Thread: 300Tdi radiator, rod original one or new aluminium/plastic one

Originally Posted by Judo

I appreciate some people can have it cleaned for less than $200, but I can't find anywhere that will do it for anything like that inner Melbourne. I paid to have it done about 12 months ago (over $500 including removal/refit from vehicle), but at that price I would rather buy a new radiator. I'm considering the purchase soon as I can push it just over 100*C on a big freeway hill - not towing, medium load, 2 people - I'm thinking that's a bit high?

Based on the comments in this thread, I'm keen for a straight swap, new copper unit. Any recommendation on where I can get one for an OK price?

Do you agree over 100* is new radiator time?

Try Auto Cool, Hall St, Yarraville 9362 7799 - they were recommended to me by Graeme at Brit Car Components. I didn't get a whole new unit but a brand new copper core for about $450. They do really nice work. I took the old radiator in to get rodded (for less than $200) when I replaced the head due to a gasket failure - but it was not up to scratch and had pulled away from the fins in places where it was over pressured - anyway, they were honest and upfront about the work. Now the TDI sits around the low 80's around town and fully loaded pushes to the mid 90's up the freeway hill to Ballarat. Always used to go over 100 before.

Just resurrecting this thread to add options here as I am radiator shopping. It kept coming up in my searches.

At the moment...

M&D Engineering in the UK are selling standard copper core radiators (BTP2275) for £105. Postage to rural QLD is £60. Total landed about AU$305.

Heavy duty 4-row copper from M&D is £195 with £60 postage, so landed about AU$470.

They have an eBay site:
RADIATOR FOR 300TDI STANDARD TYPE (BTP2275) | eBay

Cheapest recore I could find for my existing copper radiator (3 row) is $450.

Fenix alloy from Sydney local stock is $320 delivered.

Yours,

Andy

Finally had mine recored with a Redback core.

It uses 3 x 16 x 2mm tubes with dimpling to create turbulence in the coolant for better heat transfer, has 57mm core thickness and uses Redbacks CT finning which they claim uses the same fin design as they (PWR) use on their F1 and racing rads for better heat rejection.

Quinny the rad bloke fabricated a new divider plate and eliminated the bleed altogether, reckoning the larger volume tube size in the new core will allow the thing to bleed itself.

We'll see how it all works over the next few weeks.

What did it set you back Rick?. Pat

Forgot that, didn't I !

$550 Pat, the core itself was $350+

worth it if it works, will watch for eventual report

(facing a similar situation with my D1)

Originally Posted by DeanoH

What purpose does the hole in the divider plate serve ?, and why so big ?

I've seen mention of a 'tropical mod' in several posts but can't find documentation which may explain what it's all about.

I bought this (hole in divider plate) up with my local radiator man when I took my D1 300 Tdi radiator down for rodding/testing. His view was that it was a 'bloody stupid idea' and he could see no good reason for it, in fact he reckons that all it does is make the cooling system less efficient.
He also noted that this was a quirk of Land Rover and not common of cross flow type radiators.

He also said that to reduce the hole size the tank with the divider plate had to come off and due to the method of its construction and the heat required to separate them it would result in damage to the core header plate, ie. a recore would be required, so really not a good idea unless I wanted to trash my good core.

Any thoughts

Deano

I hope to soon get around to organising a few bits to have the same effect as the "tropical mod" which could be quickly and easily installed into any 300Tdi radiator. Note how the hole needing plugging can be readily seen if you remove bottom radiator hose and drain coolant and also remove plug on top of tank. After dark, look down hole when plug removed while shining a torch into bottom pipe which bottom radiator hose attaches through. Can see a bit of light around edges of baffle plate but largely through hole maybe 14mm in diameter that needs blocking. Original top radiator plugs penny pinching Land Rover bean counters had installed and another the same on top of thermostat housing were plastic. If have not been replaced with a brass ones, they should be. Is not economy as they are prone to blow out, which can result rapid loss of coolant. Then a cooked motor if it is not stopped quickly.


I have a lathe and spare brass plugs (on which the thread is half inch British Standard Pipe) Intend to put a 6 mm threaded hole through the middle of one for this application.. Best way of drilling a hole in the middle of a circular object it with it in chuck and stationary drill in tailstock. Need appropriate size hole for tapping M6x1.5 thread into, eg 13/32 of an inch. I also obtained a short bit of aluminium rod about an inch in diameter. Intend to bore and tap an M6 thread up the middle of this and then turn a bit maybe an inch long down so that is maybe 18 mm diameter one end and 8mm the other. I also recently bought a piece of stainless steel M6 threaded rod. (About $5 for 1 metre) Can then screw it through this conical aluminium plug and secure it with a stainless steel locknut - maybe a nyloc one. Note stainless steel bolts, etc seem readily available in Shepparton which has food factories in the area.


This aluminium conical plug on the end of a length of stainless steel rod can be readily inserted into the unwanted hole, which is apparently there to allow water to escape upwards if in vary cold climate radiator freezes. Expands as it turns into ice. This is not a problem in Australia but having hot water going straight from the top to the bottom tank bypassing the radiator core makes overheating more likely under hot conditions..


The axis of the thread of the top radiator plug is out of line with the hole down in the middle of the tank that needs plugging. Therefore it is not possible to have one end of a single piece of threaded rod though the brass plug the other though the tapered aluminium one that goes partly through and blocks the unwanted hole. Anticipate solving this with a short piece of threaded rod in the brass plug, a long one in the tapered hole blocker and making a crude universal joint by bending ends of the threaded rods into interconnecting eyelets using heat.


Adjustment of the threads would be partly trial and error. Would be necessary to have tapered plug starting to enter unwanted hole before threads of brass plug start contacting. When brass plug is screwed right in, best adjustment would be having the tapered plug just "bottoming" in its hole.


Anyway, I think this proposal is worth trying in preference to having the top radiator tank removed and replaced to do the "tropical mod" If not done right first time, the latter could cause more problems than it is worth.

Originally Posted by rick130

Finally had mine recored with a Redback core.

It uses 3 x 16 x 2mm tubes with dimpling to create turbulence in the coolant for better heat transfer, has 57mm core thickness and uses Redbacks CT finning which they claim uses the same fin design as they (PWR) use on their F1 and racing rads for better heat rejection.

Quinny the rad bloke fabricated a new divider plate and eliminated the bleed altogether, reckoning the larger volume tube size in the new core will allow the thing to bleed itself.

We'll see how it all works over the next few weeks.

Old post I know, but would really like the best performing radiator if I can to change it.

I do have a Redback core Radiator in my OKA it performs well.