Radiator Upgrade Advice Please

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Enzian

Well-Known Member
Posts
374
Location
West
Aye Up All,
With a view to improving the cooling system on my D1 v8 efi I’ve been looking at fitting a better radiator.

Does anyone have any experience of the aluminium ones sold on Ebabe, (200 sovs) seemingly mostly in Holland where I’m told ‘they love their v8s’ ?

Ta
 
Aye Up Juke,

Thanks for the quick response.

No, I’m not minted so Alisport is out of my reach.

Are any mods required or does it drop straight in and does it have the necessary for the auto oil cooler?
 
Enzian said:
Aye Up Juke,

Thanks for the quick response.

No, I’m not minted so Alisport is out of my reach.

Are any mods required or does it drop straight in and does it have the necessary for the auto oil cooler?
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None of the radiators linked above will drop straight in, both are listed for the D2 and nether include the radiator for the engine oil cooling as does the link below but cost a wee bit more :( why not stay with a genuine part?

https://www.allisport.com/shop/perf...lacement-alloy-radiator-with-two-oil-coolers/
 
Aye Up,

Yeah Juke I keep getting excited about some’at I’ve been reading only to find its about a D2! :)

Discool, since I’ve had the truck (April) I’ve felt that it runs hot - not indicated by the temp gauge (shows a tad below centre most often) but if I lift the bonnet even after short journeys there is the smell of a very hot running cooling system. Add to that the frequent info that I’m coming across about the 3.9 not able to dissipate heat well enough potentially leading to liner failure I aim to do whatever I can to preempt such.

If the latter hasn’t been such an issue why the aftermarket upgrade options?
 
Ok I purchased my D1 in 1997 so been an owner a little bit longer :)
My rad, hoses even the thermostat are those fitted at the factory, I’ve had to replace the water pump and the viscous coupling a few years ago, both due to bearing failure, other wise the only time I touch the cooling system is every five years to replace the antifreeze.

Your correct about the heat, V8s cooling system has to be 100% percent, the engine bay does get hot, after all you have two exhaust manifolds plus the hot exhaust Y pipe and the two cats not helping , more heat comes in from the A/C if on, plus on a hot summers day the engine bay is certainly toasty with lots of hot air blowing out from the near side wheel arch when the viscous fan is on full chat, but still the temp gauge is showing just below the half way marker... smells what smells.

All that is without the additional heat that I believe lpg fuelled engines have, so a 100% is important, or the result is slipped cylinder liners if not.

Hot engines/radiators can smell if covered in dirt, mud or oil other fluids which doesn’t mean it’s over heating.
So start by cleaning the engine and replace the coolant ready for the winter checking all the hoses at the same time.
 
Thanks for the advice Discool,

I get the fact that there is a lot of heat generated under the bonnet and I appreciate that the factory system needs to be kept in top condition.

As far as I know mine is (clean rad (recondition fitted several years back according to docs) temp gauge showing near normal so pump, fan drive belt should be OK.

But if a bit of (to be expected) muck in the rad is going to push the cooling system over the edge then it ain’t spec’d for purpose - and probably wasn’t when they bored out from 3.5 to 3.9 added cats etc. (Mine doesn’t have a/c).
It sounds as if there is very little redundancy left in the original system.
Or are you aware of cooling system upgrades they did make?

I used to run a 3.5 v8 back in the ‘80s on and off road and I don’t recall ever having concern about it overheating.
One of my lads also runs a 3.9 and has commented that the temp needle climbs quickly during low speed green laning and especially if there are lots of inclines involved.

An improved rad (maybe plus electric fans) seams a potential route to go but before I part with any wonga I’m looking for the experience of others re rads on the market.

Are you aware of anyone who has gone down the ally radiator route?
 
Alloy rad route... only years ago on competition saloon cars which appeared to be a must have, or a standard rad with an alloy re-core, which I was tempted to do with another car after seeing a before and after item on a stand at a classic car show, at lest that will be easy to drop in.
The only cooling upgrade mod I’m aware for D1s was to replace the grill for what was call a ‘Sauldi Grill’ fitted to an otherwise standard V8 used in Saudi Arabia where I believe the engine was running all day, even waiting in a lay-by to enable the a/c to stay on. I suspect that if there was a problem they would just purchased a replacement D1.

As my disco has never been off road or green landing but if it did I would expect any issues a hopefully the viscous fan would work as it should, as it did once when I was stuck on a motorway for 90 minutes in a stop start jam, hot day a/c on without any issue.

I’d replace the viscous coupling as a starting ipoint f I had issues off road like you lad, there’s something wrong unfortunately.
 
Again useful info Discool especially your ref to Saudi.

I wonder how successful or not the 3.9 in standard cooling format was over there and whether there had had to be any cooling system upgrades?

Also your ref to being stuck in stationary traffic is exactly what I had in mind as the trucks maiden voyage with me will be a long Mway journey south west in the not too distant future.

It’s there any straight forward (non-running) way to tell if the viscous coupling is on its way out?
 
Enzian said:
Again useful info Discool especially your ref to Saudi.

I wonder how successful or not the 3.9 in standard cooling format was over there and whether there had had to be any cooling system upgrades?

Also your ref to being stuck in stationary traffic is exactly what I had in mind as the trucks maiden voyage with me will be a long Mway journey south west in the not too distant future.

It’s there any straight forward (non-running) way to tell if the viscous coupling is on its way out?
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Initially there is the sound of the fan, assuming you in the vehicle and driving off straight away there a distinct turbine roar for a hundred or so yards, then that disappears leaving the normal rush of air from a fan, the loudest sound in a V8 engine bay :) when the fan locks ie on a hot day in traffic we go back to the turbine sound until we are moving again.
That’s not all, with a cold engine if the fan can spin with a couple of fingers, even half a rotation, it’s on its way out, with a brand new viscous coupling the fan will move just to the position of the previous blade, which is something like inch or so.

There use to be D1 owners UAR on the Forum but we don’t see much of them now, but they use to modify their vehicles for driving on the sand dunes.
 
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discool said:
Alloy rad route... only years ago on competition saloon cars which appeared to be a must have, or a standard rad with an alloy re-core, which I was tempted to do with another car after seeing a before and after item on a stand at a classic car show, at lest that will be easy to drop in.
The only cooling upgrade mod I’m aware for D1s was to replace the grill for what was call a ‘Sauldi Grill’ fitted to an otherwise standard V8 used in Saudi Arabia where I believe the engine was running all day, even waiting in a lay-by to enable the a/c to stay on. I suspect that if there was a problem they would just purchased a replacement D1.

As my disco has never been off road or green landing but if it did I would expect any issues a hopefully the viscous fan would work as it should, as it did once when I was stuck on a motorway for 90 minutes in a stop start jam, hot day a/c on without any issue.

I’d replace the viscous coupling as a starting ipoint f I had issues off road like you lad, there’s something wrong unfortunately.
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Recoring a standard rad is often the way to go if you've tried everything else. You can often specify to the rad people exactly what you want to make it perform better. Only problem with all ally rad cores is that their longevity is not great especially when coupled with plastic header and footer tanks.
Sigh! In the old days of a brass rad, they may not have cooled so well but they lasted for ever if you looked after 'em right. AND they could come with a drain cock!
 
Thanks each.

I will be testing the viscous tomorrow.

I’ve looked at the ally rads with the plastic tanks, I assume that they are ones referred to as ‘epoxy bonded’ in the all ali rad adverts inferring that they don’t last?
 
Enzian said:
Thanks each.

I will be testing the viscous tomorrow.

I’ve looked at the ally rads with the plastic tanks, I assume that they are ones referred to as ‘epoxy bonded’ in the all ali rad adverts inferring that they don’t last?
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NO ally rad lasts, they just wither and die, first the fins then the rest of it. They are only there cos they are easy to make and cheap. Brass is harder to make and costlier. Also, if they don't bust so often then you don't need to replace them so often, less money to the rad manufacturers.
And yes, the 'poxy bonds can give up and spring leaks too.
 
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