better cooling. Consider, for example, that I ran one session without my splash guard under the car, and had the upper cowling off aswell, and that was the session where my temps reached their peaks, so I reinstalled them. (I have since read that a few guys on here had similar experiences over the past few years)
With the GTX2867, my temps are a bit hotter than stock, though my more mild climate helps compared to those guys in the southern States, but I am absolutely committed to OC install and rad upgrade, so that I can leverage my turbo without sacrificing reliability. I run my WMI on the track just for insurance, but I tune the engine way back as if I were running without it. I'm hoping that the water content of the injection cools combustion a few degrees, and this may be a factor in why I did not experience nearly immediate overheat like some of the local track car ST's.
I am looking to order both a rad and OC in the next few months. I have no issue spending good money on GOOD parts. I will read and re-read, and reach out to other members for months if I have to, before I pull the trigger. So this is me trying to acquire some sort of consensus on these parts, and hoping that it helps others who feel as though the community is divided on rad and OC selection.
Thanks,
Cody