I install the uprated radiator from Pro Alloy in my MK3 Ford Focus RS!
The radiator in my MK3 Ford Focus RS is not something I gave much thought to until the middle of last year. It is tucked away behind a bunch of other components and doesn't really make itself known in every day use!
When I was in Germany at the Nurburgring, it was very apparent that when you push the car hard, under the bonnet gets very, very hot.
While I didn't suffer any issues as a result, I was letting the car cool after each lap, it made me think that the cooling system deserved to get some upgrades to make it as top notch as possible!
The main item in this set of upgrades is the radiator and I went with the Pro Alloy radiator as I am experienced in Pro Alloy's quality, fit and finish. Also, since I have the pro alloy intercooler, it made sense to get the matching radiator and to that effect, getting it the satin black colour option that is the same as my intercooler!
While in the area and while having the coolant drained, it seems like a no-brainer to also upgrade the coolant hoses and one option on the market that are great quality, look epic and are a very fair price are the silicon hoses from SiCo Developments!
These hoses are naturally heat resistant and will have more longevity over the stick rubber hoses and then I secure them with genuine Jubilee clamps, replacing the annoying spring clips and one of the little pinch clips. They also raise the aesthetics of the engine bay where they now stand out clearly - I got them in red which really pops!
I show the full installation process, doing it all on my own which is a bit of a fun challenge!
The one thing that I don't cover is the last part of the process which is filling with new coolant and bleeding the system. This is because I will be covering this in part 2, after the main event of part 2 which is installing a new, upgraded coolant expansion tank so make sure you tune in for that!
The stock Ford radiator was looking a bit tired, as you will see. The plastic end tanks make me nervous as they could potentially harden and crack with heat cycles over time, so the Pro Alloy having full welded on alloy tanks make for additional peace of mind going forward!
Another bit that was tired that I hadn't considered intiially was the foam that sits between the frame and radiator - it was dry and crumbling when I removed the Ford radiator from my Focus RS - so I went and bought a new one (part number on screen)!
I just wanted everything to be as fresh as possible which included doing some rust treatment on some bolts as well as the radiator frame, making it look nice in between radiators!
I am super happy with the outcome, even though you don't see much of the Pro Alloy radiator once installed - the main thing is to have it done and in place to look after the Focus RS engine! It was a big job but so worth it!
Pro Alloy say about their radiator upgrade:
We have increased the tube pitching of the new radiator core to maintain good ambient airflow through the radiator and with an increase in core thickness of 11%, achieved a gain in internal water flow of 5%. The increases we were able to make to the frontal area of the core ultimately giving an increase in surface area of 4.5%. The new Pro Alloy radiator is of an all aluminium construction and is skilfully TIG welded by our highly trained engineers. Being aluminium there are no plastic end tanks like the ones found on the original Ford unit - This mass produced style of radiator is always a weak point in any cooling system as the plastic is well known for bursting or cracking.
SiCo Developments say about their coolant hoses:
The SD Hoses Silicone Coolant hoses (part no. SD35) has been designed to replace the standard restrictive OEM hoses on the Focus MK3 RS.
The hose is constructed to provide a constant radius reducing restriction throughout the whole piping.
The hose is made from high-quality 3 layer mutli-ply silicone. It is available in Black, Red, White, Grey or Nitrous Blue to compliment the signature colours of the Focus RS range.
Pro Alloy radiator:
www.proalloy.co.uk/collection...
SiCo Developments coolant hoses:
www.sico-developments.co.uk/c...
Intercooler install video (featuring bumper removal):
• MOUNTUNE V2 ALLOY INTE...
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2 май 2024
