The Evans Cooling kit includes...
The Evans Cooling kit includes everything you need to keep your pony cool. The electric fan is available as an option. You can use your stock clutch fan, or ECS can supply you with either a single or dual-electric unit.
The ever-aging 5-liter Mustang suffers from many maladies, and one of the most important is cooling system degradation. Barely adequate for the stock engine, performance modifications can place a higher demand on an already taxed system. Add in the average age of the components and you have the perfect recipe for poor cooling.
Sit in any black Mustang GT that's idling in traffic during an average 95-degree summer day, and you can watch the temperature needle rise. AOD-equipped cars have it even worse because part of the radiator is used for transmission cooling.
The stock 5-liter cooling system also suffers from another problem. "Ford downsized the diameter of the radiator inlets on the Fox Mustang and this restricts the flow of the coolant and ultimately hurts the performance of the system," said Dave Wright of Evans Cooling Systems. "They actually went up a size when they went to the '94-95 models. Flow is everything when you're talking about performance applications."
Evan Cooling Systems (ECS) has advanced cooling components for all kinds of vehicles, including diesel trucks, race engines and street cars. The key component is its NPG coolant. NPG, which stands for non-aqueous propylene glycol, is a waterless coolant. Why is this important you ask? Well we're about to tell you.
We said goodbye to cracked...
We said goodbye to cracked clutch fans and cruddy radiators. This job is really simple if you have basic mechanical skills and tools. Heating the drain plugs will be the most difficult task, and if you don't feel comfortable with doing that or replacing the water pump, you might want to have a professional technician complete the job. We spent two days on the installation, but if you work straight through, it shouldn't take longer than four or five hours. We did ours in mid winter and the garage wasn't heated, so we took frequent breaks to let our hands thaw out.
The main thing to know about water is at a certain temperature, it turns to vapor. Water vapor doesn't absorb the heat from the metal surfaces that it is trying to cool (namely cylinder heads and walls), and this creates higher combustion temperatures, which can lead to detonation. Detonation is bad, very bad. Evans NPG and NPG+ coolants contain no water, so you never encounter a vapor-related overheating situation. They also have boiling points of 370 and 375 degrees respectively. This keeps the internal engine components cool and happy, even under higher than normal temperatures.
Water-based coolants use a higher system pressure in order to raise the boiling point of the coolant and while this is effective, it has its downside. Increased pressure means more strain on the individual components like hoses and gaskets. The high-boiling point of the NPG coolant allows it to run with little or no system pressure at all. At colder temperatures, water will freeze and expand, which is why engines are equipped with freeze-out plugs. Propylene glycol, on the other hand, shrinks and becomes a gel. NPG's waterless nature eliminates system corrosion and water pump cavitation, too.
NPG is ECS's original formula that was designed primarily for racing applications. NPG+ adds ethylene glycol to change the viscosity below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Racers need to check with their local tracks, as some do not allow the use of ethylene-glycol coolants. If it's a strip only machine, chances are you're not worried about sub-zero performance anyway. The fact that the NPG coolant doesn't evaporate means you never have to add to it, and ECS claims their test vehicles with over 200,00 miles on them show no signs of chemical deterioration, which makes the system virtually maintenance free.
In addition to the NPG coolant, ECS also has complete cooling systems for vehicle-specific applications. These systems include a custom high-flow/high-capacity aluminum radiator, redesigned or modified water pump, ECS-specific thermostat, hoses and special clamps. Cooling fans are an option, as the user can choose between their factory unit or the high-performance pieces ECS sells.
The first things we removed...
The first things we removed were the stock clutch fan and shroud. It is easier to crack the fan bolts loose with the serpentine belt in place. Then remove the belt and the bolts. Two bolts at the top hold the shroud on. Once those are out, lift the fan and shroud out at the same time. With our particular installation, we had to work around our newly installed ATI ProCharger. We were able to remove the entire supercharger/air compressor/bracket assembly all in one shot, and followed this with the belt tensioner. This allowed us the necessary access to the water pump, and ample room to work.
As you can see, our intercooler...
As you can see, our intercooler provided an obstruction when we opened the petcock, but we solved the problem by using a plastic scraper to redirect the fluid. The switch to a waterless coolant requires you to get all of the old antifreeze out of the system, and ECS recommends removing the block drain plugs to do this. The drain plugs are Allen-head bolts located toward the bottom and back of the block. Ours were not cooperative, so you'll probably need to heat them up with some sort of torch. Since we didn't have access to one, we removed the water pump and used compressed air to force out the remainder of the fluid. Using a small hand-held propane unit might get the job done but frankly, we didn't think of that until later. Evans Cooling also recommends flushing the system (prior to draining) with its Prep Fluid.
We recently bolted on a ProCharger P-1SC supercharger to our resident '90 Mustang GT. While the intercooled ProCharger generates lower intake temperatures than a normal centrifugal unit, we felt the coolant system should be upgraded not only for improved performance, but to protect the engine under boost conditions. Long time MM&FF readers may recall project Code Blue, our Vortech-blown '93 GT. We had quite a few issues with managing heat in the engine after the supercharger install and we were going to make sure this didn't happen again with our latest project.
Our stock cooling system has seen a couple of water pump replacements, a new radiator and even a 180-degree thermostat, but water temperatures have no fear of heights come summertime, even with the naturally aspirated stock powerplant. Since the supercharged combination has yet to see summer duty, we're going the preventative maintenance route by installing a high-performance cooling system before those problems have a chance to make themselves known. This will also be helpful as we intend to increase the boost level later on.
Installation is fairly straight forward, and a lot easier if you have replaced the water pump before. Some very minor fabrication was needed for the radiator support brackets and when mounting the coolant reservoir, but it wasn't anything difficult.
After the system has been...
After the system has been drained, remove the upper and lower radiator hoses and then take off the radiator support brackets. The radiator is now free so pull it out of the car, being careful not to leak any coolant onto the vehicle. Now you're ready to remove the water pump studs. They are of various lengths, so be sure to mark them so you know which one goes where during reassembly. You can take out the two bolts that secure the thermostat housing, and then remove the heater supply hose from the heater line on the lower intake manifold. At this point, take off the heater bypass hose, which runs from the thermostat housing to the water pump. You can also leave it on and remove all of the pieces together.
Evans recommends removing the drain plugs in order to eliminate all of the old coolant from the system. The drain plugs gave us quite the fight and refused to come out. You'll probably need to heat them up with a welder. A small propane torch might work, but we didn't try one.
The final coolant mixture should have no more than five percent of water content, so removing the drain plugs is essential. If you can't get them out, you can send ECS a 1-ounce sample of the coolant from the radiator in a screw-on type container, and they can tell you what the mixture is. They also have test strips that you can get to make sure you're in the ballpark. If you need to do this, call their phone number listed below, as there is a different address to send the sample to.
The ECS system for the 5-liter Mustang sells for $895, and features a high-flow aluminum radiator (made for ECS by Griffin), a high-flow water pump, thermostat housing and thermostat, gaskets, hoses, clamps and, of course, 5 gallons of NPG+. ECS also offers a variety of overflow tanks as well as electric fans for any application. We opted to replace the stock clutch fan and went with a single electric unit ($129.99), as our supercharger did not offer the necessary room to fit the dual setup ($249.99). For those living in warmer climates, or cars with custom computer tuning, ECS recommends they not use the included thermostat, as the system is designed to flow openly. People in the colder northern climates may want to use it to get some heat from the engine.
Our detailed captions will get you through the installation of the Evans Cooling Systems kit. The ECS kit comes with detailed instructions, and its Website is quite helpful should you have other questions. A Chiltons or Haynes manual will come in handy if this is the first time you have replaced the water pump.
Whether your car is unnaturally aspirated or not, it can benefit from a high-performance cooling system. The factory design is good at best and as our cars get older, most of these parts will need to be replaced anyway, so it only makes sense to upgrade. After all, that's what you're doing to the rest of the engine. Ignoring your cooling system is like ignoring your brakes. You're only asking for trouble, so read on to find out how to make your cooling system perform like a pro.
With the old water pump and...
With the old water pump and thermostat/housing removed, scrape the mounting surface until it is clean and free of any gasket material. Use brake cleaner or a similar solvent to thoroughly clean the area afterwards.
Unless your car has the heater...
Unless your car has the heater blocked off, you'll need to install this supplied fitting. Apply some Teflon(r) tape on the threads to make sure it seals properly. Use the stock hose to connect it to the heater rail on the intake manifold. To the right, you can see the small hole for the full-time bleed line.
The ECS thermostat housing...
The ECS thermostat housing is made from aluminum like the original, but is manufactured for improved flow. Here, you can see the braided steel bleed line, which will be attached to the water pump. This allows air to escape from the pressure side of the water pump and to make its way out to the overflow container. Be sure to wrap the threads with the aforementioned Teflon(r) tape prior to installation.
Because the ECS thermostat...
Because the ECS thermostat housing is flat, you won't be able to use these two factory bolts. A quick trip to the hardware store is in order. Be sure to get some lock washers to go with the shorter bolts. We used the smaller stock one as a reference.
Evans Cooling supplies a Fel-Pro...
Evans Cooling supplies a Fel-Pro housing gasket, as well as a water pump gasket. Although we've used silicone gasket sealer in past water pump/thermostat installations, we opted not to use it here. As it turned out, we didn't need it. The water pump is mounted using the studs that you previously marked. Don't over tighten them, as they are secured into the aluminum timing cover, and breaking one of those can be a time-consuming and costly repair.
The hard part is over. Now,...
The hard part is over. Now, drop in the new radiator. Our project car had an oversized battery that prevented us from getting the radiator over as far as it could have gone, but it was less than an inch difference so we didn't worry too much. Getting the unit to fit will require you to relieve the upper and lower support brackets of their rubber insoles. You'll have to modify the upper support brackets with a pair of pliers to get them to clamp to the new radiator properly. Just take your time and don't bend them too much or they may break.
The lower tabs will need to...
The lower tabs will need to be bent outward slightly to allow the radiator to sit in the slot. Once we had the radiator's arrangement straightened out, we pulled it back out so we could mount the fan and overflow bottle.
We chose a single electric...
We chose a single electric fan because it was thinner than the dual unit. This extra space was required because of our supercharger's serpentine beltdrive. The single unit also allowed us to move it around on the radiator to gain the most clearance. The fan comes with its own mounting straps, but we had to dig into our own stash of nuts and bolts for fasteners. We already have a few other items running to the solenoid, so the unit was wired to a switched lead in the fuse box. The ground wire was mounted to another ground on the inner fender. We ran the wires along the bottom core support to conceal them.
Though its not too pretty,...
Though its not too pretty, it is out of sight and will hold strong. We used some of the left over fan mounting straps to offer some additional support. We used one of the clips from the original shroud and its matching screw to secure the one side, while a nut and bolt were employed on the other. You'll need to drill the holes, so be careful and drill through the metal tab. You don't want to drill into one of the cores of your brand new radiator. The metal tab between the two fasteners comes with the radiator. They are for the factory shroud should you decide to use it. If you do plan to use the factory clutch fan and shroud, take note of the clearance between the two, as the radiator's increased size will set the fan further into the shroud.
The upper tab on our overflow...
The upper tab on our overflow tank was broken. The factory fastener is a screw with a large washer that held it in place over the years. Since we couldn't use that, we utilized another leftover piece of mounting strap and used a plastic tie to secure it. This will do until we get around to replacing the tank.
Once you have finalized the...
Once you have finalized the position of the fan, radiator and overflow tank, install the air compressor and its bracket, the power steering pump (it bolts to the bottom of the bracket) and then the radiator assembly using the upper support brackets. Check all of your clearances again and then install the upper and lower radiator hoses using the supplied clamps. These may need to be cut to fit, but ours went in without modification. Top the system off with the Evans NPG+ coolant and install the supplied 7-pound radiator cap. Make sure you use the ECS piece, as the stock unit has a different pressure rating.
Here is our supercharged steed...
Here is our supercharged steed ready for the summer onslaught of hot temperatures and high humidity. We will now laugh in the face of bumper-to-bumper traffic, as our Evans Cooling System is up to the task.