Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Today is the day the Aluminium radiator goes in

So my lovely SIFab rad has arrived and I'm ready to spend some time putting it back together.

I may take some photos and do a short 'how to' if there's any interest.

State of play at the moment, is the car is in the air, old rad is out, hoses and thermostat removed and rack is off (it's had new gators and quick refurb/adjustment). The area has had a clean and a lick of hammerite, nothing spectacular.

I won't be rushing so it'll take as long as it takes with plenty of coffee stops.

Gary

And enjoy it. Photos would be appreciated

I PLAN DOING THE IDENTICAL JOB ON MY ROADSTER PLEASE POST PICS

I am also installing a Alloy Rad, However, I sourced one from China via EBAY. So far it looks like it will fit OK. Looks well made. (But what do I know about alloy rads?) Have no fear; if I lived in the UK I would have sourced this from MULFAB or Simon. Not sure I saved any money. If so not much. It was interesting to inspect My Old Rad. It was really fouled by bugs and dirt. I also tried to "Flow Test" it but really not knowing how to do this I just poured a quart of water in the top and timed an measured the water coming out the bottom. It came out very slow, and at least a pint is still in there or at least until I poured it out the top it was still there. I may have it re-cored and keep it as a spare. I had used this old rad for about 50,000 miles and wondered why My +8 Bitsa overheated when pulling a long hill at speed. Now I know. This job is another reason to not build a +8 Bitsa out of old parts. Nothing is standard. Of course nothing is standard about a Factory assembled +8 either. But better than my backyard effort.

Is there a definition of standard when it comes to Morgans?

Your Bitsa may be non-standard, but at least you know what you used.

It's in!

No water yet - stop and think first. Went in remarkably easily with a couple of 'workarounds'.

new bottom hose needed to be cut to fit and I removed one bolt from either side of the rad brackets. I took pics so will upload a few when I can.

fingers crossed for the acid test later.

now Grumpy2 , you are slow... or to much coffee stops. I just installed a new SiFab rad and took me 10 minutes . ( OK, old was out and cowl of )

so this is the package

Rad goes up from underneath, I put the bobbins on the mountings first



but found the rad brackets difficult to get onto the bobbins.

so I removed the two bolts in the red circle and loosened the yellow ones and rotated the mounts downwards, now everything went in very nicely



Once in (but nothing tightened) its easy to see the standard bottom hose will not fit the SIFab arrangement (I was expecting this). So I carefully marked where to cut and shortened this hose by about 3 inches



and



Everything now fits without chaffing



Up at the top everything is very straightforward



with just a little wiring to reroute



view from the cowl end looks good

.

The rack is a bit fiddly to get back in but it goes back as it came out - albeit with new gators. The bolts and jubilee clips are all tightened and its currently holding water.

all in working time to install including ancillaries, about 3 hours

hope someone finds this useful

Gary

True! But I am going to be 90 next Feb. Can't remember sh--. Amazing though I have driven 50,000 with this rig, On My second engine, Got all those miles out of a worn out radiator. Went from Carb to aftermarket EFI. On the third set of tires. 2nd set of shocks. 2nd Motorcycle battery. First set of chrome pins and Vesconite bushes. Also two Widows and stressing My latest Driving Companion who is 10 years younger than My Oldest Daughter who is 65,