For those who don't want the hassle of a DIY, or locating the right screen, Racing Beat is now selling drop in screens for $19 each.

They look nice, and go right inside the rubber oil cooler sleeve. No affiliation, blah blah blah, I just figured people would want to know.

Racing Beat

 

I dont see them Tony, where exactly on the site?

 

Select the 'Oil System' category from the drop down box on the RX-8 page.

http://www.racingbeat.com/FRmazda4.htm

 

Any chance this is the same material as your CTS-V

 

how hard is it to install them. gotta take the font end off???

 

Great find! Thanks for posting this up, Tony!

 

On the bottom of the webpage.........it says......

Installation of the screens requires the removal of the front nose, and be accomplished with the provided step-by-step instructions. Installation can be undertaken by one person in about an hour and requires only simple hand tools.

 

some people (like me) find it a little scary to take the bumper off a brand new car but hope they design a air intake screen for the radiator in the bottom of the nose then would do the whole job at one time. As for now I am happy with my Gutterguard fix.

 

Installation of the screens requires the removal of the front nose, and be accomplished with the provided step-by-step instructions. Installation can be undertaken by one person in about an hour and requires only simple hand tools.

WTH!!!???

IMO, this is nuts! For $.50 each at Wallmat you get what you need, takes the skills of a kinderkarten kid (scissors) and about 5 minutes time. No removal of anything

There are threads on this mod..here is one:

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ht=oil+coolers

 

Well, there's a hole in the market for some type of screen, and it was only a matter of time before some vendor stepped up to the plate to fill it. Yes, you can make your own that is as good as or better for less than $5. But some people will pay $19 + shipping (a) just for the Racing Beat name, and (b) because Racing Beat's must be better, somehow, than the one you can make yourself, right?

Finally, I am not convinced that you cannot get to everything you need to without removing the front bumper. When my oil cooler lines were replaced, I wandered over and took a look at the work in progress. They had my '8 up on a lift and had the lower protective cover (starting at the bottom of the front bumper and running back from there) kind of "curled" back out of the way to access the oil cooler lines. While I didn't study it closely with access to the bumper openings in mind, I did note that there was quite a bit of room. So when I put my "permanent" ones on this summer (much like Tony Orlando did here) I'm sure going to try this simpler method first. We'll see.

 

In my opinion, I'd rather have something substantial deflecting large debris, as opposed to something that it will go right through, only mildly slowing down in the process. If I took a slingshot and fired a pebble at a screen door, it'd go through like it wasn't even there. Just an opinion, though.

For those with the extra 40 who would prefer to get it precut, there it is. And for anyone wondering, it goes inside the rubber "air collectors" that extend from the front of the coolers, it does not mount flush against the opening like I did mine.

 

edit: let me try reading before i post

 

No offense, but why not try opinionating from experience? Go get the material (all of $.50) and try your sling shot. I doubt anything sort of a small gun will penetrate it.

The material from Walmat (Quick Count 7 mesh sku# 032231570151, in the craft/sewing dept) is as different from screen material as tissue paper is from canvas.

Whatever, you seem hell bent on taking $40 and sending it to RB, regardless for some reason. Be my quest.

 

Tony made lots of money singing with Dawn so he doesn't mind:D

 

I'd rather have a screen mounted to the rear of the bumper rather then on the oil cooler itself where if something hits it the oil cooler is still going to take the impact.


BTW-removing the front bumper is not that hard

 

I agree about the screen being on the bumper as opposed to the cooler. That's why I did it the way I did.

And somebody needs to switch to decaf. I'm not hell bent on sending RB anything. I already did my own screens that I like better, as Omicron pointed out and can be seen on my Avatar. (or the thread he linked to.) I was simply providing an alternative for those people who don't want to go through the hassle of looking for the material that is strong and flows enough air, cutting it, plus finding a way to mount it that will provide durability when washed and exposed to highway speeds.

If at the time, I could have ordered something that I knew had been test fit, required no fab work, and would be shipped right to my door, (all for less than one day's pay) I very well may have gone that route.

If .50 cents is more your speed, more power to ya, but I think that $40 is more than fair, especially considering what some vendors charge for silly accessories that do nothing.

 

I agree with you completely. There are times when cheapest doesn't equal bargain...

OH... I found your front-end.... PM'd you...

 

HA. this is about 6 mos. too late for me. I drive a crapload of highway miles and both my oil coolers are already demolished !!!!

 

Received my protectors from RB today. I picked these over the home depot gutter guard since I liked the RB pattern. I will install it when I receive my front lip and have the front bumper off (probably 1-2 weeks.)
They are very durable and the instructions say to slide them into the plastic right in front of the oil coolers, not connect at the front bumper (instruction picture included below).

 

Very stiff and don't bend in. No rocks past these protectors!

 

I got mine yesterday and will put them in either Friday or Saturday. for me, choosing between paying $5 and possibly screwing it up the first time and having to pay $5 to try again(not to mention the time spent), or just paying $38 dollars and knowing they'll fit right the first time was an easy choice...

 

adrian-1/ScudRunner- Can one of you post a pic of your screens with a penny on it to show scale? I've begun my search for bulk material but few vendors carry high open area product so my choices may be few. Anyway I'd like to be able to compare the RB product.

 

Here's the screen and the penny.

 

Here's some install pictures. Fits perfectly inside the rubber piece. The mesh isn't as noticable as others since it's not mounted onto the bumper, but it'll do it job.

 

fitment 1