Thread: Replace the radiator, fix a nasty oil leak

Originally Posted by Robflocar

.... All looks nice and shiny but for how long?

Haha!

ye of little faith.

I had previously ordered a nice new Chinese aluminium radiator for $280 and billed on ebay as for a Landrover Discovery 2 1999 to 2004. For V8 Auto. Of course the brackets were all wrong. Must be returned to USA? In orginal packing and if damaged a refund will not be given. USA is a massive postage cost, so the offer of an $80 refund sounded appealing. A quick check and yes I could build brackets to make it fit.

So months later the time has come. First the rods on the bottom didn't quite fit the chassis holes, used a die grinder to elongate one hole. Then it sat too high for the shrouds to fit. The collars on the bottom pins were way too long so had to be reduced in size. A half inch hole saw with the centrering drill cut short fitted so as I could cut the collar down to the correct depth and then the excess was removed with an angle grinder. Took a whole day to do that and to build first bracket. More than half a day for the second because each side is different to some extent. Now I need two more brackets for the engine and auto oil coolers. Of course the shround was designed to fit the half round end tanks on the radiator and of course the ally ones are square. Photos show modifying the bottom holding pins.

Well all is almost ready for a test except I cannot get one of the auto cooling radiator pipes connected. It took a lot of blood sweat and tears to remove it and now it doesn't want to go back on. I really wanted to have the motor running today. There is still the supension compressor to rebuild so not without a job. Have I mentioned it before? I really hate working on this car

Compressor rebuilt and only need to fit it. Then check whether the ECU works. The oil line is on, my old hands don't push hard enough any more, son got it on. The radiator brackets I have built and measured and trial fitted umpteen times are not quite right as the oil coolers now just touch the edge of the AC radiator. Now the oil lines are on they put pressure on the two coolers so the 2mm space I had is not there any more. So spent several hours trying to get the brackets re bent without removing the oil lines. One end of the auto cooler left to bend this morning. Then fit air intake, fan, and radiator water hoses, and finally after such a long time I will find out how many leaks I have and whether the computers remember that they are on a car and not a washing machine. I have left the spark plugs out and will pull the fuel pump relay or fuse and spin the motor over to get oil through the system and then check levels. I have spent so many hours on this rebuild that at $150 an hour some mechanics charge I could have almost bought a new Discovery. No wonder there are so many none goers on Gumtree etc for $1200 - $1500.

Luv this forum. Spun the motor over and over and still the oil light stayed on. Forum says may take 2 minutes if the oil pump has not been pre filled with vasaline. So tried for another few seconds and guess what the light went out. Everything is back in place now except the plugs. So almost ready to try and start it.

mullygrubs, mullygrubs.
Regards PhilipA

It fired up straight away. So the EMS computer knew it was in a Landrover Discovery V8 and not a washing machine. Not so sure about the SLAB computer though. I'll connect up the Nanocom and see what there is to see. One small leak out of the radiator over flow pipe. Changed the orginal hose clamps I need to check again that the new clamps are doing their job. I do have a few bolts, screws, and pipe brackets over. I'll spend a bit more time with it up on the hoist and see if they can be used up some where undernieth as upstairs looks to have everything that should be there, there. I am worried about two bolts left over that match exactly those that hold the gearbox bell housing to the motor and I have checked and counted them any number of times and I have 14 bolts in place. That is what the workshop manual says and what I removed. So not sure where they are from I cannot find any holes to use them on. I guess something will fall off one day and then I'll know.