Radiator Options

[macky17]

I assume a small leak (area of about 2 sq inches slightly porous) is not repairable? Been quoted £850 all in to replace it so looking for options!

[AMG Merc]

macky17 said:

I assume a small leak (area of about 2 sq inches slightly porous) is not repairable? Been quoted £850 all in to replace it so looking for options!

AFAIK, that can be sorted. They'll probably want to re-core the whole rad but may be able to apply a local repair to the leak area. Look for a rad repair specialist.

[andygtt]

you any good with a spanner to do it yourself? its not particularly hard or skilled to change, just takes a few hrs, Im sure I have a spare original somewhere.

[Ian Perry]

Pro alloy rads are about £500 they have flexible mounts to prevent fractures from vibration .Well within the scope of a DIY man to change , Nobles are quite easy to bleed also despite rear mounted engine and front radiator. Good luck.

[andygtt]

Ian Perry said:

Pro alloy rads are about £500 they have flexible mounts to prevent fractures from vibration .Well within the scope of a DIY man to change , Nobles are quite easy to bleed also despite rear mounted engine and front radiator. Good luck.

Is that a new thing, I have never seen a pro alloy rad with flexible mounts and mine certainly doesn't.

Agree its an easy change even for the less experienced DIY'er... give it a go yourself

[macky17]

andygtt said:

Is that a new thing, I have never seen a pro alloy rad with flexible mounts and mine certainly doesn't.

Agree its an easy change even for the less experienced DIY'er... give it a go yourself

How about a totally numpty?

Thanks for the replies, folks. Will start with a local rad specialist and take it from there.

Andy, you have PM.

[Green3R]

It's a common failure which is why so many have the proalloy. The rad gets pinched a bit between the rails. They tend to crack in the bottom corners.

I say common, I've had it and at them time at least 2 or 3 other people had the same.

[simonx50]

Get yourself a pro alloy one the standard one's aren't worth repairing. I have the standard one in my shed no leaks just poor cooling.

Edited by simonx50 on Thursday 4th February 18:36

[macky17]

simonx50 said:

Get yourself a pro alloy one the standard one's aren't worth repairing. I have the standard one in my shed no leaks just poor cooling.

Edited by simonx50 on Thursday 4th February 18:36

Hmm. So not just shinier and better built but enhanced cooling. I've been looking at it wrong - it's a mod. In that case I'll buy one

[johns355]

Upgraded my rad to a pro alloy one about 6 months ago, definitely made an improvement on cooling, John

[verba1]

Mine went last year and replaced with Pro alloy

[Hornie]

The later pro alloy rad has rubbers fitted in the mounting holes Andy , our early ones did not .

[macky17]

Have ordered a nice, new proalloy rad. I know everyone is saying it's easy to fit but is there a guide or some tips for a novice to follow? I'm going to do it myself...

[Paddywil]

Hi Macky, dropped you an email about this

[macky17]

Thanks bud (although it hasn't come through).

[Paddywil]

Ah, thats a shame... Long and short of it was I changed my dads a couple of months ago for a pro alloy replacement, not a bad job to do in an afternoon. We're pretty local to you, would be happy to come lend a hand, or answer any of your questions! From my experience, you'll probably find you also need to replace the bolts that secure the rad and fan assembly, as they dont take kindly to being removed after this long!

[wessexrfc]

macky17 said:

andygtt said:

Is that a new thing, I have never seen a pro alloy rad with flexible mounts and mine certainly doesn't.

Agree its an easy change even for the less experienced DIY'er... give it a go yourself

How about a totally numpty?

Thanks for the replies, folks. Will start with a local rad specialist and take it from there.

Andy, you have PM.

Had mine repaired after it was removed by a mechanic (ball of a job apparently) and it lasted 6 months. Save your money long term and go for the pro-alloy route, job done:
http://www.proalloy.co.uk/cgi-bin/sitewise.pl?act=...

[Adrian W]

macky17 said:

Thanks bud (although it hasn't come through).

Where in Essex do you live? it would be very easy to show you what to do, only issue you will have is when you pull the front off is all the other bits you will want to tidy up while you are there.

[macky17]

Paddywil said:

Ah, thats a shame... Long and short of it was I changed my dads a couple of months ago for a pro alloy replacement, not a bad job to do in an afternoon. We're pretty local to you, would be happy to come lend a hand, or answer any of your questions! From my experience, you'll probably find you also need to replace the bolts that secure the rad and fan assembly, as they dont take kindly to being removed after this long!

Thanks mate. I may take you up on that. Do you know where I can find the correct bolts so I'm all prepared?

[macky17]

Adrian W said:

Where in Essex do you live? it would be very easy to show you what to do, only issue you will have is when you pull the front off is all the other bits you will want to tidy up while you are there.

Thanks for the offer. Yeah I was thinking about that whilst peering through the grill...

I'm near Chelmsford. Danbury.