This should probably be a sticky. These guys did a test with about five different radiators and about that many fans as well.

Click here for SR20DET fan/radiator test (http://home.satx.rr.com/nissanweb/RadTest/RadTest.htm)

This should probably be a sticky. Hope it helps some people out.

I've seen this before from spending some time on FA, and have talked to Kevin (one of the participants) at length on several occasions. It's certainly not ultra-scientific, but it's the best I've seen (and probably ever will see). Good chit! :biggthump

now the question is...... what year altima fans and will they fit our radators. I have a Koyo full aluminum and I would be willing to test this if I know they are going to fit.

Any year, and they fit with trimming on the sides to get between the frame rails. I have a set I'll be installing very soon and I'll try to take pics.

i love the cardboard they used to make the upper ducting panel. LOL

i will make this a sticky. i will check it out when i get home.

Don't be cheap. Get yourself a Koyo 53mm with Flex-A-Lite 210 or 220 dual pull-type fans. I hardly hit 80 celsius in the desert, and at home in San Francisco, I have yet to break into the 70's. Just don't let your friend hook up your relay backwards and drain your battery ;)

If you read the test, you'll see that the Altima fans out-flowed the Flexalites. Just because they're inexpensive doesn't mean they're inferior.

okay.....i have a question. will the sohc ka24 radiator work for the sr20det swap? well i know that itll work for the swap but how does it compare to the OEM sr20det radiator. the ka24 is bigger displacement therefore, wouldnt a ka radiator offer better cooling efficiency for the sr20 since its made for cooling a bigger engine?

I don't think the KA radiator is bigger or better. Turbo engines want to run hotter because of the compressed air. More displacement doesn't necessarily mean it will run hotter, it just means more air being pumped through the cylinders. When I pulled out my KA radiator, I was disgusted by its puny size. Oh yeah, and you'll need to get a generic radiator hose from a parts store because the upper hose is on the opposite side.

i wonder if that copper radiator by koyo is as big as the koyo aluminum. its half the price of the aluminum! the test says the copper is the best bang for the buck but does it perform better than the koyo aluminum racing radiator?

i wonder if that copper radiator by koyo is as big as the koyo aluminum. its half the price of the aluminum! the test says the copper is the best bang for the buck but does it perform better than the koyo aluminum racing radiator?


I had the Koyo copper radiator in my car w/ the F-A-L fans and they worked good together. It isn't as thick as the aluminum.
If your looking for a Koyo copper one, I have one for sale... PM me please.

I had the Koyo copper radiator in my car w/ the F-A-L fans and they worked good together. It isn't as thick as the aluminum.
If your looking for a Koyo copper one, I have one for sale... PM me please.
Faster than Blair ; ) Brent ive never met you but i know and have helped your brother alot. i thought it was funny to see Faster than Blair ; ) ha ha. Blair your losing it. or mabye your just getting old. HA HA HA :rofl: Anthony

i have a greddy aluminum with FAL dual fans and my car runs great.

how do i mount the altima fans?

Update: I feel that on hot enough days the Altima fans aren't doing the job. The car is far from overheating, but when the fans kick on they don't cool things down very quickly. I'm not certain they're wired on high; I wired them as per some instructions I found on Zilvia but I've seen several different ways to do it, and there doesn't seem to be a consensus. I'll play with them some more when I take them off the car.

Going in their place is the most recent fashionable junkyard part: a fan from a '90-'95 Ford Taurus w/3.8L engine. It's a big single fan (15 or 16 inches), two speeds, and is rated at over 4000 CFM on its high setting. The shroud is about the right height but not quite as wide as the radiator, but in my mind that just means I won't have to cut it...

I hope to have it installed this week and will give impressions after. I'll also check the Altima fans to see if the "high" side of the motors gave out, or if wiring pulled loose, or something. I remember them working much faster before.

Taurus fan - initial driving impression is that if it's better than the Altima fans, it's not so much I could tell. Drove around for half an hour, and it didn't seem to cool the engine any faster, at the same temps.

I'm going to try it more tomorrow, and may fool with the Altima setup some more too. If nothing else perhaps now I have a spare...