Radiator Needed.

HI once again.

The olde girl decided to burst her rad this evening while out on a country drive with the misses :oops: , ..

does anyone have a rad or suggest the cheapest place to buy one, I have looked on X1/9 parts web page and £224 is a little steep.

Thanks all..

I assume you want an original and don't want to mod it for a VW rad etc?

xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=7202&highlight=vdub

I've got one. Stripped it out of the 1500 VS that I'm breaking o
N the forum. It is in good condition, car was in use and rad had no leaks. If interested, please contact me on 07775528959. Thanks TIM.

Nice one on ebay ending over the next 3 days! alternatively get yours recored for bout £130

Thanks Ian for the thread ,but i feel that is a lot of fafing around.

So I have found one on ebay funnily enough, and bid, so only 3 days to go !

Is it an easy job ? as iv'e looked around the rad and it looks to me as if you unbolt the lower mounting bracket and drop it out, but that seem sto simple.

Have now topped up the expansion tank and run it back to temp and cannot see it leaking :pinch: , but it was p*****g out on the side of the road.

I managed to get it back home without the temp going much over 90 degrees, so hopefully not other
damage.

Ahh ! Tim.

Yes I will give you a call in the morning if thats ok and come to some arrangmet.

Thanks Tim.

i feel that the bid iv'e but on the ebay one will be exceeded so no loss.

Thanks all

It is just the those 2 nuts - but on mine they didnt give up easily and I had to remake a new stud when 1 sheared off - so, usual plan-lots of plus-gas penetrating fluid and leave overnight before weilding the spanners! theres also the electrics for the fan and sensor and of course the hoses - expect to have to cut off the old hose clips and have new ones to hand for reassembly! Oh one final thing - the radiator is heavey! use a jack to support it while you undo the bolts and lower it gently. (you can of course lie underneath it and find it landing suddenly on your chest! :ohmy: :lol: :oops:)

Although I'm stopping short of the VW radiator upgrade, has anyone any experience of fitting a more efficient fan? Just thinking of Turin..

Hi Nigle.
Yep the morning is fine. I will check rad over, to make sure it's in perfect order. It came of the car easy, no seized bolts or hassle. Lucky I guess!!
TIM....

Thanks for that valuable advice Andrew, am I led to believe that its one bar that holds the rad in ? and is it possible to lower the rad enough to get at the pipework and sensors ?

Once refitted,

Hi Andrew, Thank for the valuable advice, is it one bracket that holds the rad in? and is it possible to lower the rad enough to get to the pipework.

Dunno what happened there :oops: replied twice !

Yes Tim I will call you tomorrow.

is it easy to bleed the system back out, as it's a long way from the rad to engine, or is there a bleed valve on the rad ?

There's a bleed valve on the rad you'll see it when the rad is out. Access through a grommet in the front boot under the nose cone. 5 or 6mm allan key I think.

Hi easiest to take the hoses off at the ends of the steel pipes and remove them with the rad. the electrics have connectors to separate the radiator wires from the loom so again easy (the connectors can be be stiff and corroded so more plus gas & wd 40!) IIRC I took off the spoiler and the grill to make life easier. Bleed valve is as described by Ian.

Hi Andrew and Ian.

I will attempt the refit when the rad arrives, with thanks to Tim who has supplied the replcement Rad, very kind.

Once agian thanks for all your expert advice, and I will keep yo posted as to how I get on, got to see to the clutch also over the weekend, so lots to be getting on with.