Fitting Liberty Radiator and Factory Fans to an L series

Checkers · Post by **Checkers** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 9:42 pm

I have been looking around at options for when I do the EJ conversion into my L series.

I have found a few guys who have used the factory L series radiators and had the inlet / outlet pipes changed and then fitted electric fans etc.

I have found a few guys who have used the Liberty Radiator with aftermarket electric fans mounted in front.

BUT I am yet to find anyone who fitted the factiry Liberty Radiator and Fans.

Has anyone done this / seen this done ?

guyph_01 · Post by **guyph_01** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:53 pm

The only way to get a Liberty Radiator in an L series is to chop a bit off the lower radiator mount. Its been done but its creates issues if you have to get the over the pits etc.

Factory radiator can be use, but they need to be new or freshly recon as the smaller L series rad is maybe just enough to cool the EJ22. If its old or blocked or has rotten fins the engine might over heat.

The best way would be to get a custom made twin or triple core(most ppl go twin)radiator that is the size of a factory L radiator but has Liberty size outlets. This fits in perfect and you can fit Electric fans. If you car does not have Air Con, you can place two 12" fans on the front( behind the grill) of the rad keeping the air flow towards the engine. This way you have more space. Its harder and a very tight to get the two fans between the engine and twin/triple core Radiator. The only downside is that they are expensive, about 500, unless you know or own a radiator shop:)

Either myself or El Freddo would have some info or pics on what and how we did on our cars:)

Checkers · Post by **Checkers** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:24 pm

Thanks for the info.

So if you use the L series then you can put aftermarket fans on the rear and keep your a/c ?

Just seems like a waste not to use the liberty setup which seems so nice .

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:00 am

I think youre better off getting custom made rad to suit yours.
Cheers
AP

Outback bloke · Post by **Outback bloke** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:21 am

You won't fit the Liberty radiator with the Liberty fans. The engine bay is not long enough. Vortex is a different story. I would suggest talking to an engineer in your area about fitting the EJ radiator and having to modify the radiator support panel.

It is nothing to do with the crumple zone on an L series, nor is it lod bearing. We fit them like that all the time in QLD and have no issues.

Checkers · Post by **Checkers** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:03 am

Outback bloke wrote:You won't fit the Liberty radiator with the Liberty fans. The engine bay is not long enough. Vortex is a different story. I would suggest talking to an engineer in your area about fitting the EJ radiator and having to modify the radiator support panel.

It is nothing to do with the crumple zone on an L series, nor is it lod bearing. We fit them like that all the time in QLD and have no issues.

I am confussed ...

You say they will not fit with the fans and then you tell me that you fit them like that all the time in QLD ?

Can you clarify what you mean ?

stamp_licker · Post by **stamp_licker** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 6:19 pm

Checkers wrote:I am confussed ...

You say they will not fit with the fans and then you tell me that you fit them like that all the time in QLD ?

Can you clarify what you mean ?

liberty rad + aftermarket fans= nice fit in l series;)

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 7:46 pm

Do you have any pics of the lower support panel mods , lack of height in this area is what makes a L Series so difficult to find a decent non std radiator for . I spent time at Pick and Payless trying all sorts of rads to see what would fit and very little is close on height , some of the early I think N12 or 13Pulsars come close but still a tad tall .

I really could kick the people who did that pannel and the L's heads in the cags .

Cheers A .

PS from all the rad catalogs I went through the other year it appears that the only difference in the Vortex EA82's radiator was width , its a little bit wider . Dunno what XT6's got but thats irrelevant anyway .

Checkers · Post by **Checkers** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 9:21 pm

Ok thanks for all the input, I will keep it in mind when I get into the shed later this week to do the EJ conversion.

At this stage as the RX gets used on the beach and tows the pop top I want the biggest radiator I can get and I want to keep my A/C.

The plan thus far is to use the Liberty radiator and if they will fit factory fans.

Chris_Rogers · Post by **Chris_Rogers** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:52 pm

clearance will be the issue. I have a EJ20HD in mine and the fans are on the FRONT of the radiator as they WILL NOT clear the engine.

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 9:20 am

I'd really like to see pics of radiator support panel mods to an L Series to get a Lib or Impreza radiator in . I would run the std L mechanical fan and as large an elec one in front on the drivers side as would physically fit .
We are not afraid of fabrication if done properly , we are afraid of cooked engines .

I think I memtioned that years ago my fabricator put a tremendous amount of effort into my old Bluebird to fit a Skyline GTR radiator and a large intercooler as well . It involved fab work on the bonnet to completly change the latch/locking mechanism but it worked really well .

Pics would be fantastic and hints on how to adapt the hoses .
Does anyone know how much higher/wider the most compact Lib/Impreza radiator is compared to the L Series one ?
Also is the Lib/Impreza core vertical or horizontal flow ?

Thanks in advance , Adrian .

spike · Post by **spike** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 11:15 am

if i could get my hands on a radiator then id gladly give it a shot.
anyone got a damaged lib/imprezza radiator?? for mock up

Pav · Post by **Pav** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:03 pm

Are there any cooling disadvantages to running the electric fans at the front of the radiator, rather than between the engine and radiator?

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:50 pm

yes.
There are two dirty big fans in the way blocking the air from getting to the radiator

Post by **Alex** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 3:08 pm

i had a custom dual core radiator made up, they used like gemini brass end tanks etc etc. Wasnt cheap, but kept my EJ22 very cool. I then used the same radiator to cool my ej20 turbo and it had no worries keeping that cool. I even damamged it and had afew of the galleries blocked off and it still had no trouble.

You will fit two davies craig fans on it on the engine side of the radiator with no worries, but from memory i think two 12inch fans will JUST not fit, but a 12 and a 10 will do the job.

alex

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 10:33 pm

I fitted two 12" davies craigs no problem. Comes down to how brutal you are with mounting the radiator. Needs to be as far forward in the car as possible, every mm counts.