Replacement Alloy Radiator for 350i
Discussion
Put the money towards doing this - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Plus reverting to the 'SD1' set up of the pipework that removes the airlock and self bleeds the system through the expansion tank.
Plus swap the old expansion vessel for the Merc item with the reduced number of entries (the revised pipework removed one of the feeds going to the expansion tank.
Plus reverting to the 'SD1' set up of the pipework that removes the airlock and self bleeds the system through the expansion tank.
Plus swap the old expansion vessel for the Merc item with the reduced number of entries (the revised pipework removed one of the feeds going to the expansion tank.
Looks interesting but seems a lot of work when I can just buy a radiator off the shelf that will fit straight in. I have never had any cooling issues and filling the system always seems pretty straight forwards too. I just cannot decide whether a recore or new alloy radiator is best! The standard radiator is straight out of a series 1 V8 Range Rover (one extra vent pipe connection needs blocking off) and even these are readily available but not very cheap!!
£400 seems like a good price for an alloy rad. Pretty sure it's about £250 for a recored rad but I'm sure the price varies across the country.
With all TVR radiators we have to be careful of the body to chassis mounts are all tight and rubber mounting the rad to prevent vibrations and twisting of the rad.
With all TVR radiators we have to be careful of the body to chassis mounts are all tight and rubber mounting the rad to prevent vibrations and twisting of the rad.
So I fitted my nice new second hand radiator and all looked really good until the next morning. To my amazement, I had the same leak and coolant on the floor at the nearside corner of the radiator. So after a bit of head scratching, it occurred to me that the coolant seemed to be seeping from the fibreglass and not dripping from any hose or joint?? So I got to thinking and last year I had an issue that turned out to be a head gasket failure that was pressurising the coolant system and blowing it out into the engine bay. It seems that about half a pint of coolant had managed to seep into the fibreglass shell just in front of the front wheel where it seems to be a hollow box section. I drilled a small hole in it and to my surprise the trapped coolant came pouring out!!
Things are never what they seem!!
Things are never what they seem!!
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