Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Radiator woes 😔

I have just suspended the insurance on the Plus 4 for the winter months and went to put the battery minder on.

I made a rather worrying discovery.



I have seen a small patch of fluid under the car before but it was from a hose end that was passing a little fluid. This, however, seemed to be in a different place.



In the photo above and below you can see where the fluid was dripping from where there is a wet area at the bottom left of the radiator. I could not even see well enough to understand what that section is and whether it is part of the radiator or part of the mounting brackets. It is impossible to see exactly where it is coming from but obviously it must be at some point above that.



At 10 years old the radiator should still be good but the forum is full of people who have had radiator problems so I suspect a new radiator will be required before our next long trip. I am not even sure if the radiator is standard as the car is on of the few Plus Fours fitted with air con and the air con radiator sits in front of the engine coolant radiator.

I would consider getting one of the specialist replacement radiators but, at this distance, if it is not correct for the car it would be a nightmare, particularly with Brexit issues, import costs, taxes and fees etc.

It does not seem like a small job to change the radiator so I suspect it will be into the dealer

That’s the standard MMC plastic radiator Peter
No issues with replacement- although the aircon does need to be drained and refilled to fit a new rad

I

Almost exactly where my rad leaked Peter, at the plastic tank to rad interface adjacent to but not from drain plug. Simon will sort you out with all aluminium one. Easy to fit especially if you have access to a ramp. My old one slid out downwards easily without need of removing steering arms, after I had detached fan and cowling. Not sure how aircon rad affects though.

Peter, how cold does your A/C get ?

Peter I had the same problem, a puddle on the floor and drops at the bottom of the radiator.
First thought was the hose which was also wet.
But my experience of 45 years as a plumber has taught me to always start looking at the highest point.
And there it was!


The O-ring at the nipple to de expansion tank.


Couldn't see that without removing the cowl.


Here you can see how I fixed it.
http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/726299/re-radiator-leaking#Post726299

Thanks Simon. That is reassuring but it does mean a professional job if the aircon needs to be drained and refilled.

Thanks Paul. I will see if I can get a look in there with a mirror.

It has to be said that the plumbing of the radiator and the aircon is almost amateurish. I suppose that comes from adapting the same radiator to different engine configurations and the same probably applies to the aircon which was adapted from something else. It would have made sense to swap the aircon pump and the alternator so that the aircon had shorter tube runs but most of all to avoid having to pass a tube behind the radiator!

At the moment the loss of fluid is very small. I had worse when a hose connection was leaking. Up till now I have not had to top up the fluid.

Peter,
I replaced mine even though it wasn't leaking on the basis I didn't want to risk failure knowing how they all fail. I still have the plastic one in case I sell the car & the new owner wants it.

Keith.
It is a long way from perfect but when it gets really hot we put up the hood and turn the aircon on. It does make the car survivable

There is a very important issue and that is the entry of hot air from the engine bay into the cabin ventilation intake.


The mod is covered in the 2 threads below.
http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/370049

http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/371247

In a perfect Morgan world the heater intake would not be where it is, but where could it be?
I've spent time thinking about this question, without finding an answer.
Your solution is the best option, imperfect though it is.

My friend's '99 car has a completely different setup with two square intakes, either side of the hinge, with rubber seals that press up to the underside of the bonnets when closed. I think this may have been the inspiration for my mod.