Cutting bumper for Cooling, need opinions

[Bluefire16]

Hey guys, so i drive a 99 GST Automatic. I want some ideas of how to CLEANLY cut the front bumper to add more AIRFLOW to help cool the car.

My tranny tends to get a little warm, and im sure this is due to the FMIC block the tranny cooler. So first, i plan on installing a colder tranny cooler and mounting it where the stock IC was.

The car was also getting hot sometimes (i did the normal tricks, thermostat and rad cap), and still hot so its getting overhauled. Im pulling the head, new studs, water pump, t-belt ect ect....

I also am putting in a 20g turbo and its going full blown weekend warrior.

So what ideas do you have for better air flow, but needs to be clean.

 

[luckynumber5]

I have my cooler where the stock IC was, and it works great. The cooler gets a little warm sitting but in general stays cooler after a run than the stock one did at idle.

 

[Bluefire16]

Well mine is behind my FMIC and i was unable to move it because i had the one with hard lines. So like i said i am buying a new one.

Second, im asking how i can cut the bumper for a clean look and to improve air flow for cooling.

 

[dsmtun3r98gst]

Hmmm what type of FMIC do you have???? cus I have a huge FMIC and we been having 92-96 degree weather and I haven't had an overheating problem.(no modifications to the bumper either other than triming the black part under the licence plate.

I also run an automatic transmission with a huge cooler mounted where the stock IC used to be.

By the way I have the VR SPEED FMIC

 

[Bluefire16]

My profile is correct and up to date, but i have a SSAutochrome front mount. I believe my HG may have a slow leak, so thats why im pulling the head.

But 2 times on long road trips, say 2-3 hrs or more, tranny fluid has come out of the top of the tranny fluid tube (where the A/T dipsticks are to check), well i believe, because i couldnt find any leaks anywhere.

It would spill out the top, then start to smoke and burn off and you could see smoke behind the car. I pulled over instantly, checked underneath and had a good look over. You could smell it and i saw the Red color. The car has ran fine since and i checked the levels and its good. So this is why i think its overheating.

 

[68442]

I used a dremel to do the fine cutting, for the large portion I used a sawzall and a air cutoff wheel, turned out good enough for me, some touch up paint for the black edges and your set. Helped a lot with cooling my car, your adding like 3 inches of air flow. You also have to cut some of the 5mph crash bumper so it doesn't hang down into it.

 

[gixrman]

Cutting may not help, correct airflow ducting is critical. Moving air around your FMIC to cool the rad will create pressure differences and may hinder cooling of the FMIC. You want to box in the FMIC and rad so the fans draw air though both and the same at speed. Also think about venting the hood before hacking up the bumper. Gettting a replacement hood is easier than a new factory bumper.

 

[69_luv]

I wouldn't cut the bumber at all. What ever you do don't take away the tranny cooler behind your FMIC, but piggy back in another cooler. I mounted duel coolers, one on the left, and one on the right in place of where the old SMIC used to be.
Automatic Transmission SuperCoolers
also ones with fans on them:
Hi-Tek Automatic Transmission Cooling System

You could probably get away with just one cooler in place of the SMIC if it had the electric fan on it. You could also add some electric fans onto the stock tranny cooler. There is a ton of options but it pains me to hear people talking about cutting up their cars...holes cut in bumpers don't exactly help when the car is in stop/go traffic.

 

[kawgomoo]

if ## head gasket is leaking the motor will overheat everytime u get on it.

exhaust gas is 1500 plus degrees. doesnt take much being pushed into the coolant to overheat the cooling system.

cutting your bumper is ####ing stupid.

 

[bane3d]

I'm confused by this. I have my SMIC on the passenger side, transcooler on the drivers side, and external oil cooler up front. Do they not put the transcooler on 99 on the drivers side opposite of the SMIC?

d

 

[69_luv]

I'm confused by this. I have my SMIC on the passenger side, transcooler on the drivers side, and external oil cooler up front. Do they not put the transcooler on 99 on the drivers side opposite of the SMIC?

d

I guess I should have been slightly clearer. When you take the SMIC out and replace it with a FMIC like he had, that leaves a spot to put a cooler. I ran aftermarket tranny coolers on each side of my FMIC on my last auto. When I drop my SMIC on my 99 I will also put a tranny cooler on the passenger side.

 

[bane3d]

I guess I should have been slightly clearer. When you take the SMIC out and replace it with a FMIC like he had, that leaves a spot to put a cooler. I ran aftermarket tranny coolers on each side of my FMIC on my last auto. When I drop my SMIC on my 99 I will also put a tranny cooler on the passenger side.

I thought he was saying his FMIC was blocking his trans cooler. I know on a 97, it looks like the pic attached. Did they move it to the center on the 98 -99 like the moved the charcoal cannister? My cannister is below my battery and is a pita to get to.

edit: BTW, this is not my car. I looked it up and some of them had it on the drivers side and some had them off center above the AC cooler. I don't know why they kept moving them all over the place.

 

[Bluefire16]

My trans cooler is actually in the middle. So it is completly blocked by the FMIC.

What i was planning on doing was running, one larger and colder Trans cooler, where m STOCK SMIC WAS. Why would i keep the stock? Its so small and useless....

The cutting i was going to do was 2 cuts out of the top by the Mitshi Logo.

Look like this /===/ Logo \===\ *i cannto space the = sign wide enough, but u get the idea

 

[69_luv]

The stock on the driver side still has vents from the inner fender-well and it is mostly good to go, so there is no need to take it out. Just piggy back your new cooler in and put it in place of where your SMIC was. I ran a pair of cheap steel braided lines that where long enough to go across the front end and ran one cooler into the next. I had a tranny temp guage and by adding the second cooler I was able to power brake the car (put foot on brake, and push gas up to 2500k and build boost) and then launch. I could hold for 3-5 seonds before tranny temp started to cllimb. I couldn't do that before I got the second cooler. Take the bumper slot cover off on the driver side and that will allow air flow right onto the tranny cooler. I think it was two phillips screws that hold that black plastick cover on the driver side.

If I am not mistaken on either side of the logo wouldn't do any good. There is the bumper support right behind there.

 

[motozachl]

...
The cutting i was going to do was 2 cuts out of the top by the Mitshi Logo.

Look like this /===/ Logo \===\ *i cannto space the = sign wide enough, but u get the idea

Per your request

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[joyfil2001]

Ok, where did you get those carbon pieces?!!!

 

[Bluefire16]

^^ Yes! Thats what i saw somewhere. I have to imagine it helps, because i can see it is directing airflow just under the small metal brace, and the air can then get inbetween the bumper and hit the rad or tranny cooler(stock).

As bar as bummper support, mine is gone. Like so many others i just decided to ditch the whole thing when my FMIC went on.

Also, just like asked above...where can i get some? I am planning on buying a CF hood as well and this would look sick.

 

[agedog2gT]

i am about to cut my bumper to, i think ill be doing something similar to an evo 8 or 9.

 

[Bluefire16]

There was a awesome thread about putting one of the new evo bumpers on the Eclipse....a member started, but last i checked it was over a year since a update.

I am almost willing to attempt it myself

 

[gixrman]

Per your request

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Shouldn't they be the other way to follow the body lines ( headlights) I see why he did it to follow the diamond star bot it doesn't match the other side.

something like this

 

[Bluefire16]

^^ This isnt a appearance mod, this serves a function. I think its the cleanest way to have them and to serve the most purpose and effectively help direct airflow.

 

[bane3d]

Shouldn't they be the other way to follow the body lines ( headlights) I see why he did it to follow the diamond star bot it doesn't match the other side.

You'll notice that they force air to the center. If they followed the body lines, it would bring in air, but diffuse it. This concentrates it to the middle. I believe this is correct.

d

 

[motozachl]

It's called a Titek air duct

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TiTek Carbon Fiber Air Duct for the Nissan 350z


For reference (has many pics): http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/bolt-tech/375053-upper-bumper-cooling-vents-2g.html

 

[agentorange313]

that the same piece stm is using with there 2g forward acing turbo manifold. Its really nice.

 

[joyfil2001]

Sweet. Ebay has them for $45 shipped each.