P38 diesel Burst Radiator

after mine blowing in this exact manner due to a water pump failure (and faulty lid on expansion tank) i got it replaced in Norwich.

The guy at JSF said he only uses the genuine ones now as all the others are prone to splitting due to their design, he learnt the hard way giving a guy a series of new rads for free before saying that it was going to have to be the extra cost for a genuine and never having a problem.

its a steeper lay out yes, but so's having to repeatedly buy cheap radiators and spend time fitting them!

tommy

So is the view still that genuine rads are better? My cheaper one has just failed after about 18 months and I see that Island now offer both genuine and Britpart / Nissen patten ones. I think I know the answer but thought I would ask before spending £

enery8 said:

When I replaced mine one dealer refused to offer a guarantee at all saying they all go sooner or later. Does your confidence no good. I tried to get a metal one but they are about £350.
Island 4x4 offer a full 1 year guarantee against a faulty rad but I reckon they too would wriggle and try to blame the car or fitter. One member on here had the plastic replaced with aluminium by an aircraft engineer and reckoned it cost about the same as a new rad! Now there's an idea.

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I had mine replaced with aluminium when i was in Kazacstan by a radiator repair bloke at a backstreet garage and it lasted about 60 000 mile and then the core started leaking

I've had a Nissen one from Island for a while now with no issues.

I doubt the original will take much more if the pressure gets too high.

I fitted a Nissens one from Island 4 x 4 last year, no problems so far.

I have a gen LR rad in mine after the last one split. The garage I use said he has had too much trouble with the cheaper ones. It has been in for about a year now and so far no dramas.

Nissan one as well from island4x4....working well

To tidy this up, the one that split was a Nissens which had been in 2 years 3 months (when I checked the paper-work). Ordered genuine this time along with a genuine thermostat and a new header tank cap, all from Island 4x4. Hopefully this one will last longer...

There is a fair difference in the price between OEM and Gen tho so what's the difference? Is it jut the plastic grades?

If mine goes again, I have an all metal spare from the scrapper, shame mine split while I was in the UK or I would have fitted that instead of spending on a new one.

Now this might be a stupid question... But... these all metal rads seem really great as they are much stronger. But if your system pressurises for whatever reason wouldnt it be better for the rad to split before it bursts something else? a gasket or something? do you see what I'm saying?

Littelwill said:

Now this might be a stupid question... But... these all metal rads seem really great as they are much stronger. But if your system pressurises for whatever reason wouldnt it be better for the rad to split before it bursts something else? a gasket or something? do you see what I'm saying?

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The pressure cap will release the pressure or a hose will let go.
The rad usually fails due to fatigue from heating/cooling cycles causing expansion and contraction flexing rather than a problem with pressure.

Datatek said:

The pressure cap will release the pressure or a hose will let go.
The rad usually fails due to fatigue from heating/cooling cycles causing expansion and contraction flexing rather than a problem with pressure.

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Oh I see thank you for clearing that up..

Could you not get a rad with a normal top bottom arrangement and just replumb the cooling to avoid the daft LR design faults?

Bix said:

Could you not get a rad with a normal top bottom arrangement and just replumb the cooling to avoid the daft LR design faults?

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Possibly but my manual has the gearbox oil going through the bottom of it.

Grrrrrr said:

Possibly but my manual has the gearbox oil going through the bottom of it.

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I was looking at rads with oil coolers. I thought they were engine oil coolers and the gearbox oil is a standalone rad. Just in front of left wheel on auto and a thin rad for manual across the front of the rad? Or is that auto V8?

Bix said:

Could you not get a rad with a normal top bottom arrangement and just replumb the cooling to avoid the daft LR design faults?

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Good idea.
Does the V8 have a normal top/bottom hose arrangement? If so it ought to be an easy swap, the hard bit would be the making up the bottom hose. the RAD would need bottom hose on the left standing in front of the car.

Datatek said:

Good idea.
Does the V8 have a normal top/bottom hose arrangement? If so it ought to be an easy swap, the hard bit would be the making up the bottom hose. the RAD would need bottom hose on the left standing in front of the car.

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The V8 uses normal Top/Bottom arrangement.
Vauxhall Omega that used the 2.5TD have normal top bottom so you could probably use the bottom hose from one of them.

Bix said:

I was looking at rads with oil coolers. I thought they were engine oil coolers and the gearbox oil is a standalone rad. Just in front of left wheel on auto and a thin rad for manual across the front of the rad? Or is that auto V8?

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Pretty certain it was the gearbox. Might be wrong. Can't remember to be honest but after I failed to undo it and chewed the brass connection off (hence the need for a new rad) I'm pretty sure I had to top my gearbox fluid up afterwards. My memory isn't 100% though.

Yep gearbox oil cooler in rad, engine cooler in front.