There is a thread or two on here about using the N/A radiator on a turbo setup, but they're a bit confusing unless you're standing at the car. So I made this little diagram which helped me a lot and hopefully it will help someone else.
I'm using a WRX aux coolant tank, but I think the stock Legacy turbo one has the same fittings. The biggest thing you have to remember is to cut and take off the bottom rubber gasket on the radiator cap (on the radiator, not the coolant tank). The green lines in the diagram always carry coolant, the blue ones are overflow.
Hope this helps!
--Andy
2005 Impreza 2.5RS. Traded :(
1991 Legacy L w/1994 EJ22T, 16G, WRX 5MT. Sold :(
1993 Legacy L AWD 5MT, 153k miles and many, many more to go.
2008 Legacy 2.5i Limited
or you could just skip the aux tank and run the hard line from the water pump directly to the turbo, then the output from the turbo to the heads; problem solved.
just be mindful of not driving the car hard then shutting it down abruptly.
You don't actually need to cut the cap on the radiator, though it is a much better way to do it. It just either needs to be bad, which most are, or it needs to have a lower pressure than the cap on the expansion tank.
I'll add one thing: after you modify the radiator cap, make sure that you're using pressure-safe hose to go from the cap to the tank. The stock hose attached to the cap fitting is not rated to handle pressurized coolant. Heater hose is hard to find in that size, so I would suggest you just use 5/16" fuel hose.
"Just reading vrg3's convoluted, information-packed posts made me feel better all over again." -- subyluvr2212
I'll add one thing: after you modify the radiator cap, make sure that you're using pressure-safe hose to go from the cap to the tank. The stock hose attached to the cap fitting is not rated to handle pressurized coolant. Heater hose is hard to find in that size, so I would suggest you just use 5/16" fuel hose.
Yea, that's what I ended up using. Just got everything plumbed in today. Having a problem sorting some of the PCV stuff but I'll work on it this week.
--Andy
2005 Impreza 2.5RS. Traded :(
1991 Legacy L w/1994 EJ22T, 16G, WRX 5MT. Sold :(
1993 Legacy L AWD 5MT, 153k miles and many, many more to go.
2008 Legacy 2.5i Limited
You could also use a couple of the hoses that go from the turbo radiator to the coolant pipe on the intake manifold with a fitting between. They aren't THAT expensive new.
I know this thread is old as hell.. the pic link is dead. I just can't get my head wrapped around this set up. can somebody please draw a diagram and/or take some pictures with description so I can get my swap done.
Derek
93 legacy wagon 5speed -Ej22t swap
92 SVX
86 vanagon with an SVX swap
01 outback the lactation-station-wagon
On the turbo cooling radiator there is a nipple on the top passenger side of the radiator that goes to the coolant filler tank. On the non-turbo radiator this is where the bleeder screw is located. To use the non-turbo radiator what you need to do is first remove the rubber gasket part from the lower portion of the radiator cap. Then you run a hose from the non-turbo radiator's overfill port (on the filler neck) to the spot on the turbo coolant filler tank where the line I mentioned above (from the turbo radiator on the pass side) goes to.
When you fill up the cooling system, you fill the radiator with the bleeder screw open and just like you do a non-turbo setup. Close the bleeder screw, and fill the radiator as full as it will go, then put the cap on, and then fill the system the rest of the way via the turbo filler tank.
If you still need it, maybe someone can draw you a diagram.
