P38A P38 dhse auto radiator swap

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Stig1

Active Member
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Location
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I've just got myself a 2000 p38 dhse auto but unlucky for me the rad has split at the top reading about this I can see it's a common problem either bad design or the rad or pressure build up in the system . I've been looking at the all aluminium rads but cant find one that's listed just to fit the auto only manual and the only difference I can see is the two outlets on the bottom think they are for cooling the manual gear box . Can I buy the manual one and just blank the two ports off ? Or has anyone fitted a diffrent rad as a upgrade ? Was thinking if the one from the v8 would fit as that has top and bottom inlet and outlets would just need a different hose . Any advise and info very appreciated please
 
Stig1 said:
I've just got myself a 2000 p38 dhse auto but unlucky for me the rad has split at the top reading about this I can see it's a common problem either bad design or the rad or pressure build up in the system . I've been looking at the all aluminium rads but cant find one that's listed just to fit the auto only manual and the only difference I can see is the two outlets on the bottom think they are for cooling the manual gear box . Can I buy the manual one and just blank the two ports off ? Or has anyone fitted a diffrent rad as a upgrade ? Was thinking if the one from the v8 would fit as that has top and bottom inlet and outlets would just need a different hose . Any advise and info very appreciated please
Click to expand...

Not many if any auto rads about. You could get them a few years ago, i got one for mine when the top split. But now makers only seem to make manual ones for both applications. Fitting a manual one and blanking the oil cooler outlets would be fine.
 
I think I have one of them rads, at the bottom of it you just close it off with a spanner, tbh its the best one I have had so far, got it as damaged from eBay for next to nothing as well
 
Stig1 said:
Be just my luck the head will be scrap . What's the bleed procedure for these once a new rads fitted
Click to expand...
It helps to raise the front of the car a little and to rapidly squeeze and release the top RAD hose with the engine idling. Make sure there is a trickle of coolant out of the bleed pipe into the expansion tank.
As others have said, check the baffle in the header with the marble test.
 
Well bit of good news for a change as you know I've just brought this p38 and the rad split on our way home and reading all the stories about HGF and heads cracking I was expecting the worse as the coolant system seems to keep building pressure . So I got me a testing kit and got the car up to temp hoses started to go hard I did the test twice just to make sure and as you can see in my picture the blue test fluid didn't turn yellow showing there isnt any gases getting into the system so that's all good but wondering why I'm getting pressure I'm turning towards the coolant cap it's a right pain to remove when cold but easy when warm . I've got a good strong flow of water back to the bottle so would say the water pump is working so either the cap . Stat . Or massive air lock what would you folks say cheers for your help
 

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Stig1 said:
Well bit of good news for a change as you know I've just brought this p38 and the rad split on our way home and reading all the stories about HGF and heads cracking I was expecting the worse as the coolant system seems to keep building pressure . So I got me a testing kit and got the car up to temp hoses started to go hard I did the test twice just to make sure and as you can see in my picture the blue test fluid didn't turn yellow showing there isnt any gases getting into the system so that's all good but wondering why I'm getting pressure I'm turning towards the coolant cap it's a right pain to remove when cold but easy when warm . I've got a good strong flow of water back to the bottle so would say the water pump is working so either the cap . Stat . Or massive air lock what would you folks say cheers for your help
Click to expand...
Coolant pressure should be around 5 to 7 PSI engine up to temp at idle.
 
Stig1 said:
Well bit of good news for a change as you know I've just brought this p38 and the rad split on our way home and reading all the stories about HGF and heads cracking I was expecting the worse as the coolant system seems to keep building pressure . So I got me a testing kit and got the car up to temp hoses started to go hard I did the test twice just to make sure and as you can see in my picture the blue test fluid didn't turn yellow showing there isnt any gases getting into the system so that's all good but wondering why I'm getting pressure I'm turning towards the coolant cap it's a right pain to remove when cold but easy when warm . I've got a good strong flow of water back to the bottle so would say the water pump is working so either the cap . Stat . Or massive air lock what would you folks say cheers for your help
Click to expand...
Normal pressure in the system makes the hoses feel hard. The cap if I remember correctly is set to 14psi.
 
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