I need to remove the vertical radiator on my 4x4 auto Townace because it appears to be blocked.
I have looked in the archives and it appears to be quite straightforward, but there is no mention of disconnecting the ATF pipes. Does the ATF not get cooled by this radiator as well? and will I need to drain some ATF off to prevent spillage if I do have to disconnect the ATF pipes?
- (#297) dave Bright, 23 Mar 05 08:41
Snap! I've just removed mine and will make a start putting it back together tonight.
Because of the tight access, you need to remove the coolant expansion bottle and the power steering reservoir. Put a small bowl under the reservoir to catch the fluid (but don't re-use obviously). Block off the pipes so they don't continue to ooze ATF, both the oil pipes on the rad and the two ATF pipes. Remove the fan, all hoses, 2 x nuts from underneath holding the rad and the central nut at the top.
Ease the rad up off the bottom brackets and back towards the engine. You then need to disconnect the two extra hoses at the rear of the rad, then work the thing out of the car.
It's costing me £120 + vat for a recore BTW.
- (#297) Ian Dunse (Derbs), 23 Mar 05 09:29
Thank you Ian.
Was it a long job, or can it be done in a day? Excluding the recore obviously.
- (#297) dave Bright, 23 Mar 05 09:53
Dave - took me longer to put back for some reason. Had hassles with getting the rad back in - tight fit, a knackered clip on a hose and getting that damned driver's seat in (I always have trouble with it but it was dark by then). Took about 2.5 hours all in including floor. Should have taken less.
Even allowing for problems you should have it out easily in less than a morning. You will obviously have a delay while you get it recored unless of course you already have a replacement. In which case, yes easily done in less than a day even with a swine of a driver's seat etc.
So how are you these days? Not heard much from you this last couple of months.
- (#297) Ian Dunse (Derbs), 23 Mar 05 16:45
Hi Ian,
yes I'm fine thanks, just a bit preoccupied with things. I wont bore you all right now, but there has been so much happening to us this last 12 months, most of the things we would like to do have been pushed to one side. I'm hoping that we are in for a break of luck and then I can catch up on other things this summer, like finishing my Masterace project. I wouldn't mind getting our front garden back, which is where its stood since the building work started last year, but I did manage to sort out why my site wasn't up-dating properly though, just a bit of stupidity on my part, but its done now with lots of new pics on it.
Thanks for asking, and may see you at Brean?
- (#297) dave Bright, 24 Mar 05 02:45
Hi Dave/Ian,
You may of already checked the bottom rad and it may be clear but a years or so back I cracked my head twice and this was due to over heating, had vertical rad checked and they found afew small leaks and some core's blocked
I then told them if I was to have vertical recored might as well recore both rads,we found that the bottom rad was almost totally blocked due to it laying so low and a build up of fur/slug and in my case I put most of my over heating prolems to the bottom rad, since having both rads recored she been great and will purr away all day with no pros,if you never had bottom rad recored then I would say that bottoms more then likely in worst condition then top rad
- (#297) dennis, 24 Mar 05 11:04
Hi Dennis,
thanks for the advise. I only drive 12 Klms to work and its ok on that short distance, but if I go further it just boils up.
I was talking to a local farmer the other week and he said to try a Land Rover dealer. Apparently they had major problems with a bad batch of engines, and found a ceramic sealing compound fixed nearly all them. I found a garage that can do it and was quoted £85 but when he tested the cooling system he found it wasn't pressurising above what it should, and this ceramic stuff needs big pressure from the cylinders to work properly, so it wouldn't be any good. That's when he found the vertical radiator was red hot on one side and stone cold on the other, so its possible they are both blocked like you say, otherwise there would be some cooling through one or other. I have looked at taking the horizontal rad out before, but it looks like a pig of a job, so once I get the vertical one out I will blast the horizontal one with the hose and see what happens.
- (#297) dave Bright, 24 Mar 05 11:46