Club 80-90 Forums

Back from the hols in France (after the frantic alternator change that meant we lost a night) and the van has decided to let the radiator go! For once I’m glad it decided to give up on the drive and not on the way to a ferry!

Got all the bits and bobs sorted (thanks Simon) and fought with the rusted on captivated nuts today to get the rad out. On getting it out the cowl is just a rusty bloody mess and such a shame to put it on a new rad, fittings and front pipes. I’ve tried searching and searching and can’t for the life of me find one to buy. I’m kicking myself now for not buying a new old stock one from ebay about twelve months ago.

Can I ask if anyone has come up with a work around or managed to find one? Seems nuts that everything else is available…

It fell to bits when I took it off the rad…

Stick an ad in the Wanted section one of the breakers on here might have one.

All sorted in the end. I ended up repairing it, rust treating and painting. Annoyingly though just after I finished a nice bloke from eBay who makes cowls said he’d make one from my one if I posted it to him. If anyone is in need I will dig out his user name. It was only about £40 to make one, I guess he would have the pattern for more then.

For anyone taking this job on I used the trick of filling from the vent hole on the top of the rad. I used an off cut is the plastic fuel pipe pushed into an off cut of the rubber fuel pipe in the engine bay and pushed it over the spout of a really small watering can. Worked a trick and saved loads of time in the bleeding process later.

I’ve also been amazed by the difference in cooling. My gauge is miles off and sits normally at the top of the ‘cold’ section when on the motorway. The first fan kicks in at just before the led. Now on the motorway it doesn’t even lift off the bottom of the ‘cold’ section. It’s made a huge difference.