Radiator replacement

[david.mt]

My coolant levels have been dropping ever so slightly - there were no obvious leaks and at a recent inspection it appeared to be leaking from the seams of the radiator when pressure tested .

I therefore have a nice shiney new Pro Alloy radiator in the garage which I will attempt to fit this weekend. Are there any useful guides or tips to this as not really opened the front clam yet!

I presume the front clam really needs to be removed first for this job - how long does it take for the full job - a couple of hours?

[jamie g]

I had the same problem with my radiator. I got Scole Engineering in Diss to fit a pro-alloy one for me. I think it is a bit of a pig of a job and can take a while. The mounting holes didn't match my M400 so the rad was drilled to suit. I think some people rubber mount theirs to stop any flexing but fitting it so it isn't under any tension should be ok.(ie using washers to space it correctly).
I'm sure someone on here has done the job themselves though.

[Jim O.]

Depending on the fitment of the new radiator, it can be a pig of a job. If everything goes right and fits right, I'd guess that it's at least a 4-6 hour job. Have to remove the front clam, drain coolant, disconnect the hoses, unbolt the P/S cooler (no need to disconnect, just unbolt from the chassis), unmount the A/C condenser, remove the fan shroud with the fans, remove the panel between the radiator and the HVAC airbox, unbolt the radiator, and remove both side panels. To remove the side panels, you have to jack the car up and remove the top bolt on both shocks, since one of the panel screws is right underneath the shock eye. Installation is the reverse.

While you have the front end apart, it's a good time to replace all the hose clamps with top quality high-torque lined hose clamps. The stock ones that I've seen seem to all loosen and leak over time. It's a very good idea to pressure check the cooling system before putting the fan shroud and panels back into place, too.

[Adrian W]

david.mt said:

My coolant levels have been dropping ever so slightly - there were no obvious leaks and at a recent inspection it appeared to be leaking from the seams of the radiator when pressure tested .

I therefore have a nice shiney new Pro Alloy radiator in the garage which I will attempt to fit this weekend. Are there any useful guides or tips to this as not really opened the front clam yet!

I presume the front clam really needs to be removed first for this job - how long does it take for the full job - a couple of hours?

It's fairly straight forward, just takes time, the bottom hose is a bit of a pig to take off and put on, if you are saving the coolant you will need to clamp here, the rad is not pre drilled as all of the cars are different.

You may also want to consider making it more upright, the top will go back about 6 inches, the will make it much more efficient and generate far less drag.

Clam has to come off, to do the job properly and clean and inspect everything, expect it to take a whole day.

oh......in case your wondering, the rad will not come out without removing at least one of the inner wings.

Edited by Adrian W on Thursday 11th June 16:32

[david.mt]

Thanks for the feedback - looks like a job for when the rain is here for a few more days. Can't waste precious driving time just for a very small weep on the radiator .

[JLSELAN]

If your problem is indeed just a small radiator leak it might be worth trying this product:
http://www.barsproducts.com/barsleaks_products.htm

or it's equivalent in the UK before investing the time in a removal/repair/replacement.
My experience is that the "stop leak products" work very well for small leaks, and they have no serious side effects on the cooling system.