Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[addy]

Thanks for the reply Dr Gollum. Sorry to sound like an idiot(not hard for me ), but when you say keep transmission cooler vertical is that where the block is where the two metal pipes go, that looks like a small radiator, and will it come out as part of the radiator? What are the connections that you say need to be ignored? (New radiator will almost certainly include an in built cooler. Ignore these connections)

Sorry for all the questions.

[Doctor Gollum]

That's exactly what it is

New rad will have two extra fittings on the right hand end. Leave the plugs in place and ignore them. Be obvious when it arrives 

[addy]

Thanks for the quick reply. will order the radiator, got the hose clamp tool ordered. Do I need the seals on the cooler pipe to block, or are the old ones useable?

[Doctor Gollum]

I leave the seals well alone

[addy]

Thanks I will watch for the seals, when removing the block. While the radiator is out, would it make sense to flush the coolant system. and if so would using the top radiator hose to do it work? Then when everything is back together would the coolant system need a concentrated mix for the first filling, then mixed for the final top up, as in the coolant flush how to in the maintenance section?

Sorry for all the questions, just want to make sure I get everything before I start and do it right first time.

[Bigron]

Do you mean flushing the block by doing that? The thermostat will be closed on a cold engine, so that wouldn't work. Worth flushing the heater matrix, though.

Ron.

[Alnico Blue]

Addy,  as for flushing the system, if it were mine , I would flush out the system with just water a few times the day BEFORE you actually start work on changing the rad .I would be running the car up to temp & also putting heater on full between flushes as well, if you do this let it cool a bit  before trying to remove header cap or you may get very hot water blowing back from the top of the header tank.  Drain with header tank cap off . You cannot get all of the coolant out by draining, only about 50% I believe,  so you are basicly diluting the mix everytime you flush it . After several flushes it will be a very weak mix what is left in the system.

Then once new rad is fitted refill with 5 litres of concentrated coolant & then top up with water & you should be left with approx a 50-50 mix in the system .  I think this is the usual oof way of getting to the 50-50 mix  . Choice of Red or Blue  is up to you , although most on here use red I believe & some use de-ironised water  . . .I just use water from the tap  .  .always have done 

Others may add further advice to this  . . .but HTH 

[Doctor Gollum]

Actually you don't have a choice of coolant. Facelift Omegas should be red.

[LC0112G]

Then once new rad is fitted refill with 5 litres of concentrated coolant & then top up with water & you should be left with approx a 50-50 mix in the system .  I think this is the usual oof way of getting to the 50-50 mix  . Choice of Red or Blue  is up to you , although most on here use red I believe & some use de-ironised water  . . .I just use water from the tap  .  .always have done 

Others may add further advice to this  . . .but HTH 

Well, the day after changing my rad I had a 400 mile round trip lo Linconshire for the RAF flypast. On the way home I got stuck in a traffic jam on the M25, bailed out and then got stuck in a Jam in Staines. Right in the middle at some lights, it blew the bottom hose off the rad, dumping all the coolant. Useless effing spring clamps, but fortunately right next to a car park. I had 5L of antifreeze in the boot, and some proper hose clamps, so after a quick trip to the local poundland for some tools, fixed the hose and tipped in the antifreeze. Nowhere near enough. So took the now empty antifreeze bottle to the nearest water source - yep - my Omega now has a 50-50 mix of pink antifreeze and Thames river water in it. 

[terry paget]

Then once new rad is fitted refill with 5 litres of concentrated coolant & then top up with water & you should be left with approx a 50-50 mix in the system .  I think this is the usual oof way of getting to the 50-50 mix  . Choice of Red or Blue  is up to you , although most on here use red I believe & some use de-ironised water  . . .I just use water from the tap  .  .always have done 

Others may add further advice to this  . . .but HTH 

Well, the day after changing my rad I had a 400 mile round trip lo Linconshire for the RAF flypast. On the way home I got stuck in a traffic jam on the M25, bailed out and then got stuck in a Jam in Staines. Right in the middle at some lights, it blew the bottom hose off the rad, dumping all the coolant. Useless effing spring clamps, but fortunately right next to a car park. I had 5L of antifreeze in the boot, and some proper hose clamps, so after a quick trip to the local poundland for some tools, fixed the hose and tipped in the antifreeze. Nowhere near enough. So took the now empty antifreeze bottle to the nearest water source - yep - my Omega now has a 50-50 mix of pink antifreeze and Thames river water in it. 

Had you checked that the fan still engaged after changing the radiator? Those spring hose clips may be devils to get off, but they work well enough. If the fan is not engaging that would cause overheating.

[LC0112G]

Then once new rad is fitted refill with 5 litres of concentrated coolant & then top up with water & you should be left with approx a 50-50 mix in the system .  I think this is the usual oof way of getting to the 50-50 mix  . Choice of Red or Blue  is up to you , although most on here use red I believe & some use de-ironised water  . . .I just use water from the tap  .  .always have done 

Others may add further advice to this  . . .but HTH 

Well, the day after changing my rad I had a 400 mile round trip lo Linconshire for the RAF flypast. On the way home I got stuck in a traffic jam on the M25, bailed out and then got stuck in a Jam in Staines. Right in the middle at some lights, it blew the bottom hose off the rad, dumping all the coolant. Useless effing spring clamps, but fortunately right next to a car park. I had 5L of antifreeze in the boot, and some proper hose clamps, so after a quick trip to the local poundland for some tools, fixed the hose and tipped in the antifreeze. Nowhere near enough. So took the now empty antifreeze bottle to the nearest water source - yep - my Omega now has a 50-50 mix of pink antifreeze and Thames river water in it. 

Had you checked that the fan still engaged after changing the radiator? Those spring hose clips may be devils to get off, but they work well enough. If the fan is not engaging that would cause overheating.

Yes, everything still working - and all 3 fans. Outside air was 30+, Air con on cold, 30 minutes stuck on the M25, bailed out down the A30 into Staines, got stuck with everyone else doing the same thing, ....and pop.

All the hoses on my car are beyond their best, and could do with replacing. I'd doubled up with both the original spring clamps and new jubilee clips on most of the bigger hoses, but not on the bottom rad one, which was of course the one that popped off. Seems to me that once these old hoses are disturbed, they don't like sealing again.

[Bigron]

In a previous life (Austin A30) I used to use Red Hermetite under the hose connection; I bet somebody will decry that as old-fashioned and/or ineffective! 

Ron.

[BazaJT]

Red Hermetite,now there's a blast from the past.I've used a tube or two of that in my time and Blue Hylomar too