EP3 Radiator Prep

So your 96-00 Civic came with a half-size radiator...  You're putting a big ol engine in there, so you want to make sure you have the cooling capacity you need.  How much cooling do you need?  I don't know, and I won't know until I get this thing on the road and I start doing some datalogging.  But I'm going to take a guess...  Hasport's install guide mentions that the EP3 radiator is a good one to go with, and I see no reason why it wouldn't be.  It's a full-width (at least quite a bit bigger than the one that came with the car), about a centimeter thicker, and it's used for cooling a K20 in the EP3 Si.  My engine will dump more heat than the EP3 K20 during full load, but my roadload is quite a bit less (low frontal area, very light weight).  So I'm going to set it as my direction and roll with it.

Here's what you need to do:

First, find a spot-weld cutter (or spot weld drill bit, whatever you call it).  I used one that was 3/8" diameter and it worked fine.  Then center-punch the spot weld (on these old, probably rusty cars, it may be hard to find the spot welds).  I used a center punch with a 4-lbf hammer and it was barely adequate.  Using the cutter, drill out the welds.

Now, entertain yourself by placing the bracket where you think it will go.  It looks right, but don't assume that's where it goes because it doesn't.

Prep the bracket by sanding the mating surface.  Use a sanding wheel on an angle grinder for the flat areas, but clean up the edges and tighter areas with a dremel and a 50-grit sanding drum.

Use the grinder w/sanding wheel to clean up the bulkhead.  If you're nervous about controlling the grinder, use the dremel with the sanding drum.  It works, but it takes longer.  Have extra sanding drums.

Mock up the brackets as shown below.  As you keen observers can see in the third pic, you need to relocate BOTH lower brackets to fit the EP3 radiator.  Or at least center it in the car.  Which I think you should do.

I made a styrofoam radiator core to test-fit the layout.

Here's close-ups of the brackets and the bulkhead sections they mate to:

Check the layout again with the mockup core.  And by all means, literally pat yourself on the back if you're so flexible.

Some pics of the final bulkhead prep after welding, but before paint.  Gotta thank Doug for helping me out on the welding.

Masked-up bulkhead shown below.  I used 3 coats of primer and 2 or 3 of paint.  I forget, probably because of the paint fumes.  Killing brain cells is no laughing matter though; open your garage door to keep it kinda ventilated.

Finished product.  Concourse winner?  Right.

If my girlfriend keeps studying for a while longer, you'll get another post tonight.

a sincere thank you for your readership though.

-j-kweezy