Radiator Help

[m.derry]

I have a 3.9 rover v8 sportster built at the factory, I need to replace the radiator and I have no idea what model I should use as the basis for the replacement.

Ideally I would like to use an aluminium high performance replacement but before can I order anything I need to know the car type/model to use as a replacement. The current radiator is a 3 core with top/bottom hoses.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Mark

[Patrick]

Re: Radiator Help

Hi Mark,

Have you got a picture of the radiator? The BMW based Sportsters use rads from the M10 engine (4 pot) and look like this:

http://www.msportster.co.uk/data/p_construction84.jpg
http://www.msportster.co.uk/data/p_construction140.jpg
http://www.msportster.co.uk/data/p_construction159.jpg
http://www.msportster.co.uk/data/p_construction168.jpg

Thanks, Patrick

[m.derry]

Re: Radiator Help

Hi Patric,

Thanks for the reply, unfortunately I don't have a pic but its certainly different from those in your attached pictures. The one fitted to my car was fitted at the Marlin factory and is a cross flow type with the headers on the sides rather than on the top. It is a sealed unit using a remote expansion tank.

Does this help at all?

Kind regards
Mark

[Patrick]

Re: Radiator Help

Hi Mark,

Unfortunately I don't what car the cross flow rad originates from, but I remembered that I have some pictures of somebody else's:

http://www.msportster.co.uk/detail.asp?cat=16&offset=60

Maybe someone else can ID from the pictures?

Thanks, Patrick

[m.derry]

Re: Radiator Help

Hi Patrick,

Many thanks, yes this is the radiator.

Does anyone know what car model this is from?

Alternatively does anyone know the details of a high performance aluminium alternative.

Thanks again for your assistance Patrick.

Kind regards
Mark

[philcoyle]

Re: Radiator Help

MJD,
Morgan use an aluminium rad on their Morgan+8, made by a firm called Gallay, also by International Radiators, or go direct to Morgan 01684 573104. I have one fitted in front of my Pinto engine so I know it will fit inbetween the chassis rails, and the hose fittings should be in the right place for your engine.
Phil

[Patrick]

Re: Radiator Help

I've asked around but nobody seems to know where it came from. Closest suggestion so far is a series 2 land rover!

Thanks, Patrick

[danny_nelson]

Re: Radiator Help

Hi Mark Matthews returned from holiday on the 14th why not ask him?

[m.derry]

Re: Radiator Help

Thanks Danny, I've spoken to Mark and he tells me it is a custom made radiator never fitted to any other make/model of car. I've decided to have the existing one refurbished as having an aluminium one custom made will cost a fortune!

Thanks to all for the advice.

Mark

[Mike]

Re: Radiator Help

Marlin's radiator does use pattern part Landrover tanks. The core is reduced in height, but any local radiator manufacurer can make these up easily.
I have just had one made up with elbows in and out, plus expansion pipe, plus fan sensor fitting, which will make pipe work and fan fitting much easier/less costly. I'll post pictures on my Flickr site over the weekend.

Note about aluminium rads.
If you puncture one of these with a stone, they are not repairable, whereas a copper one can usually be solder at minimal cost
Mike
Mike

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Radiator Help

what sort of cost was it Mike?

[Mike]

Re: Radiator Help

Cameron
It cost £140, and was ready in 3 days: cheaper than Marlin, and a lot quicker (current waiting times have been over 5 months!!).
I am sure I could have bought it a little cheaper, but I had visited them twice, borrowed a top and bottom tank to make up a pattern, so that I could maximise the radiator to the last miillimetre. (I have just fitted it, and I literally have 5mm all round clearance).
The Landrover tanks are 370mm high, and I have had a 3 core fitted which is 360mm wide.(overall dimension 370 x 460mm). I reckon I have 40% more surface area than a standard BMW E36 radiator (BMWs are only 2 core, but has 10% more core square surface).
The 90 degree elbows have allowed me to use two standard BMW hoses (albeit shortened, without having to make joins and bends etc). The fitting has been a doddle, as I had the brackets soldered on to the rad where I wanted them, and I've had a fan sensor socket included, which will save me £30 on a sensor kit and will not leak like most of them seem to do where the themocouple pipe has to be inserted at a pipe/rad connection.
This core has allowed me to fit a 13" fan with 2,000CFM capacity, so I will be desperately disapointed if I suffer from any kind of over heating.
Expensive to start with , but I feel probably cheaper in total, when the alternative cost of pipes, joins, thermostatic kits etc are taken in to account.
I'll post picture on my Flickr site later this week.
Regards
Mike

[Mike]

Re: Radiator Help

Cameron
Sorry I forgot to add, I first tried a pair of MG V8 tanks as these are 460mm wide, and I could then have made up a vertical rad, as opposed to a cross flow. If you have a sportster, you may prefer the extra width this could give you, as well as height, as you can lose the bottom tank belehind the front chassis cross member.
Regards
Mike

[Mike]

Re: Radiator Help

Hopefully attached is a photo of my custom built raditor, based on landrover tanks and shorter core, to fit my BMW E36 Cabrio.
It has made it so much neater, and easier to install, both for pipes and minimal bracketry.

[Mike]

Re: Radiator Help

Try again