Radiator options

I need to investigate further but I think my radiator may be leaking. Could not have come at a worse time as my series III is currently being used as a daily driver as the 110 currently has the gearbox out after 5th gear decided to eat its bearings!

Does anyone know if the britpart replacement radiators (link) have brass end tanks or are a modern plastic version? If they are not brass I have found a NOS radiator which I will fit instead but it is significantly more expensive.

Is there any advantage to some of the all ali "performance" radiators advertrised on ebay over just the standard radiator for normal day to day useage? Other than potentially leaking now I have had no issues with the stock cooling system.

Don’t think you’ll get a new brass end tank one. Not cheap or easily. All new rads for all cars are plastic tanks these days.

You could probably get you rad re-cored though.

All aluminium ones are ok. Depends who makes them really. Probably no better than the plastic tanks ones for the most part. And certainly not if you aren’t doing anything odd ball. Any real reason why you don’t want plastic end tanks?

As a stop gap you could always chuck some Radweld or similar in it.

You are in the best part of the country for old school engineering. Get it re cored.

Try Radweld until the 110 is back on the road? It's just dawned on me that I put some in a Fiat 5 years ago and it's still working!

boguing said:

Try Radweld until the 110 is back on the road? It's just dawned on me that I put some in a Fiat 5 years ago and it's still working!

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Save the money and crack an egg in first

Fitted a plastic alloy one in 2018, been fine and still looks good.

doriz said:

Save the money and crack an egg in first

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I thought he might be vegan.

I've had a BP radiator in my 2.25d for a few years now without issue.

I had four Britpart radiators delivered one after the other and all leaked. They came in tissue thin boxes that were battered and damaged the bottom hose spout. Got a refund no trouble but the heap was off the road for weeks while the promises and abject shock were handed out. Went with plastic and aluminium. Came in moulded foam and no issues.

Bobsticle said:

I had four Britpart radiators delivered one after the other and all leaked. They came in tissue thin boxes that were battered and damaged the bottom hose spout. Got a refund no trouble but the heap was off the road for weeks while the promises and abject shock were handed out. Went with plastic and aluminium. Came in moulded foam and no issues.

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So your issue was packing and delivery? Did you buy direct from Britpart or another retailer?

300bhp/ton said:

So your issue was packing and delivery? Did you buy direct from Britpart or another retailer?

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Bought from craddocks but arrived direct from Britpart as usual so poor craddocks dint have to handle such tat.

I did receive lots of free ‘oh thats never happened before’ and a couple of ‘we’ve sold lots of these without issue’ bestowed on me without charge.

I think they’d have to be advertised as foil radiators if the metal had been any thinner to prevent litigation. I just thank swarf the god of series that I filled them in the garden before fitting due to britparts dire reputation. Saved me quite a lot of time destroying them with an over zealous jubilee clip.

Seems such a waste of the bare footed chaps time crouched in the dirt. Not to mention his stack of flattened oil cans.

Sep 21 from Blanchards it was a Denso good quality

Fitted a plastic one couple is weeks ago. Seems fine.

Looks good how much was yours

Bought ages ago for another project. Can't remember.

Many thanks for the replies, the rad seems to have fixed itself currently, was a very small pinhole weep but seems to no longer be leaking. so I will continue with my 20l of water in the back and watching the gauge like a hawk until the 110 is back on the road and then sort it unless it properly lets go in the mean time.

My only reason for not wanting a modern plastic cap one was that i thought they had a bad rep for not being very good, but that information is possible about 10 years old now form when i was looking at replacements for the 110. If they are now a perfectly acceptable replacement then I am less against the idea, although i will weigh up the nos price difference more carefully and see how many spare pennies I have after a new gearbox as, unlike the 110, the series is very original, with the only changes being minor cosmetics that can swapped back with no consequence (e.g. maltese grill)

Can you see the leak ir is it buried in the fins.

Bobsticle said:

Can you see the leak ir is it buried in the fins.

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I can see the damp patch. It is right at the top drivers side corner so I cam currently running a total loss system but in reality with where it is it looses about a litre and then sits at that level with no issues. When I am not using it as a daily or when the new one arrives i will remove it and have a look in more detail. I have managed to solder them up in the past but you need to remove the find to do this with any success.

dag019 said:

I can see the damp patch. It is right at the top drivers side corner so I cam currently running a total loss system but in reality with where it is it looses about a litre and then sits at that level with no issues. When I am not using it as a daily or when the new one arrives i will remove it and have a look in more detail. I have managed to solder them up in the past but you need to remove the find to do this with any success.

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I was thinking a rub over with wire wool and a spot of superglue and baking soda. Worked for me.