Replacement Radiator

[iriegnome]

Can anyone tell me if you can fit a larger radiator into a factory manual space and will it give it more heat?
More fluid, more heat? Anyone?

[lessersivad]

I would think that a larger radiator would actually make the engine run cooler, due to the larger surface of the "part that cools or dissipates heat". i.e., the radiator.

[Flyin4stroke]

More fluid would be less heat. Wouldn't get as hot in the block. Best bet is hotter thermostat. $15

[tooldude]

Since you're in WI, I assume you mean you want more heat from your heater. A larger radiator will remove more heat from your coolant which will make the heater core cooler also, so less heater. It will probably make your engine run at a lower temp than it should, at least in the winter. You need less heat being removed from the radiator in the cold air, but probably you have one of the several possible heater problems with your car. Type in keywords in the upper right search box for previous posts.

[iriegnome]

It was a thought, just in the wrong way. I get heat pretty good out of my Festi, just looking for more of it. No problem at all

[Flyin4stroke]

A lot of guys are talking about blocking the radiator and grille an bumper.

[wirebrain]

I have been wondering if there is a way to mount the radiator inside the car for more heat...lol

[nitrofarm]

It was a thought, just in the wrong way. I get heat pretty good out of my Festi, just looking for more of it. No problem at all

pm your addy,I was just in Keno last night. I'll bring you some material that I use to block the air flow. I will help if you turn off the fresh air intake on your dash lever as well.(but the window defrost doesnt work as well in this mode)

[1chrisapple]

a larger radiator will cool more hence the reason for a bigger radiator when say u swap from a 4 cylinder to a v8

[bravekozak]

I welded in an extra mount for an Aspire rad. I abandonded the plan after I installed A/C. It hit the compressor. I still have the Aspire rad for sale.

[Bert]

I am thinking that the heater core inside the car is what is to blame for Festy heating woes. Aspire heaters (same engine!) seem to work perfectly well. The inlet and outlet pipes should be moving a greater volume of fluid and perhaps the heat exchanger itself should be larger. I haven't played with this (hey, extreme cold only lasts a couple of weeks a year) but did insulate all of the external pipes and hoses at one time and totally block off the radiator. Even that made very little difference.
Was -15 to -20 F around here during all of last week so I decided to run the engine at average 3000 rpm instead of the usual 2000 while driving. By doing this I actually got cabin heat for the first time in a decade. You get very little sympathy about frigid driving from southern folks and yesterday, for instance, when it was a mere 10 F I had to turn the blower down to 1 because it was getting too hot inside.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

On my few Festy winter trips into the Interior of Alaska from Los Anchorage, I've found that when it gets down into the minus 30s (F or C -- the scales cross at minus 40), the Festy heating system is a zero. You keep yourself warm by continuously scraping ice off the inside of the windshield.

[nitrofarm]

Yeah its pretty obvious the Festy heating & defrost system wasn't tested in extreme cold weather. Or else they new it was marginal and just said "Good Enough". I had a 94 Ranger that couldn't melt Ice of the Window.I'd have to get out repeatedly in a snow storm and scrape ice.Its one of the main reasons I don't drive mine in the winter (and dont want them getting all road Salty).