Time for a new Rad?

[Cruz]

First of all the van is a 1983 1.9DG and I'm one for prevention rather than cure.

For the rest of the year the van has been running at a resonable temp. The temp guage needle sits just to the right of the LED light and only really rose to the centre when I did a bit of long hill climbing.

However during this recent hot weather the guage has been moving to about 2/3rds if sat in traffic (rad fan has kicked in a few times) and at the weekend on the way home from Wales it was sat at 2/3rd for most of the time especially when I was travelling over 50mph. The outside temps were between 25 and 30 degrees. The rad fan never kicked in when driving.



1) Is this telling me that it's time to change the radiator? (it could be as old as the van)

If so I have a few more questions (seen this radiator for £70.40 with discount which is a 42mm bore radiator) http://www.carparts4less.co.uk/search/203440870/p/home" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2) My van has the early cooling system with 32mm stainless pipes. Will the rubber hoses from these fit the ports on the new rad?

3) Does the old radiator come out easily or does the van need raising to drop it out?

4) Am I fretting unnecessarily and should just keep an eye on it for a bit longer?

[MaddogsT25]

In my opinion I wouldn't worry just yet. My camper also has a DG engine and it has always run with the temp gauge needle to the right of the led. I've never had any problems and when it's hot and I'm in traffic the fan kicks in for a few seconds then turns off. I'm sure I've read somewhere in WIKI that this is normal.

[The Bishop]

Hi,

I did the Rad on mine last year. The hardest part for me was that the LPG tank is where the spare wheel used to be but assuming you have a spare wheel, yes just raise it up on ramps and you can lower the rad out.

I suppose you could just try flushing it all through first and see if the water flow is being restricted.

Do you think it is the fan not kicking in? Is the sensor on that working?
Assume the water pump is pushing the water round fast enough?

[Cruz]

new water pump, new rad switch, fan kicks in when it should

I just noticed it running higher in the recent higher ambient temps

[The Bishop]

Personally I wouldn't jump into a new rad, I'd keep an eye on it for now. It has been hot and so the warm air isn't going to cool it as well.

Make sure you have enough water and oil on board and listen out for the buzzer of doom in case the oil thins too much.

I assume that the "card" inside the front hasn't fallen in front of the rad restricting slow?

[Ian Hulley]

new water pump, new rad switch, fan kicks in when it should

I just noticed it running higher in the recent higher ambient temps

Our's has been creeping up over the past couple of years so I took the plunge and (with help from a chum due to my injuries) we swapped the rad and oil cooler pipes which I swapped for Brickwerks stainless ones and brand new hoses. Had a trip up the East coast last weekend (including a good old blast on the motorway and over the top of Fylingdales from Whitby) and the temperature was way down on where it had been previously.

I was shocked at how much heavier the old rad was when drained than the new one, and the fact that despite originally being a 1.9 DG van our's had got the thicker rad (?).

Ian

[Cruz]

am I right in assuming the ports coming from the rad are both 28mm? And the pipes 251-121-083G and H from the return are 28mm on one end and 32mm/38mm at the other to fit to the front to rear pipes depending on early or late cooling systems?

[DjD]

I have just replaced the radiator on my T25 DG engine with automatic gearbox - this was the original 62mm core thickness no longer available from VW or elsewhere.

Fitted a GSF German Hella 42mm thick cored aluminum rad and is fine considering you have lost 20mm of thickness in the core matrix.
Avoid the 32mm core thickness rads as your fan will kick in more and wear it out and you have the fan noise issues

If the fan does not kick in check the earth connection clusters on the body just above the fuses/relays - sorted my fan problems.

Now I want to fit a 80deg thermostat to run cooler as this will help keep the ATF cooler in the auto transmission via the small water cooled ATF heat exchanger fixed to the 3 speed auto box.

[AdrianC]

fan kicks in when it should

I just noticed it running higher in the recent higher ambient temps

So it's all working exactly as intended. What's the problem?