Radiator Replacement

[Sunova]

Hi All,
After breaking my return hose nipple and fixing this by threading and Qgel a brass one on, many years ago the fan shroud screw has caused the leaking of coolant. My new radiator is on the way ($335). This is my job for Saturday so I can get my car back on the road.

I am after advice from people who have replaced their radiator and in particular do you need to remove the fan? I have neither the tool to do so, but if it is an essential step in the process I can prepare. If there are any other handy tips then please let me know. Thanks in advance.

Oh Yeh- TD5. Year 2000. Km's - 253,000. Had it for 10 years- love it and love picking up tools to do jobs on it.

[elshano]

Pretty good price for the rad, where'd you get it? Sorry I have no advice to offer :)

[walker]

And if people are giving advise, can they advise on the V8 as well. :D

I have mine arriving this week and plan to fit it as soon as I get some time. I bought mine from John Craddock in the UK for a bit under $200 delivered.

[Sunova]

Rova craft

[trev]

On aftermarket radiators leaking from radiator shroud screws can be an issue.
Usually because the screws are too long and break into the water passage.
Use shorter screws, about 1/2 the length and won`t be an issue.
If the problem already exists usually a wrap with teflon tape is all that is needed.
The shroud is not a load bearing member so doesn`t really need long screws anyway,just enough to hold in place.

Trev.

[Sunova]

Trev,

As a temporary measure I covered the screw with copper gasket goo. I wasn't sure if this would be surfice as a permanent fix. If this or teflon tape would do the job then I can take my newly purchased one back. PS it was an original radiator.

[trev]

Look! I had the same issue on one of my radiators and the teflon tape worked fine.
Some people have used loktite instead.
I had no further issues until leakage from the bottom of the core much later meant a new radiator replacement anyway.
You should be fine with the above sugestions unless the thread is stripped.
In that case,drill and tap to a slightly larger size metric screw and replace.

Anyway! keep a close eye on it and if you see no more leakage after a good long run,all should be well.

Trev.

[simonl8353]

On aftermarket radiators leaking from radiator shroud screws can be an issue.
Usually because the screws are too long and break into the water passage.
Use shorter screws, about 1/2 the length and won`t be an issue.
If the problem already exists usually a wrap with teflon tape is all that is needed.
The shroud is not a load bearing member so doesn`t really need long screws anyway,just enough to hold in place.

Trev.

That answers a long standing query I've had, thanks. Mine was doing that when I bought it 5 1/2 yrs ago and at the time my local mechanic fixed it with sikaflex during a service. all good. However, later I replaced the rad with a genuine one when I had the Head Gaskets replaced (V8).

As for the tool, spend $20 and get one, should be essential part of your kit. Remove the fan to give you more room to install rad, wont take but 10 mins longer and good practice anyway.

This might help a bit..

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/140190-disco-td5-radiator-replacement.html

and these

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LAND-ROVER-DISCOVERY-2-TD5-36MM-VISCOUS-FAN-SPANNER-/251239220662?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Fan-Clutch-Viscous-Spanner-Land-Rover-Defender-Discovery-32-36mm-1144-/271147052884?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f219faf54#ht_1805wt_1398

[walker]

Is the tool the same for the V8 as it is for TD5?

[rod7416]

hi there removing fan makes it a lot easier so you cam remove lower part of fan shroud have done my own td5 a bit time consuming but would save a few dollars from going to a radiator specialist if you are a bit mechanically minded. make sure you clean the a/c condenser, intercooler & trans cooler while you have them out. rod7416

[PhilipA]

Is the tool the same for the V8 as it is for TD5?

You need a 36MM spanner, which are sold on Ebay.
V8s can be 32MM or 36Mm depending on model. The spanner usually come with 32MM one end and 36MM the other.

The ease of removing the viscous fan depends on whether some cretin has loctited it on in the past. If not a sharp tap with a hammer on the spanner with alump hammer should loosen it and it is left= loosy or normal thread.

If yes you will need to make or buy a tool which locks the water pump hub , usually a long bar with 2 holes for the bolts of the hub to go through, and about 6 hours of bashing.
First time I had 6 hours, last week one or two taps.
Regards Philip A

[Sunova]

Thanks for the input! I got my new radiator yesterday. Looking at the two minor pipes for the oil cooling, the top longer pipe is competely blocked off!?! Is this right? I rang the supplier and he could not provide me with a good answer. I told him I thought he should know considering that he sells the product! Anyway any ideas or should I just pull out the original radiator and hope that this is also blocked off. Cheers

[walker]

Sunover, there is a thread about this somewhere, but yes, it is meant to be blocked off.

My radiator arrived yesterday. I just hope I havnt made a big mistake. When I opened the box I found it was a Britpart radiator. :mad: I should have known.

[Sunova]

Is Britpart radiators no good? As this is what I got.

[Len]

Hi Sunova, I believe the blanked off upper nipple is for use with the TD5 2a which has a "L" shaped plastic pipe to the lower rad connection.This plastic pipe has a take off to the oil cooler, the lower nipple used as earlier models. I think and I stress think that the blanked off nipple has to be opened up for the earlier models.Have pics but damned if I can attach them.Send PM with email address and I will send.

[northiam]

I drilled my blank with no issues but LR not so!
Tech bulletin here
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/discovery-2/158038-radiator-td5.html

[Ollie]

I leaned on and broke the plastic bleed pipe spigot off the top of the radiator sometime ago, the covers were off to fit a Madman sensor, I did a temp repair and eventually fitted a new radiator. LR mechanic said that any rad over 5 yrs old could be a candidate so I fitted an Alum plate over the spigot using the top screw
Ragards Ollie

[walker]

I know it is recommended to remove the fan when replacing the radiator on V8, but I am wondering if anyone has done it without removing the fan.

Thanks, Adam

[walker]

Ok, did end up removing the fan. I have followed all the steps up to removing the quick release oil cooler lines.

Can anyone help with this, I just can't get them apart.

[Ollie]

I found my auto cooler hose couplings tight so I did not disconnect them. I managed to get the radiator out is the Td5 similar to the V8?

Ollie

[walker]

No, don't think it is. I managed to get them off after about 3 hours but it took a lot of force.
I put everything back and started it up and now I have a leak from the auto transmission cooler. :mad: I don't think it is coming from the pipe connection so I reckon I have split it somewhere with all the mucking around I did getting the pipes off.

So now I have to pull it all apart again. :(