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MG MGA - Radiator Recoring

Hello.
I’m going to recore my old original radiator (now I use a repro rad)
Does anybody know anything about «Colchester Radiator Specialists»,
www. colchesterradiatorspecialists.com? They quoted me 120£+vatt for the complete rebuild. Is it O.K.?
Thank you,
Nick
Nikolai Skliadnev

Nick,

I had my radiator recored eight years ago for £115 (VAT included).
The only reason I had it recored was that the old core was rather beaten up and didn't look pretty. I never had any overheating with it.
When I took it in I was assured that there would be a great improvement in cooling efficiency with a new modern core.

I completed the car restoration last year and on it's first day out at the MOT garage it overheated and I had to wait 20 minutes or so for it to cool down before I could restart. Admittedly it was one of the hottest days of the year and the car had been up on a ramp for a half hour with the engine running but now I'm concerned that the radiator efficiency may be worse than before and may not have been improved: time will tell.

According to Steve Gyles Bob West has looked into core design for the MGA and I would be inclined to go to him. It will probably be more expensive but you could trust him to get it right.
It would at least be worth asking for a quote.

PS What's wrong with your existing one? ...................Mike
m.j. moore

Mike,
I have two radiators: original one which is unfortunately leaking and aftermarket one (20 – 30 y.o.) which I use now. We have a hot weather the last few days (30 C) and I noticed that staying in a traffic jam for 15-20 min, coolant temperature climbs up
to 212F. I don’t like it too much. Cruising temperature is O.K., just 175 -185F.
So I intend to reduce the temperature a bit recoring original radiator using original type of core.
Thanks, Nick
Nikolai Skliadnev

Nick; A lot of times rad efficiency is compromised by dirt. Both inside and outside the rad. If you flush the rad really well and use a diluted cleaner you can remove a great amount of rust sludge lime build up etc. This can improve flow and heat transfer to the rad core. Most people do not pay too much attention to the outside of the rad core. You should be able to see through the core. Check by having a good light behind and look through the front. Most times , small stones, bugs, dirt and bent fins, do not allow air to pass through efficiently, so the heat does not dissipate as well as it should.

You may not need a re-core. Might just be dirt build up. I washed my rad inside and out, and I was surprised how much "crud" was removed. I now can see light through the rad over its entire surface. No more hot rad.

.. CRT
CR Tyrell

If it's not leaking, then fill it with vinegar and let it sit...then flush and fill with vinegar again, etc until it flows clean with a hose. This has worked for me. If it has leaks then the recore may be best.
Brian W.
ZBMan

Nikolai, before you go to the expense of recoring a radiator, check a few things first.

1. Do you have the felt pad glued to the bonnet (hood) that seals against the top of the radiator?

2. Do you have all of the 4 inch duct hoses in place?

Both of those items will allow air to bypass the radiator and greatly reduce cooling.

3. Is your fan on correctly? See this page: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/cooling/cool_101.htm. About in the middle of the page you'll see a picture of a fan incorrectly mounted. If the fan is backwards, it won't move air nearly as efficiently.

4. Consider putting in a fan shroud. Not for concourse-minded folks but it's said to greatly improve cooling. I put one on my car during the restoration and am quite pleased with my car's cooling. Of course, I never drove the car without it so I can't say for sure that it's an improvement but others swear by a shroud.

Best of luck,
Larry
Larry Wheeler

This thread was discussed between 23/05/2014 and 28/05/2014

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