How To: Install Mishimoto Aluminum Performance Radiator and Universal Slim Fans
8
*Throughout Nov 2014, this thread will be edited to fix any errors I may have made, or to update any information I may have missed. I will be getting more pictures/details on the wiring step. It should be complete shortly after the thread is posted*
After spending a few days installing my Mishimoto Aluminum Performance Radiator, I decided to make this How-To hoping to help anyone who wants to install one as well, and may run into the same issues I did. I’d recommend that you read the entire how-to so before starting this job so you get an understanding for it and know what to expect!
Note; This is what I will be referring to as the Denso Module
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Step 1: Removing the Radiator
*Be sure the engine is cool before beginning!
-Jack the car up and place on reliable/sturdy jack stands
-Under the radiator, towards the passenger side of the car, is a white plastic drain plug. Turn out this plug and fluid will begin to drain just below it. You may want a bucket already placed below to catch the coolant (Tip; Remove drain plug fully and take of the radiator fill cap for a quicker drain)
-Disconnect Radiator hoses (Tip; Doing the bottom hose first may result in no coolant coming out of the top hose)
-Unbolt and remove the top two radiator stops (12mm)
-Unplug the Denso Fan Module from the main wire running to the fuse box
-Pull the radiator straight up and out. The bottom may have taken the stops with it. Either put them on the new radiator or back on the car where they came from so you don’t forget about them.
*At this point, you may want to test-fit the aluminum radiator to be sure it fits and nothing major seems to stick out. It’s going to be a tight fit, and the right side will want to sit higher than OEM.
Step 2: Removing Fan Shroud
*It is only necessary to remove the fan shroud with the Denso Module on it. Some bolts/screws may be rusty, they may have to be drilled & tapped out
-Disconnect the passenger fan from the module
-Remove the shroud/fan by removing the four bolts attaching it to the radiator (Bottom two may be rusty)
Step 2A: Removing The Denso Module
*Be careful not to bust any plastic tabs/screw-holes on the module, they may come in handy later on in reinstallation. At this point, steps may vary in what you have to do, make sure you’re committed to this project because you will more than likely ruin your fan motor when disconnecting the Denso module
-The module is held in by four bolts, 2 on top (by the silver cover) and 2 underneath. The fan motor itself must be removed. It should all come apart as one big unit, Denso module and fan motor. (Tip; to gain easier access to the bottom 2 remove the fan by its 10mm bolt).
-Getting the module to disconnect from the fan motor can be tricky. If you open up the fan motor (THIS WILL BREAK THE MOTOR) you can gain access to two clips to separate the two units. Hard to spot, but they’re there.
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Step 3: Radiator/Slim Fan Assembly Guide
*This will be done using Mishimoto’s universal installation kit. This step can be done before everything else if you feel the urge to assemble everything first. Please refer to attached image straight from Mishimoto for extra help with assembly
*Mishimoto Slim Fans are set up as pullers
from the factory*
![]()
-Lay the aluminum radiator front side down on a soft surface to avoid damaging the fins. Place the fans wherever you feel comfortable and where they suit you best. Closest to OEM position will probably give you the most efficiency
-Stick the foam paddings included with the mounting kit to each plastic tab you will be using, sticky side up. This way the foam rests against the radiator
-Slide the plastic inserts (foam down, sticky up) into the slots molded in the fans in whatever fashion works for you (Ex; two on top & two on bottom).
-Now you will take the “zip ties” they sent and push them through the plastic tabs and between the fins of the radiator and out the other side.
-Slide another piece of foam through the zip tie, sticky side up, so the foam touches the radiator again
-Mishimoto states to place a spring to the sticky side before finally “locking” the zip tie with the locking head. I did not do this, because the pressure from the springs kept blowing the locking heads off. Your choice.
-Slide the locking head over the zip tie to lock it into place. (Tip; hold/push lightly on the opposite side of the zip tie to get rid of any slack when placing the lock on)
*Not necessary to over tighten, however make sure it does have a firm hold
-Repeat past 6 steps for each mounting spot on the fans that you use
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Step 4: Fitment and Wiring
*You have three options on how you may want to wire in the slim fans to run(if using OEM fans, they should bolt directly on the new radiator). Option A; Use the OEM Denso Fan Module. Option B; Wire fans directly to the battery for constant power. Option C; Wire the fans to a switch to manually control them. This How-To will cover Option A.
-Test fit the radiator again with the fans attached. At this time you may want to get an idea of where you will be placing the Denso module. This will give you a good idea of how much wiring you will need. I’ve seen some placed on the radiator itself, and I tightened mine down in a threaded hole left from the stock intake. Not sure if it makes a difference how far it is from the radiator or not. You can take the radiator back out, to make it easier to work with the wiring.
-For the passenger side fan, you will be using the same wire from the OEM passenger side fan. Cut it at a good length. Better to have extra than not enough. You will be able to splice/crimp the wires together (blue to blue, black to black) with the wires on the Slim Fans. I believe we spliced both fans into the OEM plug. The wire should then plug directly into the Denso unit, just like it did before.
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Step 5; Final Installation
-Once you’re fans seem to be properly wired, you should be able to place the radiator in for good now. Again, it is up to you where you want to place the Denso Module, and where to re-locate any excess wiring from the fans. Just try to keep them away from the headers as much as possible so they don’t melt.
-I had extra foam padding from another Mishimoto Fan Installation kit, so I placed those below the radiator on that metal frame, and just under the upper bump stops for extra cushioning. I imagine you could find something like this at a local hardware store.
![]()
-Essentially just do the opposite of what you did to remove the radiator. Reconnect your radiator hoses (the bottom one may have a very tight fit due to the metal cross-member below the radiator).
-Fill with coolant
-Place upper bump stops back on. Again the right side may be off a tad, using washers may solve that or putting some extra pressure on it when tightening it down.
-You may find that you need to burp the system. Here is a link to do that;
http://www.club3g.com/forum/maintenance/154403-howto-bleed-burp-cooling-system.html
Here are some other extra helpful links;
http://www.club3g.com/forum/performance/163169-how-mishimoto-aluminum-radiator-any-other-radiator.html
I hope this has helped with your installation :yesway:
PM me if you find anything wrong/unclear or have questions!
After spending a few days installing my Mishimoto Aluminum Performance Radiator, I decided to make this How-To hoping to help anyone who wants to install one as well, and may run into the same issues I did. I’d recommend that you read the entire how-to so before starting this job so you get an understanding for it and know what to expect!
Note; This is what I will be referring to as the Denso Module
Step 1: Removing the Radiator
*Be sure the engine is cool before beginning!
-Jack the car up and place on reliable/sturdy jack stands
-Under the radiator, towards the passenger side of the car, is a white plastic drain plug. Turn out this plug and fluid will begin to drain just below it. You may want a bucket already placed below to catch the coolant (Tip; Remove drain plug fully and take of the radiator fill cap for a quicker drain)
-Disconnect Radiator hoses (Tip; Doing the bottom hose first may result in no coolant coming out of the top hose)
-Unbolt and remove the top two radiator stops (12mm)
-Unplug the Denso Fan Module from the main wire running to the fuse box
-Pull the radiator straight up and out. The bottom may have taken the stops with it. Either put them on the new radiator or back on the car where they came from so you don’t forget about them.
*At this point, you may want to test-fit the aluminum radiator to be sure it fits and nothing major seems to stick out. It’s going to be a tight fit, and the right side will want to sit higher than OEM.
Step 2: Removing Fan Shroud
*It is only necessary to remove the fan shroud with the Denso Module on it. Some bolts/screws may be rusty, they may have to be drilled & tapped out
-Disconnect the passenger fan from the module
-Remove the shroud/fan by removing the four bolts attaching it to the radiator (Bottom two may be rusty)
Step 2A: Removing The Denso Module
*Be careful not to bust any plastic tabs/screw-holes on the module, they may come in handy later on in reinstallation. At this point, steps may vary in what you have to do, make sure you’re committed to this project because you will more than likely ruin your fan motor when disconnecting the Denso module
-The module is held in by four bolts, 2 on top (by the silver cover) and 2 underneath. The fan motor itself must be removed. It should all come apart as one big unit, Denso module and fan motor. (Tip; to gain easier access to the bottom 2 remove the fan by its 10mm bolt).
-Getting the module to disconnect from the fan motor can be tricky. If you open up the fan motor (THIS WILL BREAK THE MOTOR) you can gain access to two clips to separate the two units. Hard to spot, but they’re there.
Step 3: Radiator/Slim Fan Assembly Guide
*This will be done using Mishimoto’s universal installation kit. This step can be done before everything else if you feel the urge to assemble everything first. Please refer to attached image straight from Mishimoto for extra help with assembly
*Mishimoto Slim Fans are set up as pullers
from the factory*
-Lay the aluminum radiator front side down on a soft surface to avoid damaging the fins. Place the fans wherever you feel comfortable and where they suit you best. Closest to OEM position will probably give you the most efficiency
-Stick the foam paddings included with the mounting kit to each plastic tab you will be using, sticky side up. This way the foam rests against the radiator
-Slide the plastic inserts (foam down, sticky up) into the slots molded in the fans in whatever fashion works for you (Ex; two on top & two on bottom).
-Now you will take the “zip ties” they sent and push them through the plastic tabs and between the fins of the radiator and out the other side.
-Slide another piece of foam through the zip tie, sticky side up, so the foam touches the radiator again
-Mishimoto states to place a spring to the sticky side before finally “locking” the zip tie with the locking head. I did not do this, because the pressure from the springs kept blowing the locking heads off. Your choice.
-Slide the locking head over the zip tie to lock it into place. (Tip; hold/push lightly on the opposite side of the zip tie to get rid of any slack when placing the lock on)
*Not necessary to over tighten, however make sure it does have a firm hold
-Repeat past 6 steps for each mounting spot on the fans that you use
Step 4: Fitment and Wiring
*You have three options on how you may want to wire in the slim fans to run(if using OEM fans, they should bolt directly on the new radiator). Option A; Use the OEM Denso Fan Module. Option B; Wire fans directly to the battery for constant power. Option C; Wire the fans to a switch to manually control them. This How-To will cover Option A.
-Test fit the radiator again with the fans attached. At this time you may want to get an idea of where you will be placing the Denso module. This will give you a good idea of how much wiring you will need. I’ve seen some placed on the radiator itself, and I tightened mine down in a threaded hole left from the stock intake. Not sure if it makes a difference how far it is from the radiator or not. You can take the radiator back out, to make it easier to work with the wiring.
-For the passenger side fan, you will be using the same wire from the OEM passenger side fan. Cut it at a good length. Better to have extra than not enough. You will be able to splice/crimp the wires together (blue to blue, black to black) with the wires on the Slim Fans. I believe we spliced both fans into the OEM plug. The wire should then plug directly into the Denso unit, just like it did before.
Step 5; Final Installation
-Once you’re fans seem to be properly wired, you should be able to place the radiator in for good now. Again, it is up to you where you want to place the Denso Module, and where to re-locate any excess wiring from the fans. Just try to keep them away from the headers as much as possible so they don’t melt.
-I had extra foam padding from another Mishimoto Fan Installation kit, so I placed those below the radiator on that metal frame, and just under the upper bump stops for extra cushioning. I imagine you could find something like this at a local hardware store.
-Essentially just do the opposite of what you did to remove the radiator. Reconnect your radiator hoses (the bottom one may have a very tight fit due to the metal cross-member below the radiator).
-Fill with coolant
-Place upper bump stops back on. Again the right side may be off a tad, using washers may solve that or putting some extra pressure on it when tightening it down.
-You may find that you need to burp the system. Here is a link to do that;
http://www.club3g.com/forum/maintenance/154403-howto-bleed-burp-cooling-system.html
Here are some other extra helpful links;
http://www.club3g.com/forum/performance/163169-how-mishimoto-aluminum-radiator-any-other-radiator.html
I hope this has helped with your installation :yesway:
PM me if you find anything wrong/unclear or have questions!
