4 replies to this topic

[arnster]

Can any body give me valuable assistance. My car is 1995 1275i Rover Sprite and the water pump has sprung a leak, I have hit a problem with the bottom hose bracket (radiator) , a flat head screw driver won't fit as the slot has been butchered and a socket 1/4 or 6mm seem to spin. So I have started to remove the radiator to see if i can get a bit more purchase . The next snag is the side mounted radiator lower mounting bolt - accessible thru the grill , has unscrewed but has not wound out is this normal and do you have to pull it out with mole grips? One last thing when the radiator is off and I can get to the water pump to change it , HOW do you fit the radiator bottom horseback on because I can't see how anyones hands can get access to push it back on. PLEASE PLEASE HELP ASAP would be great as I'm stressing and REALLY getting on the wifes nerves .Thanks the Arnster

[MrElliott]

I had the same problem with the bottom hose on mine as the rusted jubilee clip was impossible to remove. I was changing the hoses anyway so I used a little dremel cutting disk to cut off the clip. It was a pain to get to and took a while but I managed to get it off and not to damage the hose...much :/
Getting it back on was not too difficult with some lubrication on the hose will slide on nicely but you do need to reach down the back of the radiator to do so. I would advise wearing some protection as my knuckles were raw afterwards.

(there might be an easier way to do this but it worked for me)

hope this helps

[jaydee]

Its a bit fiddly but you can alway remove the whole lot together, rad, bottom hose and water pump..then you can easy cut off the clips nd remove the hoses.

[cradley-heathen]

i have seen and heard of people struggling with this loads of times,

if you undo the radiator you can pull the rad up and out with the bottom hose still attached, ok it requires a little muscle, and the hose gets twisted a little, but if its in good condition you wont hurt it.

you will only be able to get it up to the point where the bottom of the rad is level with the top of the engine, but this gives good access to the jubilee clip.

when refitting the radiator, i always fit the hose (with it twisted round slightly so it will have the right orientation when the radiator is back down the gap again) do the clip up, then slip it back down past the fan.

i know it sounds tricky, but i have done it a huge amount if times now, and its much quicker and easier then messing down the bottom.

as for your bottom rad bolt, you need to get something behind the head of the bolt to put some outward force on, then continue turning it counter clockwise, it will then wind itself out. when you re-fit it, make sure you clean all the crud off the bolt, and copper grease it so it will come out easily next time.

Edited by cradley-heathen, 16 December 2012 - 09:58 PM.

[mattbeddow]

If yo have the grille off the car, it makes re-attaching the bottom hose alot easier.
Find someone with skinny arms (like I have) and you can reach down through the bonnet to push it on.
A little fairy liquid on the inside of the pipe makes it slide on super easy too