Fitting new radiator and expanion pipe tube + Pictures

Hi Ya'all!

I live in the northwest and I own a 1997 gray 6 seat Hijet. I've only owned it just over a year and during the summer my radiator finally threw it's toy's out of the pram and started to piss out everywhere. I located a garage that could source out a new radiator and while I was at it, I got them to make me a replacement expansion pipe tube.

Here is a picture of the new radiator, it's the original manufacture standards, though there are slight variations from the original, i.e. slight different top cap stem angle, no water drainage cap on the bottom.



Here is the original expansion pipe tube, I broke it removing it, but as you can clearly see, the female part that the cap mates into is all rusted anyways.



Here is the replacement that the they made for me (out of brass).



Here is the part fitted



Here's a picture of various caps i've gotten a hold of, left is ebay (sprayed black) for my expansion pipe, middle is the old radiator cap, and right is the replacement radiator cap (from the garage).



Before installing the new radiator, I flushed out the engine from both ends (mainly rusty sediments came out) and I cleaned out the expansion tank reservoir.

After installing everything and filling the top with water/anti-freeze, the car started and warmed up with the new parts. After a while, the engine got hot and the fan kicked in, however the only snag is the engine temperature gauge didn't move! So my next task is to double check engine coolant levels/everything is installed and to figure out why my temperature gauge isn't working, two steps forward, one step backwards!

Call me real sad whatever, but that new radiator is lovely and crisp, and that nice new top pipe with the rad cap filler point is lovely.

If you've been having troubles have you thought about putting a new thermostat on it as well for the sakes of £10. Gives you chance to get rid of more rust sludge while your doing it.

Where abouts in the north west are you? I'm in crewe.

i'm in Liverpool, yeah was thinking of putting a new thermostat in, though was gonna check the heating fuse, water etc. just need to double check the location of the thermostat and the replacement type I need to get off ebay. I found that the location of the radiator is a bit exposed to the road, i've fitted a punched sheet metal grill over the radiator, hopefully it'd protect it from the worse of the road.

Nice
Shoulda got an extra one way bleed valve fitted to it

one way bleed valve? I'm always up for modifications, what kind of bleed valve, location and function, where's the location of the original one?

Just to chime in my worthless know it all opinion...

Seeing as you have treated it to such lovely new coolant system hardware which has got to have cost a good couple of quid - and judging by the looks of the inside of your old top pipe it looks like its been filled with just water a fair bit of its life as steel pipes don't tent to rot like that if the coolant has been regularly serviced.

I would make sure I gave the block a damn good flushing out which means taking the thermostat out, plus I'd be temped to take the big hoses off and pull a rag through them with a bit of string to get rid of all the crap that coats the inside of the pipes.

Also flush the hell out of heater matrix too in both directions. Just to try and save that beautiful new radiator from the rust water and give your lovely new setup the best chance at success.

someone at work recommended that i pour some radflush into it and run it for an hour, before the big flush?

I've ordered a new theromstat, so that's gonna be going in, and i'll flush it out with the old one out (though I wish i had a hose)

Thing is the thermostat is closed until the water temp hits 80 degrees, so flushing though water from the hose pipe dunni work

sheep wrote: i'll flush it out with the old one out

maybe you should get some sleep your mis reading things HJ

DOH!!! Failure.