POD
15th May 2014, 11:33 AM
I have just had to replace the radiator in my 2008 Puma 130 due to the core being rubbed through by the edge of the radiator shroud. Might be worth checking for this if you own a Puma defender.
If you remove the top shroud, look half-way down the radiator on the left-hand (passenger) side, there is a cut-away section in the side of the shroud where there is a mounting clip for the thermostat housing on the back of the shroud.
The edge of the shroud had rubbed clean through at least one tube of the radiator core here, and made pretty good progress into at least 3 others.
attachment.php
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=77312&stc=1&d=1400120404
There is a return on the edge of the shroud that turns back in toward the core; this return is long enough to sit against the core rather than the flange of the shroud sitting against the tank. In this picture, you can see the rub marks on the edge of the shroud where it has been rubbing on the radiator tubes:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=77314&stc=1&d=1400120604
A new radiator cost me a shade over $300 delivered. It is the same radiator listed for the later td5 models.
I got to work with a spokeshave and took several mm off the offending part of the shroud all the way up both sides, especially at the edges of the cut-out section where the main problem is. The flange of the shroud now sits against the tank, with the return edge no longer able to touch the core.
Might be well worth nipping this in the bud if you own a PUMA model, I was alerted to the problem by a slight, dry red stain on the radiator core that I spotted when changing the fan belt, that returned after being washed off with a pressure washer.
If you remove the top shroud, look half-way down the radiator on the left-hand (passenger) side, there is a cut-away section in the side of the shroud where there is a mounting clip for the thermostat housing on the back of the shroud.
The edge of the shroud had rubbed clean through at least one tube of the radiator core here, and made pretty good progress into at least 3 others.
attachment.php
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=77312&stc=1&d=1400120404
There is a return on the edge of the shroud that turns back in toward the core; this return is long enough to sit against the core rather than the flange of the shroud sitting against the tank. In this picture, you can see the rub marks on the edge of the shroud where it has been rubbing on the radiator tubes:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=77314&stc=1&d=1400120604
A new radiator cost me a shade over $300 delivered. It is the same radiator listed for the later td5 models.
I got to work with a spokeshave and took several mm off the offending part of the shroud all the way up both sides, especially at the edges of the cut-out section where the main problem is. The flange of the shroud now sits against the tank, with the return edge no longer able to touch the core.
Might be well worth nipping this in the bud if you own a PUMA model, I was alerted to the problem by a slight, dry red stain on the radiator core that I spotted when changing the fan belt, that returned after being washed off with a pressure washer.