I decided to install one of these units as insurance as the car is a occasional autocrosser and I am planning on a track day soon. Also, it neat and not that expensive. I got it from Ford for $79.00, part number F6ZZ-3D746-AA. It is made of aluminum and is lighter than the steel loop it replaces. I originally thought that would by a plug and play install, and it would in a non-supercharged Saleen. For supercharged owners, the following details will need to be done to make it fit.
As a disclaimer, be sure to properly jack up the car, follow all safety precautions and manufacturer's suggestions.
First, you will need to get the stock cooler loop out of the car. To do this, drain the system (I just disconnected one of the hoses and drained it in this matter), and disconnect all the hoses. It will be bolted to the front of the radiator support frame in two places. If you have an heat exchanger it will be very difficult to remove, and I ended up cutting it. Be careful, as it is made out of steel and very tough. I used a rotary cutter in short bursts so I didn't set any of the residual power steering fluid on fire.
Once out, we can compare the two pieces:
This is the modified unit, I had to basically move everything over 2.25" so it would clear the fans of the heat exchanger. You want to use the hole that the both the radiator support and heat exchanger support bolts too. This will be your reference starting point.
What I had to do was grind the ears off of the drivers side bracket so I could remove it, bend the tubing out straight, then rebend it closer towards the cooler unit to reinstall the bracket. Be VERY careful bending this tubing as it would be very easy to crimp and ruin the unit. I used two different types of benders, the spring type to straighten it, and the pliers type to rebend it. After you make the bends, test fit it to make sure it goes through the hole in the radiator support. Here are the two benders:
There is enough room in the other bracket near the end-loop to drill another hole. I also ground down the two end-pieces near the fins so I could get enough clearance to put it up into the car.
After that, I touched it up with some flat black paint:
and installed it:
The hose was close in one area, so I covered it with some rubber tubing to protect it. You can also see where I made a drop bracket to fit the drivers side cooler bracket to the stock hole:
Finally, you need to cut the same amount off of the rubber cooler lines, then reinstall the hoses. Refill the power steering system, and let the car sit for a time to get some of the bubbles out, then start it, idle for a time, then top off.
Finally, for fun, is a picture of the brake cooler brackets and tie-rod ends that I installed at the same time:
Feel free to contact me about any install questions, whether through this thread or PM. Thanks!
As a disclaimer, be sure to properly jack up the car, follow all safety precautions and manufacturer's suggestions.
First, you will need to get the stock cooler loop out of the car. To do this, drain the system (I just disconnected one of the hoses and drained it in this matter), and disconnect all the hoses. It will be bolted to the front of the radiator support frame in two places. If you have an heat exchanger it will be very difficult to remove, and I ended up cutting it. Be careful, as it is made out of steel and very tough. I used a rotary cutter in short bursts so I didn't set any of the residual power steering fluid on fire.
Once out, we can compare the two pieces:
This is the modified unit, I had to basically move everything over 2.25" so it would clear the fans of the heat exchanger. You want to use the hole that the both the radiator support and heat exchanger support bolts too. This will be your reference starting point.
What I had to do was grind the ears off of the drivers side bracket so I could remove it, bend the tubing out straight, then rebend it closer towards the cooler unit to reinstall the bracket. Be VERY careful bending this tubing as it would be very easy to crimp and ruin the unit. I used two different types of benders, the spring type to straighten it, and the pliers type to rebend it. After you make the bends, test fit it to make sure it goes through the hole in the radiator support. Here are the two benders:
There is enough room in the other bracket near the end-loop to drill another hole. I also ground down the two end-pieces near the fins so I could get enough clearance to put it up into the car.
After that, I touched it up with some flat black paint:
and installed it:
The hose was close in one area, so I covered it with some rubber tubing to protect it. You can also see where I made a drop bracket to fit the drivers side cooler bracket to the stock hole:
Finally, you need to cut the same amount off of the rubber cooler lines, then reinstall the hoses. Refill the power steering system, and let the car sit for a time to get some of the bubbles out, then start it, idle for a time, then top off.
Finally, for fun, is a picture of the brake cooler brackets and tie-rod ends that I installed at the same time:
Feel free to contact me about any install questions, whether through this thread or PM. Thanks!
Thanks for the info, this is something I'll look into doing down the road. I also want to get into autocrossing and road racing with my Saleen.
