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 Posted: Apr 30, 2016 05:05AM
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I use the alloy rads. and 6 blade METAL fan.. called tropical fan..  I have found this cool EVEN better than the 2 core ( supers) with the 11 blade plastic fan.. BUT are noisy..  bc

 Posted: Apr 29, 2016 09:30PM
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hmm............................










//www.caraudiogiants.com/shop-by-category/speakers/soundstream-sst-22.html

 Posted: Mar 13, 2016 05:10PM
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As yours is not original to the car and an unknown quantity not to mention clean inside already just get the spi radiator with the sensor hole in it. I have never used one of the Chinese aluminum ones but have not heard any negative comments from people who use them either.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Mar 13, 2016 04:56PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spitz
Why get rid of the inline sensor.....  Isn't this what you need to switch the electric fan on and off when it's needed?

I'm running two cars with alum. rads.  They are working great and were half the price of "regular" ones.....from Hong Kong...both have drain plugs
Not getting rid of the sensor, just relocating it. It's in the middle of a hose and does block a good bit of it.

 Posted: Mar 13, 2016 04:22PM
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CA
Why get rid of the inline sensor.....  Isn't this what you need to switch the electric fan on and off when it's needed?

I'm running two cars with alum. rads.  They are working great and were half the price of "regular" ones.....from Hong Kong...both have drain plugs

 

"Everybody should own a MINI at some point, or you are incomplete as a human being" - James May

"WET COOPER", Partsguy1 (Terry Snell of Penticton BC ) - Could you send the money for the unpaid parts and court fees.
Ordered so by a Judge

 

 

 

 Posted: Mar 13, 2016 04:10PM
 Edited:  Mar 13, 2016 04:54PM
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The tack welds on the side bracket let go. It's the flat piece that the shroud bolts to. I'll call a radiator shop and see what they charge to hot tank it, tack the side plate on and install a sending unit. Honestly, if it costs any more than $50 or so, I'll just but a new one.I wouldn't mind getting rid of the inline sensor anyway.

Are there any known problems associated with the aluminum radiators?

 Posted: Mar 13, 2016 01:30PM
mur
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By saying ...there you go... I had missed his mention of the rad needing mending. I absolutely stand by what I said about fixing it and continuing to use it.

 Posted: Mar 13, 2016 11:12AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mur
There you go. I would still fix it and continue to use it. Those are good radiators.
There you go ???? "Those are good radiators". Yes maybe the original one that came with the car was but it now has a Japanese one installed and who knows what age it is or if it is the right one for an a/c Mini and it is already falling apart. He is doing the right thing and is way ahead of the game to take the money he would spend on a used up radiator that will probably not cool any better as by his admission "it is clean inside" and put it towards a new super 2 core radiator.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Mar 13, 2016 10:28AM
mur
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There you go. I would still fix it and continue to use it. Those are good radiators.

 Posted: Mar 13, 2016 10:16AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mur
Where does it say the radiator is broken?

Is there any difference between the two core rad made for the AC equipped Japanese market cars and the Super Two Core rad sold by mini parts dealers shortly thereafter?

I am all for fixing actual problems, and I could probably find a lot of things on this nice sounding mini that could use some attention, but the cooling system sounds like it only needs a small amount of normal maintenance.
He said in his post "the side fell off" i am guessing that classes as broken.
I don't know if they are different or not but i do know that the super 2 core works excellent in Florida driven Mini's.
Mur i am for fixing what you have on a Mini but when radiators of dubious age are falling apart i think the time has come to replace it.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Mar 13, 2016 09:59AM
mur
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Where does it say the radiator is broken?

Is there any difference between the two core rad made for the AC equipped Japanese market cars and the Super Two Core rad sold by mini parts dealers shortly thereafter?

I am all for fixing actual problems, and I could probably find a lot of things on this nice sounding mini that could use some attention, but the cooling system sounds like it only needs a small amount of normal maintenance.

 Posted: Mar 13, 2016 08:50AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mur
For what it is worth, you have a good radiator already, you have a functioning thermal switch that turns the fan on and off, you are about to install a water pump which will be good for the next thirty thousand miles as long as you don't over tighten the fan belt. Change the hoses as necessary, the clamps, fit a quality thermostat and put the car back on the road.

You can take that rad to a rad shop and they can solder in a nice functional drain tap. Removing a sending unit to drain the water is about as sophisticated as removing the lower rad hose.

Don't mess things up and waste money under the impression that a new item is superior.

I have had no trouble keeping a very strong 1300 cool with the cooling system you have.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             He has a broken radiator already he may as well replace it with a known good Super 2 core radiator which works the best in the Florida Summers with the a/c running, totally different to your Summers i imagine if you even use your a/c in Saskatchewan.
I for one and i am guessing a lot of other Mini owners would rather remove the sender unit than a lower hose at the tank to drain a Mini radiator. Yes it is not the best way a drain tap would work best but why put up with the aftermarket looking sender unit on the lower hose which is a bear to reach when you could get a factory unit installed right behind the grille which also does not restrict the flow of water.

Gahngoo. The temp sender unit gasket and clip are Mini items and not universal afaik.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Mar 13, 2016 05:11AM
mur
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For what it is worth, you have a good radiator already, you have a functioning thermal switch that turns the fan on and off, you are about to install a water pump which will be good for the next thirty thousand miles as long as you don't over tighten the fan belt. Change the hoses as necessary, the clamps, fit a quality thermostat and put the car back on the road.

You can take that rad to a rad shop and they can solder in a nice functional drain tap. Removing a sending unit to drain the water is about as sophisticated as removing the lower rad hose.

Don't mess things up and waste money under the impression that a new item is superior.

I have had no trouble keeping a very strong 1300 cool with the cooling system you have.


 Posted: Mar 12, 2016 09:04PM
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I pulled the radiator out. It has Japanese writing on the side under the side plates (one popped off). I am replacing the heater matrix also since it was leaking. I may get the radiator with the sending unit built in. The one I have now is inline with the lower radiator hose. I'm guessing that a temprature sending unit is pretty universal? For what it's worth, the radiator was pretty clean from what I could see. Thanks for everyone's help!

 Posted: Mar 12, 2016 04:53PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gahngoo
It's a Jap spec 89 Rover mini 1000 w/ AC. Stock as far as I know, except for the stage one kit I installed. It seems that the electric fan stays on quite a long time. I just wasn't sure if I had a basic two core radiator or if it was one of the more efficient versions. I presume it's the original radiator, but have no real way to tell.
Most of the ones i have seen and worked on the fan usually kicks in for a minute or two in traffic. As Mur suggested you need to find out the exact temp you are running at, how are you determining it is running hot is it boiling over or just higher on the gauge ? You could purchase the spi radiator which has the temp sender in the bottom for the electric fan which you could also use as a drain plug when needed. A lot of Mini's from hotter climates seem to suffer with the heater matrix becoming clogged with silt and sludge and when replacing / flushing the radiator i would do the same with the heater. Sometimes i have flushed a Mini as much as three times to get it clean also do not go crazy on the anti freeze to water mix, the more a/f you use the lower the boiling point.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Mar 12, 2016 04:33PM
mur
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Well the car was built to be sold in Japan, which has a hot climate in places, and traffic. I could see more heat being radiated into the under hood area by the header, so it would not hurt to make yourself a barrier so that the mechanical fan is not drawing air from behind the engine. Also, I sometimes see these cars and the fan blades are bent back from years of hard hot work. A new plastic fan might not be a bad idea as having the blades work close to the radiator shroud improves their efficiency. I would do those two things and then get the tools to reliably measure the temperature when the car is back on the road.

 Posted: Mar 12, 2016 04:14PM
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It's a Jap spec 89 Rover mini 1000 w/ AC. Stock as far as I know, except for the stage one kit I installed. It seems that the electric fan stays on quite a long time. I just wasn't sure if I had a basic two core radiator or if it was one of the more efficient versions. I presume it's the original radiator, but have no real way to tell.

 Posted: Mar 12, 2016 02:07PM
mur
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What exactly do you mean when you say it is running hot?

If you had some useful data, experienced folks could look at this thread and offer insight. Did the car come from Japan? Does it look like the original radiator? Those are good. If it was working before, take it to a rad shop and have it cleaned and have a drain fitted and put the whole affair back to work.

Buy a rad cap with a mechanical temperature gauge, or a laser pointer thermometer, and if you have a problem, then look for solutions.

 Posted: Mar 12, 2016 01:56PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gahngoo
I have to replace my water pump, so I figured I'd go ahead and swap out the radiator too. I live in a hot climate in Florida. Stop and go traffic gets it running hot. I was just wondering which radiator I have now. I like the two core aluminum ones. I like to have a drain plug too.
I have used the regular super 2 core radiator with the factory 11 blade plastic fan and a 180 degree thermostat with no issues here in Florida. A good radiator shop can fit a drain plug.

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Mar 12, 2016 01:44PM
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CA
Maybe a tropical fan would help you….would push a lot more air

 

"Everybody should own a MINI at some point, or you are incomplete as a human being" - James May

"WET COOPER", Partsguy1 (Terry Snell of Penticton BC ) - Could you send the money for the unpaid parts and court fees.
Ordered so by a Judge

 

 

 

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