7 replies to this topic

[Pairaminis]

What is the purpose of the rubber grommets and spacers used with the Mini's top radiator bracket?  Are they to reduce lateral movement stress?  And are they really necessary?

Jack

[Baldspeed Racing]

They basically allow for movement in the rad, if solid mounted things could hit or break

[nicklouse]

The same reason the lower mount is rubber, so the engine vibration is not transmitted to the radiator or is reduced.

[slidehammer]

They are redily available from Mini Spares and not expensive.

[Dusky]

And isolates the radiator from the engine Block, reducing galvanic corrosion.

[psychobob]

hmm. this is the first i've heard of radiator grommets? slightly worrying. my hornet definitely doesn't have any!

[nicklouse]

hmm. this is the first i've heard of radiator grommets? slightly worrying. my hornet definitely doesn't have any!

would have originally.

 

http://www.minispare...ngs.aspx?1~5~46

[tiger99]

The only difference that I am aware of is that early Minis had shouldered bolts to provide a positive stop when tightening, while later ones had loose sleeves in the grommets to achieve the same effect. Often the sleeve rusts onto the bolt, or crushes slightly and grips the bolt, and you can't separate them, or even tell that it should be loose. However the rubber grommets remained the same throughout and are very necessary, or the radiator will break. In any case the bolt plus sleeve is far too small to properly fit the large hole in the bracket. A largish washer is always fitted to prevent the bolt head pulling through the grommet and bracket.

The big problem is at the bottom on earlier cars, as fitting the bottom mount is awkward. With later cars with the long through bolt, easier to work on, a very different bottom rubber is used but at the top we still have the original style of grommets.

If the grommets are worn or non-existent the shoulder bolts will not clamp the radiator accurately in place, and on an early car with the full internal cowling on the inner wing, engine movement will rub the top header tank against the cowling until it wears through. The symptom is an elusive squeak, followed in a few tens of miles by a severe loss of coolant. I had to solder on some sheet copper to repair mine, and all because the grommets had rotted.