My original was leaking, so I ordered a new one from Montgomery Mazda. This may help you if you find yourself in the same situation with your MSP. My car has a CustomMSP SMIC, Injen CAI and TurboHoses hard pipes.
Mazda Part No : RF3F-15-200C, comes with new radiator cap and 1 rubber piece attached
Coolant: Get two gallons of your choice, I used Prestone 50/50 ready mix
Tools needed: ratchet wrench, screw drivers, 8 & 10 mm sockets and pliers
Helps to have a floor jack, creeper, stands, and a 5 gallon bucket to catch the old coolant drained.
Start by jacking up the car and placing the stands on the rail supports.
Open up the drain plug partially and let the coolant begin to drain out. There is a spigot on the radiator so you don't have to take it all the way out. Then remove the radiator cap.
Next remove the upper radiator hose where its attached in both places. I waited until most of the coolant drained before removing the lower hose at the radiator.
Take off the two radiator support brackets.
Disconnect both fan connectors and with a screwdriver gently pry out the retaining clips that hold the wires in place. The fan on the passenger side has 1 and the drivers side has 2 retaining clips. Squeeze while pulling apart the connectors. Do not pry or break them.
Remove the turbo to intercooler pipe. Also need to remove the BPV hose and both connections. Remove the breather hose from the Injen.
Remove the Injen clamps at the turbo and on both sides of the MAF. Be careful not to drop the MAF. Disconnect the MAF connector.
Remove the intercooler to throttle body pipe.
Remove the coolant overflow and hose
Now the coolant should be drained enough that you can remove the lower radiator hose without much if any coolant draining out.
Moving all of these things gives you plenty of room. You don't really care how the old one comes out but you better be real careful about how the new one goes in!
You should be able to pull out the radiator with the fans and SMIC attached now.
You'll need to transfer your fans and SMIC on to the new radiator. Do one at a time so you don't lose any bolts. Be real careful putting the new one back in and make sure that the it's sitting properly.
I found it easier to put the fan on the drivers side in after setting the radiator and SMIC in place. I know when I R&R the stock smic I did not remove the radiator, only the fan. There's only one bolt that is used with CustomMSP SMIC. But do it however you like. Like I said just be careful not to damage your new radiator.
Put back everything else in the reverse order that you removed. Then check all clamps and make sure that they are tight. Don't gorrilla tighten the MAF Clamps or any plastic end tank clamps. Make sure that you reseat the fan wire retaining clips and connect the connectors. I took the time to polish up the Injen and hard pipes since they were off and dirty before putting them back on.
Refill the radiator and overflow tank and put on the cap. Start the car and let it idle for 10 minutes. Check to make sure that nothing is leaking, ie any of the hose clamps. Radiator should not be leaking as its new.
Let the car cool down and open up the radiator cap and top off if low. Otherwise be glad you are done.
Mazda Part No : RF3F-15-200C, comes with new radiator cap and 1 rubber piece attached
Coolant: Get two gallons of your choice, I used Prestone 50/50 ready mix
Tools needed: ratchet wrench, screw drivers, 8 & 10 mm sockets and pliers
Helps to have a floor jack, creeper, stands, and a 5 gallon bucket to catch the old coolant drained.
Start by jacking up the car and placing the stands on the rail supports.
Open up the drain plug partially and let the coolant begin to drain out. There is a spigot on the radiator so you don't have to take it all the way out. Then remove the radiator cap.
Next remove the upper radiator hose where its attached in both places. I waited until most of the coolant drained before removing the lower hose at the radiator.
Take off the two radiator support brackets.
Disconnect both fan connectors and with a screwdriver gently pry out the retaining clips that hold the wires in place. The fan on the passenger side has 1 and the drivers side has 2 retaining clips. Squeeze while pulling apart the connectors. Do not pry or break them.
Remove the turbo to intercooler pipe. Also need to remove the BPV hose and both connections. Remove the breather hose from the Injen.
Remove the Injen clamps at the turbo and on both sides of the MAF. Be careful not to drop the MAF. Disconnect the MAF connector.
Remove the intercooler to throttle body pipe.
Remove the coolant overflow and hose
Now the coolant should be drained enough that you can remove the lower radiator hose without much if any coolant draining out.
Moving all of these things gives you plenty of room. You don't really care how the old one comes out but you better be real careful about how the new one goes in!
You should be able to pull out the radiator with the fans and SMIC attached now.
You'll need to transfer your fans and SMIC on to the new radiator. Do one at a time so you don't lose any bolts. Be real careful putting the new one back in and make sure that the it's sitting properly.
I found it easier to put the fan on the drivers side in after setting the radiator and SMIC in place. I know when I R&R the stock smic I did not remove the radiator, only the fan. There's only one bolt that is used with CustomMSP SMIC. But do it however you like. Like I said just be careful not to damage your new radiator.
Put back everything else in the reverse order that you removed. Then check all clamps and make sure that they are tight. Don't gorrilla tighten the MAF Clamps or any plastic end tank clamps. Make sure that you reseat the fan wire retaining clips and connect the connectors. I took the time to polish up the Injen and hard pipes since they were off and dirty before putting them back on.
Refill the radiator and overflow tank and put on the cap. Start the car and let it idle for 10 minutes. Check to make sure that nothing is leaking, ie any of the hose clamps. Radiator should not be leaking as its new.
Let the car cool down and open up the radiator cap and top off if low. Otherwise be glad you are done.
