Radiator Supports

[Riff Raff]

I have a leaky radiator. Copper/Brass thing, very heavy. On pulling the thing out, there were no rubber bits on the pins on the bottom of the radiator. It looks like the pins (10mm in diameter approx) were just sitting in holes in a raised moulding on the front valance. These holes are about 20mm across. The bottom of the radiator was probably just sitting on these raised mouldings.

So, the question is, presumably there should be something on the bottom mounting pins? The next question is what should they look like? I'd have thought some sort of top hat arrangement would be sensible, although the TVR Parts website only shows some sort of grommet. But they appear to be exactly that. Grommets. From the photo on their website if the hole in the grommet is 10mm, there's no way that the o/d is over 20mm, so can't see what benefit they would provide, as once the radiator is bolted up on to the bobbins, the bottom of the radiator is still going to bear on the glass fibre valance.

Can anyone tell me what should be on the locating pins, and where I can get some?

[n500wow]

I have a griff 500. Just changed the Rad. Check your fans while the cowls are off. one of mine had a very worn blade where the fan motor drives it.There are 2 holes in the bottom of the Fibreglass where the two pins push thro. there should be grommets in each. pins are a very tight fit so you need to apply WD40 to the hole in the grommet before pushing the Rad pins through. TVR parts Part Number TVR K0036

Product Description
Grommet radiator mounting lower for the TVR V8S, Chimaera, Griffith and Cerbera Speed 6 and V8. This radiator mounting was used on many of the later TVRs.
Price£0.57 plus VAT

Price£0.68 inc. VAT @ 20.00%

Just as easy to buy a couple from a factors.

[Classic Chim]

Your radiator should be suspended by the bobbins. It should not rest on the shelf at all from what I remember. The shrouds are simply to take out any vibration and serve no other purpose. If your rad is suspended on the bobbins properly any flex in body or chassis should not effect radiator integrity

[Riff Raff]

n500wow said:

I have a griff 500. Just changed the Rad. Check your fans while the cowls are off. one of mine had a very worn blade where the fan motor drives it.There are 2 holes in the bottom of the Fibreglass where the two pins push thro. there should be grommets in each. pins are a very tight fit so you need to apply WD40 to the hole in the grommet before pushing the Rad pins through. TVR parts Part Number TVR K0036

Product Description
Grommet radiator mounting lower for the TVR V8S, Chimaera, Griffith and Cerbera Speed 6 and V8. This radiator mounting was used on many of the later TVRs.
Price£0.57 plus VAT

Price£0.68 inc. VAT @ 20.00%

Just as easy to buy a couple from a factors.

Thanks for that. As it happens I've had a couple of new fans fitted recently, so they are the least of my worries.

I looked at those grommets on the TVR parts website. They just don't look the right size, but maybe they've just photographed a generic grommet.

The cost of 68p a unit pales into insigificance compared to the minimum postage charge of £7.50 though.

Thanks for the heads up on fitting. I'd be a bit worried about about pushing the grommet out as you try to fit the radiator, because it has to go in at an angle. I'll see how it goes. Or rather I won't see how it goes, since with the radiator in place you can't see much of the lower mounting at all!

[n500wow]

They are very tight and tend to push through the bodywork if you dont put some WD40 in the middle hole. I fitted mine before putting the wd in the hole otherwise they push out of the bodywork anyway.I think any old wiring grommet would do i think from memory the pins ate about 10 mm i used an old wing mirror so i could see under the rad to line the pins up with the grommets.. TVR parts do tend to refund some postage if you only buy an envelope of small parts. They have done for me on online orders i have placed.

[Riff Raff]

I sorted the postage cost by buying a bunch of extra stuff I don't really need. I don't know what an alternator clutch pulley is, or why I might need one, but it is shiny...

[QBee]

Its a while since I ordered from TVR Parts, but last time I ordered something small I did it over the phone to make sure they had it in stock, and didn't have much trouble persuading them to send it first class post, as it was small enough to go that way.

[Hedgehopper]

The last two occasions that I have bought small items from TVR Parts they have refunded 50% of the postage without asking.

[Riff Raff]

OK, quick update on this. The bottom mount grommets from TVR Parts are useless. It's a standard grommet shaped grommet, about 20mm in diameter overall with a slot that's 15mm in diameter.

The holes in the valance on my car are 20mm in diameter, so the allegedly correct parts just go straight through the hole and don't locate anything at all. The good news is that they were less than a quid each, so no big loss.

I've found a bloke who will make top hat grommets to your measurements out of almost any material you want, so I plan to get him to knock me up a couple out of something like nylon or possibly delrin.

I've put the radiator back in temporarily with the bottom mounting brackets sitting directly on the valance. Just as it was before I took the radiator out. I'm not looking forward to trying to put these new bushes in. Getting the radiator out (with the bonnet on) was a pig of a job, getting it back in was worse.

[QBee]

With a willing helper or two to hold the bonnet while you spanner, taking it off and putting it back on again is very easy

[Zener]

My rad sits on 2 Range Rover Classic radiator support/mount bobbins as intended they sat into the Chimaera tub perfectly

[Steve_D]

Zener said:

My rad sits on 2 Range Rover Classic radiator support/mount bobbins as intended they sat into the Chimaera tub perfectly

And at 66P from Rimmers why would you look for anything else.

Steve

[Zener]

Steve_D said:

Zener said:

My rad sits on 2 Range Rover Classic radiator support/mount bobbins as intended they sat into the Chimaera tub perfectly

And at 66P from Rimmers why would you look for anything else.

Steve

Exactly Steve and using an ally rad it needs all the help it can get

[Riff Raff]

Zener said:

Steve_D said:

Zener said:

My rad sits on 2 Range Rover Classic radiator support/mount bobbins as intended they sat into the Chimaera tub perfectly

And at 66P from Rimmers why would you look for anything else.

Steve

Exactly Steve and using an ally rad it needs all the help it can get

Thanks guys. Bits ordered.