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  #1  
Old 11-29-2010, 09:12 PM
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Grill technical aspects

Does the 1997/Euro/JDM grill improve air flow to the radiator? Has anyone done a before and after on operating temperatures?

On a related topic, that foam between the radiator and frame is deteriorating on my car. I want to remove it but I think it actually helps cooling. I think it prevents hot air from the engine cabin from being sucked in and passing through the radiator. I'm thinking of gluing or screwing in a flap of silicone in its place.
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1996 Polo Green Subaru SVX LSi, 168,XXX miles, Redline D4 ATF, Redline 75W90 gear oil, K&N HP-4001 Oil Filter, Mobil 1 5W50 FS (3qt) and 5W30 High Mileage (4qt) Oil Blend, Motul RBF600 Brake Fluid, AC Delco A975C Air Filter, NGK BKR6EIX-11 plugs, Centric Rotors, Power Stop Evolution Carbon Fiber Ceramic Brake Pads
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  #2  
Old 11-29-2010, 09:38 PM
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Re: Grill technical aspects

Quote:
Originally Posted by Huskymaniac View Post
Does the 1997/Euro/JDM grill improve air flow to the radiator? Has anyone done a before and after on operating temperatures?

On a related topic, that foam between the radiator and frame is deteriorating on my car. I want to remove it but I think it actually helps cooling. I think it prevents hot air from the engine cabin from being sucked in and passing through the radiator. I'm thinking of gluing or screwing in a flap of silicone in its place.
The 97 grille is for cosmetics only.
The engine temperatures do not change even without the grille.
The gasket is now gone, it had a good life.

Let it go...
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  #3  
Old 11-29-2010, 10:38 PM
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Green1995SVX Green1995SVX is offline
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Re: Grill technical aspects

You can get stick-on foam at Home Depot that is almost a perfect match for the OEM foam gasket. I used the remaining bits to seal up my basement door!
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  #4  
Old 11-30-2010, 07:02 AM
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Re: Grill technical aspects

Early to mid 1990's cars were very over engineered. The foam? Good idea but not necessary. Power steering cooler? Totally unnecessary.

The front openings of the car are large enough already, I change in maybe 20 square inches of grill space isn't going to effect cooling at all.
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(8/23/07-Present) 1995 Subaru SVX LSi (197k) Polo Green (#1102) 03/95
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  #5  
Old 11-30-2010, 07:29 AM
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Re: Grill technical aspects

Quote:
Originally Posted by Manarius View Post
Power steering cooler? Totally unnecessary.
Oh... come on...
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  #6  
Old 11-30-2010, 07:35 AM
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Re: Grill technical aspects

Quote:
Originally Posted by Manarius View Post
Early to mid 1990's cars were very over engineered.
*cough* transaxle *cough*
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  #7  
Old 11-30-2010, 04:03 PM
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Re: Grill technical aspects

Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverSpear View Post
Oh... come on...
Name another car that has one. Seriously! Not even the STI does.
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(8/23/07-Present) 1995 Subaru SVX LSi (197k) Polo Green (#1102) 03/95
Mods: DDM Tuning 4500k 35w Low Beam HID, 100w H3 Bulbs, Extra Ground Cables, 15 minute $12.96 mod,
svxfiles designed transmission mount (), sporting a "new" tail light bar,
silver BBS rims, custom power steering cooler (one that doesn't dump ATF constantly), new negative lead cable, no more third or fourth gear
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(12/01/2011-Present) 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 5MT (97k)
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  #8  
Old 11-30-2010, 04:16 PM
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Re: Grill technical aspects

my xterra has one.
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  #9  
Old 11-30-2010, 04:43 PM
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Re: Grill technical aspects

Quote:
Originally Posted by Manarius View Post
Name another car that has one. Seriously! Not even the STI does.
Almost every truck/van has one from the mid 90s forward and so do many cars...
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  #10  
Old 11-30-2010, 05:51 PM
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Re: Grill technical aspects

Several of my SVXi have the PS delete option...
As does YT's old car now owned by LetItSnow, also I believe that sickSubie has the delete option as well.
for myself it has been, 5-7 years?



What year is this now???
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  #11  
Old 11-30-2010, 07:38 PM
XT6Wagon XT6Wagon is offline
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Re: Grill technical aspects

Some of the STi's do come with PS coolers. I think they started in 05 or 06. Its just fins on the pipe, but if you start getting agressive with the wheel (AutoX) or using it for long periods (track days, moutain roads), it helps alot.

As far as the radiator, I would replace the foam. If only to keep things from falling between the condensor and radiator.

The grill... you have to be careful. To keep proper flow, the inlet area must remain smaller than the exit area. So the openings to the radiator have to be smaller than the area of the radiator, and the openings from the engine bay have to be larger than that. Not a big issue for most street cars, but somepeople find issues when they start opening up huge holes in the front to "supply more air" and instead kill the flow across the radiator since it just forms a big pocket of stagnent air and the primary flow goes around.
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  #12  
Old 11-30-2010, 07:56 PM
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Re: Grill technical aspects

Quote:
Originally Posted by XT6Wagon View Post
Some of the STi's do come with PS coolers. I think they started in 05 or 06. Its just fins on the pipe, but if you start getting agressive with the wheel (AutoX) or using it for long periods (track days, moutain roads), it helps alot.

As far as the radiator, I would replace the foam. If only to keep things from falling between the condensor and radiator.

The grill... you have to be careful. To keep proper flow, the inlet area must remain smaller than the exit area. So the openings to the radiator have to be smaller than the area of the radiator, and the openings from the engine bay have to be larger than that. Not a big issue for most street cars, but somepeople find issues when they start opening up huge holes in the front to "supply more air" and instead kill the flow across the radiator since it just forms a big pocket of stagnent air and the primary flow goes around.
Great points about the air flow. I can't help but wonder if the grill change in 1997 wasn't an engineering decision versus a design decision. The opening in the 1997 grill certainly wouldn't cause the inlet to exceed the exit area but it does look bigger than the older grill. I guess no one has ever replaced the old grill and done a before and after temperature test to see what the impact was, if anything. And, Tom, it isn't just coolant temperature which would drop but the tranny temp would drop as well. So long as you don't cause running temperatures to drop below the optimal temperature, cooler is always better. I would guess optimal is somewhere around 185-195 based on information that the tstat is fully open at 195F.
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1996 Polo Green Subaru SVX LSi, 168,XXX miles, Redline D4 ATF, Redline 75W90 gear oil, K&N HP-4001 Oil Filter, Mobil 1 5W50 FS (3qt) and 5W30 High Mileage (4qt) Oil Blend, Motul RBF600 Brake Fluid, AC Delco A975C Air Filter, NGK BKR6EIX-11 plugs, Centric Rotors, Power Stop Evolution Carbon Fiber Ceramic Brake Pads
2005 Gray Acura RL, 165,XXX miles, Redline D4 ATF with Lubegard Platinum Protectant, Mobil 1 5W20 High Mileage Extended Performance Oil
2009 Red Toyota Venza, 123,XXX, Mobil 1 5W30 High Mileage Oil
1992 Red Ferrari 348 ts, 82,XXX, Redline everything
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  #13  
Old 11-30-2010, 08:53 PM
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Re: Grill technical aspects

Quote:
Originally Posted by Manarius View Post
Name another car that has one. Seriously! Not even the STI does.
My s6 has one and my S8 has a GIANT one.
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  #14  
Old 12-01-2010, 06:07 AM
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Re: Grill technical aspects

First thing that crossed my mind when I read "deteriorating foam" was, old radiator. Second thing was, be mindful that the top tank could crack soon. Or not.

My totally novice take on the grille is that it was the cheapest last-gasp cosmetic update Subaru could make to a dreadful marketing failure, and that operating temperature differences (1992-'96 vs. '97 vs. no grille at all) would be so inconsequential as to be impossible to measure outside a laboratory.

dcb
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