Alternative radiator for v8?

tantus pedis

tantus pedis

Member
Basically as the title says. Mine is in a right state - it's only the Kenlowe holding it together! Engines out at mo so don't mind messing around with brackets. Has anyone bothered finding something more modern that fits or is it always a recore job?
 
tantus pedis said:
Is it a case of measuring up something with similar dimensions of a similar power engine or are there more complicated factors to be considered?
Click to expand...

If the mounting points are on top and at the bottom of the rad, like the original ones are, it will make your life a lot easier.
However it is more important that the inlet and outlet are at roughly the same positions and of the same diameter.
 
Hi TP,

My understanding is that old school copper and brass radiators such as in P6/P6B are more efficient at keeping an engine cool than a modern aluminium alloy radiator, of the same dimensions. Modern radiators tend to have plastic end tanks, so ensuring that they are earthed is very important, otherwise stray currents can very rapidly see their demise.

When I had my radiator recored recently, sitting on a display was a large aluminium alloy radiator, in this case complete with aluminium alloy end tanks. It looked very fancy, but when I asked the fellow about it, he said, they're made in China, basically they're rubbish, not a patch on your (copper and brass) radiator.

Provided that you use a suitable coolant and change it accordingly, (don't leave it in there if you only drive, as an example 1000 miles per year), the cooling system will remain healthy.

Ron.
 
I was glancing through the "Triumph" UK magazine at my local newsagents and noticed that there were aluminium radiators advertised for triumph TR4/5/6 by Cambridge Motorsports in, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1NR, United Kingdom. They look well made and dare say that the above company would not sell them unless they were of a high quality for the Triumph clientel, They also do Ally rads for Jags, Austin Healy and MG's. Surely they could add Rover P6 to their range if demand neccessitated it, Start lobbying UK chaps!!! You are doing it with front anti roll bars... All it needs is someone to start getting quotes for a P6 and P6B ally radiators to be made to get the ball rolling...

http://www.google.com.au/url?q=http://w ... OAwNOdp4KQ

I would like to have an uprated modern ally rad on my P6B and overflow tank to match!!!
 
Just a word on rads & materials. Copper has the advantage of better heat conductivity. It has the disadvantage of being soldered together, which adds dissimilar metals and corrosion in the system and it is heavy. A further disadvantage is new technology is only being developed with aluminum materials (because of the weight), so current copper cores are not as advanced as aluminum ones.

So if all you were doing is replacing a rad an aluminum one of the same size & core details will not cool as well. In the real world, you'd be buying a rad with a better core in the same physical size, so the aluminum rad will be the best performer.

Where aluminum is a bit tricky is firms will, and do, use the wrong grades of aluminum in the quest for profit or ignorance so beware the aluminum rad from offshore or at an incredible bargain.

Yours
Vern
 
With reference to copper/brass being better metals when you get an older rad recored do they generally use ally or original materials? Never had one done on any car. The vivas just got patched for 8 years.
 
They sweat the original end tanks off from the core that is to be replaced, then re solder them to the new core. The core is made from brass with copper cooling fins.

With aluminium alloy radiators as used in modern cars, often the end tanks are plastic, so they just remove and fit a brand new complete item.

Ron.
 
Plastic tanks are not the way to go, they heat cycle and fail relatively rapidly compared to copper and brass older types most especially the top plastic tank. I recently had to replace my plastic and alloy Honda radiator, completely stuffed and rotted out at only 140k KM's and that's with fresh anti freeze and anti corrosion at due times yet my my P6B is still on its original never refurbished re-tanked or re-cored let alone flushed from new and 229K KM's and 38 year life.

Graeme
 
Hi Graeme,

That is a good number of years that your original radiator has seen. How are the fins? Are they solid to the touch of crumbling? The cores available these days won't last near as long as the fins start crumbling after just a few years.

I removed my Rover's original radiator in 1996, so 22 years of service with 150,000 Miles (242,000km) being covered up until that time, hence the reason behind my question.

Ron.
 
SydneyRoverP6B said:
Hi Graeme,

That is a good number of years that your original radiator has seen. How are the fins? Are they solid to the touch of crumbling? The cores available these days won't last near as long as the fins start crumbling after just a few years.

I removed my Rover's original radiator in 1996, so 22 years of service with 150,000 Miles (242,000km) being covered up until that time, hence the reason behind my question.

Ron.
Click to expand...

Hi Ron just checked the fins and tubes, all still is factory black with no signs of crumbling or external corrosion, all and all looks like it still a very new radiator...even though I know a lot better :LOL:

Todays job is to install new fire wall accelerator linkage bushing, supplied from Mark Gray via Warren a 10 minute job that has taken me 6 weeks to get around to.


Graeme
 
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