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[polilara]

Got the pipes from Opel, installed to radiator now. There are two electric sensors in the Radiator with strange sealing, combined copper washer and rubber O-ring. Does anyone know the dimension on this O-ring.

[Enceladus]

That sounds like a standard Dowty washer? A flat metal ring with a Dowty rubber seal bonded into the centre? Maybe your rubber has come loose? Usually they're silver/grey or yellow chromate colour. Not sure that they can be copper, I suspect aluminium or steel is more likely.

The size you need might be 22ID x 27OD x 2.5mm. You should be able to get them from any place that does hydraulic or fluid handling stuff or a decent motor factor. Maybe even a plumbing place, or ebay or Amazon.

The GM Dowty part might have been superseded by a copper washer. Or it might be that the copper is superseded by the Dowty, the part numbers appear to be the same. Whatever, I'd use the same sort of washers you started with.

The Dowty washers require a lot less torque than plain copper, so don't over-tighten.

GM part nr: 24427589 aka production nr: 11079631.

[polilara]

Thanks Enceladus, some pictures, too. Original Rubber hoses can be used if I can separate them from the aluminium pipes.

[Enceladus]

My response concerned your query about "... strange sealing, combined copper washer and rubber O-ring ..". This sounds more like a Dowty washer rather than an O-ring. A Dowty has a seal bonded into the washer, so it's a one piece item, no separate rubber piece.

Your new pipe GM part #90470806 has a banjo fitting at each end. These accept hollow banjo bolts. A seal is usually required on either side and EPC says these are copper washers M14 x 18mm x 1.5mm. Item 10 on the drawing you posted earlier and is GM part # 11016282. Are these the strange seals you mean? The M14 copper washers are/were widely used as oil pan sump plugs and on the filler plug on Omega autoboxes. So you should be able to get them at any auto factors.

Don't reuse them, at least not on this job. Renew.

Your second photo doesn't seem to show any such copper sealing washers under the head of the banjo. Or one on the other side. What's the white ring? Is that a nylon insert in the brass radiator fitting? Or maybe some PTFE tape? Or is it some sort of seal that's specific to the make of radiator?

Some heat from a hair dryer might help free the hoses from the pipes.

[polilara]

Thanks for comments, with Banjo I bought 14/18*1.5 four pc Aluminium seals, found somewhere that Al is ok, the strange ones were from those two temperature sensors which are screwed to radiator plastic "tanks" found them, too, all ok.

[polilara]

My response concerned your query about "... strange sealing, combined copper washer and rubber O-ring ..". This sounds more like a Dowty washer rather than an O-ring. A Dowty has a seal bonded into the washer, so it's a one piece item, no separate rubber piece.

Your new pipe GM part #90470806 has a banjo fitting at each end. These accept hollow banjo bolts. A seal is usually required on either side and EPC says these are copper washers M14 x 18mm x 1.5mm. Item 10 on the drawing you posted earlier and is GM part # 11016282. Are these the strange seals you mean? The M14 copper washers are/were widely used as oil pan sump plugs and on the filler plug on Omega autoboxes. So you should be able to get them at any auto factors.

Don't reuse them, at least not on this job. Renew.

Your second photo doesn't seem to show any such copper sealing washers under the head of the banjo. Or one on the other side. What's the white ring? Is that a nylon insert in the brass radiator fitting? Or maybe some PTFE tape? Or is it some sort of seal that's specific to the make of radiator?

Some heat from a hair dryer might help free the hoses from the pipes.

Thanks again Enceladus, now better time to explain...
The second photo you refer was just from the preassembly to check whether extra piping work needed, below completed with aluminium seals. The "white rings" are made of brass. They are some kind of reducing collars for the part 90470806. They were originally there, perhaps white material is some kind of "Loctite"? Nissens 63073A.

[terry paget]

On changing my Vectra radiator I had difficulty sealing the temperature sensor screwed into bottom right hand corner. I reused existing washer, I think it was copper. What should I have used?

[polilara]

What I had in my Omega was some kind of composite Steel&Rubber like "Dowty" as Enceladus proposed. The rubber part broke when sensor removed. I bought yesterday new seals from normal spare part shop and used some Loctite silicon as well, not yet tested. I do not know how the original looks like.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonded_seal

[Enceladus]

On changing my Vectra radiator I had difficulty sealing the temperature sensor screwed into bottom right hand corner. I reused existing washer, I think it was copper. What should I have used?

I would go like for like unless there is some specific reason not to. So if your sensor had a copper washer then replace it with a copper. That said a Dowty seal washer would probably also work fine, it just needs a lot less torque. Copper (or aluminium) sealing washers crush and deform to make the seal and this requires more torque to achieve. The ring on the Dowty is usually steel, doesn't crush as it's the rubber bit that seals.

The copper also hardens, hence it's best to renew as opposed to reuse. The more times it's reused the less likely it is to seal properly.

If yours is working then fine. The old maxim of 'if it ain't broke then don't fix it' applies.

[polilara]

Job jobbed, thanks for "General Help"