Thread: Heater repairs

While waiting for my radiator to be recored, I have decided to investigate why the heater (never very effective) has suddenly become almost useless. I had already checked that hot coolant is flowing through it.

Removing the heater was not all that difficult - except for minor problems like the hose to the windscreen washers was on the wrong side of it and damaged the pump when disconnecting it. And it IS possible to get the heater out by juggling it round, even though you might not think so for the first ten minutes!

I have now started to disassemble the heater - The major problem has immediately become apparent. A section of the zigzag fins between the tubes has fallen out. This means there is a free passage for cold air, which will flow through much more readily than the hot through the core. Not sure what I will do with this, probably just block it off. Also need to make sure there are no other leaks round the core, as even small amounts of cold air getting round will make a big difference.

John

Originally Posted by Crackerjack

I have noticed some horrendous prices for recoring radiators over there, is there a reason why they are so expensive, I got mine done recently for £165 and thats the one with 2 oil coolers in it for a V8 auto disco.
Surely it would be cheaper to get a new one from the UK.

Part of the problem is that, as mentioned in another thread, the cheaper recores use a method of construction with the cooling fins being zigzag between the tubes rather than flat plates threaded onto the tubes (I probably could have got one of these for about half the price but it would have been for a V8 and I would have to modify the connections). These will not stand the vibration of the Isuzu, or, for that matter, long distances on corrugated roads. Even cheaper are ones using alloy rather than copper plus plastic tanks, which are only made for vehicles with high production numbers. The genuine part is available new for $1700+GST - the major customer is the army, so prices are jacked up.

A secondary reason for the high prices, as seen from the UK, is the relatively high A$ and low pound. While this should make cores imported from the UK relatively cheap, recoring is pretty much a cottage industry (plastic and alloy radiators in mass produced cars mean replacements are as cheap as and quicker than recoring, so recoring is largely restricted to unusual vehicles plus heavy transport), and few if any practitioners are in a position to change their traditional supplier.

John