CSF Radiator & IE IC Install Update:
So after installation yesterday I was not happy with the clearance available for the main engine harness and the upper radiator hose. Without modifications and rerouting the harness, the front bumper would not bolt back to the chassis. FYI- I made use of the supplied IE bolt and chose to keep the front bumper in the forward service position.
This is not a super complicated disassembly but it is tricky and will try your patience. Lots of plastic clips to unbuckle and for a newby this may prove challenging. It’s the first time I have taken the front clip off the Mk7. The IC clips are a pain and I can see how they can easily be broken and at $50 a piece they are stupid expensive for what they are. One of the upper radiator clips just did not want to unclip. One side, a piece of cake and the other did not want to come undone. Clipping the AC condenser tabs back into the IE IC proved challenging as well. It’s a tight fit and you will need to line them up perfectly and tap them in.
I digress: long story short at 4:30pm yesterday I made the executive decision to put the stock radiator back in.
Before some radiator fan shroud trimming.
The lower plastic IC pipe was not allowing me to seat the front radiator shroud/front bumper back onto the chassis rails. Passenger side would bolt up but I had 3/8 to 1/2” interference on the driver side. For reference the upper radiator is not connected to the radiator.
I trimmed a fan brace that the IC pipe was hitting. This provided the necessary clearance but then the fan center was hitting the main engine harness. I cut the zip ties in 3 to 4 mounting locations and rerouted the harness over the back of the starter solenoid. I think there is room to reroute below the IC charge pipe from the turbo but I was on a time crunch and didn’t explore this option. I was able to bolt up the bumper to the chassis rail with these modifications. This left left very little wiggle room to prevent chafing of the upper radiator hose and on the engine harness. On the track the engine will be rocking on the engine and trans mounts.
Upper hose clearance with the bumper bolted to the chassis rail:
After rerouting the engine harness:
After some clearance trimming:
IC outlet to intake:
This is not a drop in fit. At least the combination of IE IC and CSF radiator. The stack up width backs the radiator fan into the engine bay causing some packaging issues. I would be interested to hear if anyone else has successfully completed these two mods together. If so, how?
Folks, I wish I had better news for those that track on a regular basis. Especially in hotter climates. I wouldn’t be comfortable recommending this combination until I can make it fit safely. Heck, if the IC wasn't already clipped in and such a pain to get unclipped, I may have put the stock IC back in and kept the CSF radiator.
If the header tank was designed to be flush with the wider core it would create another 3/8” of much needed clearance.