Hello folks. I've got 117k on an '02 WRX wagon that now has coolant pretty much everywhere in the front of the engine bay. Top tank has cracks all over it. Koyo was recommended as the preferred replacement but I started digging around and found an all aluminum Megan Racing rad for $100 less. My Honda buddies say Megan's got good stuff, anybody have an opinion about their Subie gear?
For cheap eBay crap, Megan is usually surprisingly good. It's not great, but it's not complete crap either. No direct experience with this WRX radiator, but I run one of their headers on my SE-R and the build quality and welds were surprisingly good.
This is the specific radiator https://www.meganracing.com/products/product_detail.asp?prodid=881&catid=137 I've been reading something about an update that was made to the radiator in the '03+ Impreza that adds a filler cap to the system. Anybody have more info on that?
I like my mishimoto quite a bit, just wish it didn't have a radiator cap on it... Kinda stupid having 2.
Here's the offending bit of plastic View attachment 22585 my plan is the MR radi linked above and a new thermostat and update kit from Morrie's, since I'm pretty sure the relief hose will need to be replaced with the new top relief cap. This appears to be a less expensive and better long term solution than replacing with OEM. If anybody thinks this is a BAD idea I'd sue like to hear about it. Otherwise I guess I'll be adding install pics and a product review to this thread very soon.
incoming: 1 - Megan Racing all aluminum radiator needed: 1 - OEM Subaru thermostat pending: 2-5 days of very nervous commuting imminent: several hours of sweat, wrenches, cussing, chemistry, grease, and grime
is your car a 4eat or 5 spd? The 4eat will need an aftermarket tranny fluid cooler... I just put a mishimoto in our 03 wrx. Looks sweet.
5 MT I ordered the MR radi this afternoon. Any ideas to keep from blowing anything out between now and the day it arrives? It's my daily driver and I still need to get to work.
I have a mishimoto and I am quite dissapointed, I really had to push the fans into place to get the holes to line up, and the hear shield made by mishimoto wouldn't fit with the rad. As for driving your car with a bad radiator, I wouldn't drive the car with a bad radiator, are you sure that it won't get worse?
How long is your commute? If you know specifically where the cracks are, you could buy some JB Weld and slap it on there... good up to 500 degrees it will withstand the heat. My local Oreillys also carried J-B Stik, which works in about 30minutes and can be applied/cure under water in case it is leaking really bad. Supposedly it will fix a cracked block, so it should be able to withstand a few days on your radiator.
The Megan rad has been ordered. Think I'll bop over to Napa tomorrow and seenwhat they can suggest. Commute is 12 mi. each way, wish I could afford a rental but even a little corn burner is $120 for the week.
Cheaper than damage to your WRX though . . . If you get the area clean and dry, any good epoxy (like JB Weld) should help minimize the leaking and you can keep a close eye on it and the temp gauge if you really must drive the car. Scuff up the plastic around the crack with some sandpaper first, ti give the epoxy something to grab onto. But it's just a temporary fix.
Napa had some high temp epoxy with a fiberglass re-enforcement patch. I had to buy two =( they aren't kidding when they say this stuff hardens quickly. Going to let it cure for another couple of hours and then bring her up to temp, see what happens. Not the greatest looking plastic weld in history, I just hope it holds until the new one arrives, which hasn't shipped yet. I'm guessing the good folks at Megan have better races to run on the weekends. View attachment 22598
I ran it for 3 minutes, shut it down and burped it Ran it with the heater on full until it came up to temp brought it up to 2k for 1 minute and shut it down seems to be holding so far I should post a pic of the epoxy kit, the pic on the label looks just like a Subaru
OK, so, day 1 of nervous commuting. There is still a very small leak, I get just a little steam and dampness in the "after commute check." MR has shipped the radiator via FedEx ground from LA. If I am VERY lucky I'll have it Friday morning and can turn the whole ordeal into a 4 day weekend. I am not generally so lucky though...it just ain't right to not have your whip in order for Independence Day!
Dude, it takes all of an hour to replace a radiator and t-stat. If you get that thing Friday afternoon, there is no reason you couldn't have it out on the road after dinner. It shouldn't take you all weekend to replace a radiator.
true, but dinner is a little late for heading in to my 9-5 gig. We like 4-day weekends, play nice now
I am playing nice, I'm trying to motivate you to save you the embarassment of telling people it took you 4 days to replace a radiator on a Subaru. I had the same issue you did about 6 years ago. My first Subaru repair. It took me 30 minutes to swap it out using basic tools, and another 30 minutes to fill and burp the system. It'll take you longer to figure out how to drain the radiator than it should to replace and fill it.
haha! I wouldn't tell anybody it took me 4 days, even if it did =) I get Monday off for the 4th next week. If it looks like my aluminum savior is going to be here Friday morning I figure I'll wait around until FedEx shows and then immediately install it. Even if FedEx arrives at 7:00 am I'll have to take a half day off. At that point I might just as well take the whole day off. Clearly the WRX wanted to be "cooler" to go play in the summer sun, I might just as well give her what she asks for, she gets it one way or another anyway.
slap some high heat substances from the local auto store, blast the heat high when you see the temp gauge going up, pack extra gallons of distill water(cheaper) or antifreeze if you got the dough. just incase it over heats and your car stutters to a stop. i drove enough hoopties to know the cure, before i bought my 02 wrx.
Ayuh, that's exactly what you see in the pics above 1/4 gallon of 50/50 since Monday. It's bubbling up from under the top tank now. FedEx is due to arrive on Friday with the new one. I took the day off so I can do the radi. She's due for oil, oil filter, and fuel filter too so, as long as I'm getting dirty I might just as well make a day of it. Will be the first time I've done the oil on this car even though I've had it since '05. Should be a fun day!
FedEx showed around 2:30 this afternoon. I started the install around 4:00. Changed the oil and filter while I had it up and made a lap of 494/169 before parking at home again about 9:30. The Megan Radiator is a near perfect fit. I think I need to shorten the upper hose about a 1/4 of an inch but that seems like pretty standard fare for an aftermarket radi. So far Meagan gets high marks. View attachment 22647
You should run the car up to temp to burp it, not three minutes. When your fans kick on, shut the car off and close the cap.
