Is an oversized radiator worth it?

[sublimaze]

My daily driver is a 2017 GT Premium, automatic. I have a Whipple Stage 2 coming in a couple of weeks. I am thinking about getting a Mishimoto oversized radiator. I live near Houston and the summer heat is insane, especially in stop & go traffic. Would an oversized radiator be worth the trouble? I have no plans to take it to the track.

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[Ggradtech]

I also live where it's warm. Phoenix. I installed that very same Mishimoto radiator. It wasn't all that hard to install myself. My car is a Base GT, no PP. The base GT has a small thickness radiator. Even the PP radiator is narrow in comparison to the Mishimoto one. I wish I could tell you if it made a difference, but I installed it just before the blower install. I felt it was a good idea to do since I've also gone FI. My car is usually about 120* max in extreme 110+ heat and 10-15* over ambient when it's cooler outside. This is the IAT2 reading I'm referring to.

 

[mustang1]

are you running stock grill or aftermarket grill ?

 

[sublimaze]

I also live where it's warm. Phoenix. I installed that very same Mishimoto radiator. It wasn't all that hard to install myself. My car is a Base GT, no PP. The base GT has a small thickness radiator. Even the PP radiator is narrow in comparison to the Mishimoto one. I wish I could tell you if it made a difference, but I installed it just before the blower install. I felt it was a good idea to do since I've also gone FI. My car is usually about 120* max in extreme 110+ heat and 10-15* over ambient when it's cooler outside. This is the IAT2 reading I'm referring to.

The larger radiator is definitely doing its job. Your data makes me lean towards pulling the trigger on it.

Ideally, I would measure temps before & after installation. But I don't have the time nor resources to install it myself, so all of the work will be done at a speed shop, where time is money. If I get the larger radiator, then might as well install it with the blower.

are you running stock grill or aftermarket grill ?

Aftermarket T-Rex grill

 

[M151A2]

Not sure what the IAT has to do with your coolant. If you are having problems with your coolant temps exceeding your thermostat limit, go for a larger radiator.
Living in Florida with temps in the mid 90s I haven't had any problems.

 

[Kahboom]

Since my performance pack came with a larger radiator from the factory once I was tune I replaced my thermostat what's a reiche 170 degree thermostat. Also had my fans tune to come on earlier per the instructions for the new thermostat to run optimal. Head temps typically run around 185 to 190 degrees. Before with the stock thermostat it would be around 215 to 220 degrees for the head Temps just cruising around town and Idle when you really started getting on it the stock head temperature would be from 240 to 260 degrees for the cylinder head temperature. With a new 170-degree thermostat it doesn't break 205 degrees when it's 120 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I live in the desert and it gets extremely hot out here the stock thermostat was definitely not up to the task.

 

[Chris@Lethal]

Will be well worth it if you're in a state that is hot and humid, like us in Florida.

 

[Ggradtech]

Not sure what the IAT has to do with your coolant. If you are having problems with your coolant temps exceeding your thermostat limit, go for a larger radiator.
Living in Florida with temps in the mid 90s I haven't had any problems.

I guess what I meant to say is that it's important to keep everything as efficient and cool as possible, especially if you have a PD SC. Heat is the enemy, so I figure the cooler the entire engine,SC, radiator, the more efficient you will run. Especially in a warm climate.

 

[Stuntman]

There's a lot to radiator design, from fin pitch, height, find per inch, core thickness, number of cores, turbulators in the tubes, etc... Thicker isn't always better if you restrict the flow through the cooler.

To answer your question, it would be best for someone who tracks their supercharged car with the stock and brand X radiator to chime in on their findings. Often aftermarket radiators can hurt cooling performance.

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