Thread: Radiator cowling – splitting it

Radiator cowling – splitting it.

Disco 1 Tdi300 instruction manual (Haynes 2B.6, 300Tdi engine, point 23) asks, amongst other things, that radiator pipes be removed to drain system when doing a timing belt change.

I assume this is so you can get the fan cowling out of the way to give room to move. Possibly you should replace coolant with every timing belt change.

On my first attempt at changing a timing belt I thought I'd ignore instructions to take the radiator pipes off. I had not long ago changed the coolant. Instead I tried to manoeuvre the cowling up and out through what ever space was available, and even down via the chassis to the floor (fan was already removed).

It didn't work.

For those who are man (woman) enough to be able to drag it out without undoing hoses then the following is probably not worth reading

Maybe there are other ways of getting out. Please add your successes.

Anyway, give up and take off radiator pipes as per instructions, mop up all the rad fluid on your workshop floor despite using a wide bucket to catch the fluid. Take out the radiator cowling.

Think of revenge.

Get a right angle square and mark/scribe a straight line right across one of the flats on the side of the cowling.

Carefully cut the line right across, from side to side, using a fine hacksaw to minimise loss of material.

Get a largish clasping bag latch from the hardware (or some other similar device once you get the gist of this article). Carefully align the two separate sides of the cowling where you had cut, carefully align the two sides of the clasp with the line and each other, drill holes and rivet/screw/mini-bolt in place.

Do your timing belt. Reinstall everything.

Come the next timing belt change, if you haven't previously loctited your crank nose and already passed it off to some other sucker enthusiast, then leave hoses in place, undo latch on cowling, bring the cut sides together and manoeuvre out.

The choice to do this is yours. It works for me and doesn't rattle free, so far!

Thanks loanrangie. I guess if you are going to repair part of the cooling system, like you did, then there would be enough room to slide the cowling out without it previously having been cut. Just in case there is confusion for other readers my suggestion doesn't cut the cowling into two separate pieces. And the cut is done when the cowling is already out of the vehicle. The cut allows you to collapse one side for clearance past the hoses when doing any future work in that area. Next time I have a cowling out I'll try and get a picture to attach here. Cheers.