11 replies to this topic

[DUF2]

I’m struggling trying to get the radiator and the fan refitted to my 65 Elf.
I have had to remove the alternator to allow a little room to get to the radiator bottom mounting bolts.
This is on the early type split cowl radiator. I have managed to get the front bottom bolt in but cannot manage to get the rear bottom bolt into it’s hole, my hands are too fat!
Which is the best procedure to get this lot together?
If I put the fan on first, it makes the radiator difficult to get in.
If I put the radiator in first I then have insufficient space to do up the fan bolts!
Currently I’m trying to fit the rad with the bottom cowl fitted as I cannot see a way to fit the cowl, then the radiator as the rear cowl bolts are just about inaccessible.
I suspect, i’m trying to do it in the wrong order!!

[MiniMadRacer]

Fit the Fan first....slide the rad gently into position... Jack up the front left hand side of the car and take the wheel off... you should see a cut out in the inner wing which may allow sufficient access to get the bottom Rad bolts in...

[MiniMadRacer]

This pic shows the access hole I am talking about...square hole at the bottom

 

http://www.minispare...ic/14A7901.aspx

[Cooperman]

On a Mk.1 with 2-piece cowl I mount the rad onto the lower part of the cowl and then fit that to the sub-frame.
This is followed by fitting the fan. To avoid slight damage to the rad fins just slide a piece of cardboard down in front of the rad. The fan can be lined up using a mirtor-on-a-stick and the 1/4" UNF bolts fitted and tightened.
Then remove the cardboard and fit the top part of the cowl.

[Spider]

I undo the engine mount that's under it,jack the engine up on that side as high as it will go and there's enough room them to drive a bus through,,, well,,, almost !

[DUF2]

Managed to get the bolt in, but, discovered another problem.
The fan cowling is catching on the breather!
The engine is a1275 A Plus, the radiator cowl is the original 2 piece cowling, but these 2 parts are not compatible.
I thinks I need to “relieve” the breather a wee bit

Attached Files

•  6CADB024-EE74-40B6-9ADC-94C6F61EC123.jpeg   32.55K   3 downloads

[imack]

When I ran that type of breather I had to remove that part of the flange from the cowling, put a dent in the breather canister and run a fan spacer of about 10mm. It worked, but the spacer put the fan too close to the rad preventing insitu belt replacement.
I now use the MED timing cover with breather take off connected to a home made oil seperator / breather. This clears the fan without the need for a spacer allowing the fan to sit correctly positioned within the cowl and no spacer

Attached Files

•  20181223_193315_resized_6.jpg   33.66K   4 downloads
•  20181222_121039_resized_4.jpg   50.46K   3 downloads
•  20181221_155120_resized_1.jpg   44.03K   1 downloads
•  20181223_165743_resized_3.jpg   21.43K   0 downloads

Edited by imack, 24 October 2019 - 05:23 AM.

[DUF2]

Imack
That looks nice. I see your rad cowling is only fastened by 6 bolts, mine has 8. I also use domed Allen bolts. What I have done to make things a little easier is to slot the two bottom bolts holes on the upper half of the cowling, makes it easier to fit as I don’t have to struggle to get those bolts into the radiator.

[62S]

I see your rad cowling is only fastened by 6 bolts, mine has 8.

8 bolts? Usually just three at the front and three at the back.

[DeadSquare]

I rip the cowls to bits and rebuild them the other way up so that the two screws are at the top.

 

It makes it much easier to remove the top half if I need to.

[Spider]

I rip the cowls to bits and rebuild them the other way up so that the two screws are at the top.

 

It makes it much easier to remove the top half if I need to.

 

When I scratch make mine, that's pretty much how I do them

 

[DUF2]

Got the breather canister slimmed down with the use of a persuader.
So fitted new fan & spacer, it is a tad tight for space in there!! I was struggling to get the bolts between the rad & into the holes in the fan, but succeeded in the end.