V8S Radiator - Out With Old.....

[phillpot]

google search "Pistonheads TVR S Series Subaru radiator"....................


Here's one to get you started

[GreenV8S]

If you have the choice, use a vertical flow rad - they are much more reliable.

[v8s4me]

Get the old one re-cored. It's probably going to cost a little bit more than a second-hand Subaru rad but it will drop straight back in.

[Ceejay73]

v8s4me said:

Get the old one re-cored. It's probably going to cost a little bit more than a second-hand Subaru rad but it will drop straight back in.

Sorry Joe but who mentioned fitting "second hand Subaru rads"?

I don't know of anyone who has done this and the one I fitted in the post linked above was certainly not second hand. I can see where some confusion may arise due to the massive cost difference between the Radtec and the Subaru after market alloy rad but that is the whole point of the exercise.

Cheers,
Carl.

[v8s4me]

Ceejay73 said:

v8s4me said:

Get the old one re-cored. It's probably going to cost a little bit more than a second-hand Subaru rad but it will drop straight back in.

Sorry Joe but who mentioned fitting "second hand Subaru rads"?

I don't know of anyone who has done this and the one I fitted in the post linked above was certainly not second hand. I can see where some confusion may arise due to the massive cost difference between the Radtec and the Subaru after market alloy rad but that is the whole point of the exercise.
Cheers,Carl.

OK -

v8s4me said:

Get the old one re-cored. It's probably going to cost a little bit more than an second-hand after-market Subaru rad but it will drop straight back in.

The point still stands, re-fitting a re-cored original will be a lot easier.

[Kitchski]

We've fitted a Subaru rad in the past. There's a picture of it in my book somewhere (on the PC at home, otherwise I'd post it here). Had a twin-fan and alloy cowling on the back. Worked really well.

Cost was about £320, including the twin fans. You could buy one on its own for around £180, and fit your existing fan. Had to get a bit creative with the hoses and mounts, but they really aren't miles out. We made some rubber mounts and bolt-on sockets for the top, and elongated the slots for the pegs at the bottom. All fitted using original rad frame and wiring etc.

I'd go that route if I were to fit a new rad to either of mine. The Radtec ones are decent, but as said there's the cost to consider. If you're paying a garage to fit it, the Subaru one won't work out any cheaper, as there's the added faffing to fit it, but it would be better value (twin fans, deeper core etc.)

Re-core isn't a route I'd take, personally. I like the idea of repairing rather than replacing, and if I was keeping it all OE then I'd certainly go that route, but in the past I've had mixed results with the success of them, and they often cost around £200 or more. The alloy one is a good bit lighter, too (until you fill it with coolant )

[G16GAM]

Thanks all for your replies! Quote £250 + VAT for recore from local company (Sussex). Any cheaper places ? If not, Subaru it is.

[v8s4me]

G16GAM said:

Thanks all for your replies! Quote £250 + VAT for re-core from local company (Sussex). Any cheaper places ? If not, Subaru it is.

I paid £220. Someone who lives north of Luton will be on shortly saying they can get it done locally for a lot less + a six-pack of Newcastle Brown Ale We live in the South East so everything is more expensive.

Don't forget to factor in the additional cost of any one-off brackets and hoses you may need. Also, if you buy a rad sold for a Subaru and you fit it to a TVR will the warranty hold good?

Just one final observation; mine runs cooler with the re-cored old-skool rad than it did with the stupid money alloy ones. No idea why, it just does.

Edited by v8s4me on Tuesday 25th June 23:19

[Deeman]

v8s4me said:

We live in the South East so everything is more expensive

Edited by v8s4me on Tuesday 25th June 23:19

Sadly - Isn’t that the truth. Strangely ATMs remain mostly free south of Luton to take your money out - the last remaining benefit.

The quote difference for doing my interior and roof between quality names in the North and sharks in the south, was eye-watering

[mentall]

v8s4me said:

Also, if you buy a rad sold for a Subaru and you fit it to a TVR will the warranty hold good?

Unfortunately, the manufacturer's warranty on my S3C expired some time ago.

However, the Subaru radiator is still giving every satisfaction three years after fitting. (So also out of warranty).

I estimate it took two extra hours of pleasant work to fit it.

[lewdon]

Bryan & Sons, Camden Road, Tunbridge wells, tel [phone]. re-cored my S2 radiator in 2012 for £132 no vat. It is still going with no overheating problems.
They have a tiny workshop down a back alley, but I have just googled them and they appear to still be in business. I would thoroughly recommend them, they did a first class job.

[Kitchski]

mentall said:

v8s4me said:

Also, if you buy a rad sold for a Subaru and you fit it to a TVR will the warranty hold good?

Unfortunately, the manufacturer's warranty on my S3C expired some time ago.

However, the Subaru radiator is still giving every satisfaction three years after fitting. (So also out of warranty).

I estimate it took two extra hours of pleasant work to fit it.

He obviously means the warranty on the parts. It's a valid point, though unless you buy all your gear from TVR Parts or Racetech et al, the same could be applied to brake pads; brake discs; servos; master cylinders; wheel cylinders; clutches; manifold gaskets; radiators; ball joints; wheel bearings; UJs; handbrake cables......most of the car, really, as it's all listed as fitting something else.

[zombeh]

I'd recore over replacing with something else, the only reason I fitted a subaru one was that at some point in the several years my radtech one lasted I'd scrapped the original

[Oldred_V8S]

lewdon said:

Bryan & Sons, Camden Road, Tunbridge wells, tel [phone]. re-cored my S2 radiator in 2012 for £132 no vat. It is still going with no overheating problems.
They have a tiny workshop down a back alley, but I have just googled them and they appear to still be in business. I would thoroughly recommend them, they did a first class job.

Absolutely this.

Mr. Bryan is an artisan and a really nice guy!

[DJR 7]

Alan, if you are changing your rad to the Subaru alternative I’d be interested in purchasing your old one.

Cheers
Darren

[ChimpOnGas]

v8s4me said:

Just one final observation; mine runs cooler with the re-cored old-skool rad than it did with the stupid money alloy ones. No idea why, it just does.

A copper core and brass tanked radiator will always be far more efficient than an aluminium one, because copper and brass conducts heat way better than aluminium, this is why copper and brass have been used to construct radiators since time in memorial.

As the OP has already discovered a traditional copper core/brass tanked radiator will also be far more durable than an aluminium one because copper/brass and braze/solder are way more flexible than aluminium.... especially aluminium welded joints which can be very brittle!

If a radiator or heat exchanger to give its correct title is likely to be subject to vibration you should never go with aluminium construction, a TVR engine bay is full of vibration and the chassis the rad is bolted to is subject to flex too so aluminium is a very poor material choice in this aplication.

A good traditional recore of your the original copper core and brass tanked radiator is therefore the way to go, it'll fit perfectly first time, be infinitely longer lasting and more durable, and finally it will be a significantly more efficient heat exchanger.

Finally if you ever get a chance to see what goes into a proper recore job you'll see it's more of a new radiator than a reconditioned one, often you will not only get a new core but you'll get new tanks too and 95% of a radiator is core and tanks.

The only reason you would ever choose aluminium over a traditional copper core and brass tanked radiator is if you were building a race car where every kilo saved may make the difference between a win on the track or second place. On the road in an old TVR you'll never notice a radiator thats a few KG lighter but you will notice the results of a split aluminium radiator soon enough.

These are the facts about car radiators and the material differences used in their construction, aluminium looks sexy and may make you feel you're upgading your TVR..... but the truth is by fitting and aluminium radiator all you're actually doing is adding a weaker and leess reliable component that is also a far less efficient heat exchanger!

Edited by ChimpOnGas on Saturday 27th July 08:31

[spitfire4v8]

ChimpOnGas said:

since time in memorial.

I didn't realise time was dead. So sad.

Today I will mostly be mourning the passing of time ..

[v8s4me]

ChimpOnGas said:

v8s4me said:

Just one final observation; mine runs cooler with the re-cored old-skool rad than it did with the stupid money alloy ones. No idea why, it just does.

A copper core and brass tanked radiator will always be far more efficient than an aluminium one, because copper and brass conducts heat way better than aluminium, this is why copper and brass have been used to construct radiators since time in memorial.

And this is exactly what I have found but having wasted stupid money on two very sexy Radtec radiators.

It's worth remembering - A wise man learns from his mistakes; a clever man learns from other peoples'.

[GreenV8S]

ChimpOnGas said:

A copper core and brass tanked radiator will always be far more efficient than an aluminium one, because copper and brass conducts heat way better than aluminium,

There's a huge variation between the different alloys and fabrication techniques and quite a lot of overlap between them. A good aluminium radiator can outperform a copper one. The big weakness of aluminium is that it is very weak. In a stressed design they have to use thicker sections of a stronger alloy and these both cut down the cooling. In general, horizontal flow aluminium radiators are less durable and less efficient than vertical flow ones just because they have more thermal stresses so have to be made stronger.

[ChimpOnGas]

A slight spelling gaff on my part but many use my version, also used to indicate something that has been that way since the beginning of time, in this case copper and brass were always the go to materials for constructing vehicle radiators because they were and still are the best choice.

In the last 20 years or more modern manufacturer technology has given us plastic tanked radiators, but only because it saves the car manufacturer money.

The best choices remain brass and copper but it is expensive!

Edited by ChimpOnGas on Saturday 27th July 22:46