Radiator Fan Cowl bolts
Radiator Fan Cowl bolts
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Discussion

angus337

Original Poster:

622 posts

230 months

Wednesday 19th February 2020
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Hey Folks,

Replaced all the coolant hoses and coolant a couple of weeks ago. Only done a couple of cold starts and warm ups at idle since, but now sprung a radiator leak. Just wrestled out the radiator, which is in a pretty bad state, and needs replacing, but cant get the fan cowls off. The bolts turn but aren't coming out. The bottom ones especially are pretty rusty. Is there a trick to removing these or is it just a matter of grinding them off?

V8fan

7,568 posts

289 months

Thursday 20th February 2020
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I refurbished the cowls on my last Chimaera (1996 model).

There were nuts on the back of the bolts holding the fans on but the cowl bolts themselves went into tapped threads in the radiator body top and bottom (I think?), it was 18 months ago.

If you remove the cowls from the radiator body first, access will be easier to get the fans off. I do remember replacing them with stainless bolts and new nyloc nuts.


angus337

Original Poster:

622 posts

230 months

Thursday 20th February 2020
quotequote all
its actually the 4 bolts attaching each cowl to the radiator that i cant remove. It they bolt into tapped threads then it looks like they will have to be cut or ground off.


Steve_D

13,801 posts

279 months

Thursday 20th February 2020
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The bolts go into captive nuts in the rad frame so if they are turning grinding off is your only option.
If the rad is going in the bin then no problem. If you plan to get it re-cored then you will need to resolve the broken bolt issues before it goes for its new core.
Bolts are M6 so easy to source.

Steve