14 replies to this topic

[minilee94]

I am guna fit a front mount rad to my 1380

What the bad side of fitting one

Also am I thinking all I need is header tank
Hoses
Rad
Thermostat housing

Am I missing anything else

Thanks

[Cooperman]

Electric fan and an MPI front panel welded in. You won't get a front rad in with a standard front panel.

For interest, why would you want to change to a front rad? The side rad has been good for 46 years or thereabouts.

[minilee94]

Just purely modern cars run front mounts now so they can't be bad lol

And I have seen front mounts fitted to a normal city

Must have been a differant branded rad

And I just really don't want my engine to over heat and boil it's self not after the money iv spent on it

Edited by minilee94, 05 April 2014 - 11:51 PM.

[The Principal]

Are you running a standard distributor or ECU? its going to be a tight squeeze for space, if your runnig an ECU you can dual fan it for added cooling and security if one fails.

 

Down sides are stones and debris damaging the rad, slightly complicated plumbing and more expensive solution

 

I have a mk1 Metro rad but its in a Clubman so easier fit

[minilee94]

I am running a dizzy and I know it's guna be tight fit and pipe work is not a problem for me

[Dan]

Oil filter and alternator are a far bigger problem than the dizzy.

[minilee94]

Yeah surely there is a small rad that can fit in there

And can I not fit a mpi alternator

[Dan]

The MPI alternator is just the internal fan version of the same model fitted to all Minis from around 1988, it's not that much smaller. It's not in the way because it's mounted differently using a bracket that holds it above the rad, which fits to specific points on the MPi block and head which aren't there on earlier engines.

Are you sure you've seen a City with one? Not a Clubby, which are dead easy to do? I'm not saying it can't be done, just that there's a lot to move and having a side rad isn't going to boil your engine. But finding and using a tiny rad just to make it easy to fit could well kill it. The car needs a certain cooling capacity. You say 'modern cars run front mounts now so they can't be bad', but that doesn't really make sense. All cars used to have the rad at the front, Mini has it where it does because the engine was turned round not because it was the norm at the time.

Edited by Dan, 06 April 2014 - 09:33 AM.

[BritishRacingGreen]

The one that fits in a round nose is a fiat chinquichento (sp?) radiator. Have a google it has been done lots before.

[Mr Moo]

I'd be going for a big two core myself... Much easier, tidier, cheaper and a nice polished alloy one, athstetically pleasing. Add an electric fan to the outside, belt and braces. Add an electric water pump inline too, will save any belt breakage overheating as well.

[benjy_18]

Mine in position

[minilee94]

Yeah was at Brighton last year and defo not a clubby iv seen it done before but I just cant find pics

Edited by minilee94, 06 April 2014 - 12:30 PM.

[Icey]

This is how ours looks with the Cinquecento rad. It's going under a Clubman flipfront but I have little doubt it could be made to fit in a roundnose without too much trouble.

 

 

Edited by Icey, 06 April 2014 - 03:30 PM.

[minilee94]

Thanks and I was looking earlier at my engine bay and it can't fit with a dizzy and oil filter along with oil cooler

[giacomo]

I've got a front mount metro rad on my mk1 with a fan on a switch, does the job no problem, fits in the round nose fine to