replacing radiator

[Roger Blassberg 0]

I decided that the time has come to replace the coolant radiator and sort out the Diavia aircon. So far so bad!!

The bumper and the slam panel came away quite easily but the aircon radiator had just disintegrated, the wiring all falling to pieces, the dryer receiver a mess and all the hose connections totally siezed up so had to be cut off. I may decide to do away with the ac, but maybe some people have been here already and can give me some advice. I will need a dryer an ac radiator as well as various hoses. Maybe more.

Best wishes RB

[Jim Bowen 1]

I ditched my aircon. It had never worked and I'd not used it for 7yrs so thought i could manage without.

 

Makes the engine bay and wiring much cleaner and gives a bit more room to work on engine.

[fla 9]

My aircon is still fine - i would source a newer rad from say a polo and get some new hoses made up. It will be slimmer, smaller and more efficient. The aircon actually cools extremely well - perhaps not the most efficient as its not gradual so you feel a jolt every time it kicks in.

Longer term i'll be doing the same, perhaps with climatronic instead. Personally i would hang on to it, but obviously its your choice and whether you feel you'd use it.

[Roger Blassberg 0]

Thanks Hasan, I hoped that you would give me your views. You mentioned some time ago an a/c specialist you have used in the past in W London somewhere; if you can find the contact details I would appreciate hearing from you. In fact the old heat exchanger is very slim but has thesame frontal area as the main rad. It has a leak and the fins are all falling off so it is beyond saving. The hose connections are nearly all completely solid with corrosion so it is a terrible mess. I will put it back together without a/c for the time being and collect the parts for a later rebuild.

I hope you are well,

RB

[fla 9]

thanks for your good wishes Roger. The company is Alpinair,in Park Royal. Contact details as below:

 

Unit 7/Manhattan Business Park/West Gate, London W5 1UP

Phone:020 8991 0055

 

Speak to Sam - he's a nice guy, dont know if he will remember me though its been quite a while since i needed to go there.

 

The newer rads are smaller dimensionally, and perhaps as thin, but have a greater surface area and achieve heat exchange quite effectively. Some of the fins are falling off mine too - galvanic corrosion, as has the top of the evaporator where it joins to the main coolant radiator. I used some strips bolted to each side to hold it together and so far its pretty solid.

Pirtek is also not too far, about 100 yards behind Central Middx hospital so with your new rad you could get them to make up some new hoses.

Hope that helps.

[Roger Blassberg 0]

Thanks Hasan

I have now stripped and repainted the fan support frame and amazingly have found new plastic fan shrouds from VW stock. So the radiator/fan set up looks brand new. It's all so easy with the bumper and slam panel off the car so I also set about replacing the top timing chain guide rail (just for fun and as a precaution) and the cam cover gasket to cure a niggling oil weep.

 

Best wishes

Roger

[Dan_Storm 0]

Roger, see my post on the aircon thread. I managed to get the original parts as replacements.

[Jim Bowen 1]

Don't think my car has ever had the rad air guides/cowling am not even sure what they look like. Might try and fit some if they are cheap enough and available.

 

Have you got part numbers Roger?

[Roger Blassberg 0]

The part I referred to is the ring shaped shroud which fits to the support frame around the impellers, one for each. Part number 357 121 210. They are still available, about £13 each, you will need one for each fan. There are cowls fitted to each side of the radiator itself to funnel air through the grille and the radiator core

535 121 282 and 535 121 283, but these are discontinued as they are unique to the Corrado.

best wishes

RB

[Jim Bowen 1]

Ahh right. Think i got mixed up. I meant some bits that go on the side of the rad.