RADIATOR CORE.

[Rpm]

Evening all, I have a leak at the top of my rad somewhere under the header tank. Took it to my local rad repairer who has many years experience in all things radiators and i know him from past work he has done for me, anyway we tested it and found the leak but after some soldering decided it was buggered. This is where i need some help. The chap can recore with a modern core the fins not to far from the original look. However,It comes up 8mm thinner so 4mm each side given the header tank will sit square on top. That means my rad cowling will sit proud by 4 mm of the rad core. I will need to fit a stone guard at some stage being a 36 Nippy and maybe this will take the missing amount up, if not small spacer would be needed.
Can I please ask if this sounds ok or am i going to run into trouble. he will be using the top and bottom of my existing rad. if I want the absolute original he said you will need a chair before giving me the price. modern recore £280. all in. any thoughts or views appreciated.
Regards Rob RPM 
ps the old rad brass plate states 1962 so its done well.

[Hedd_Jones]

mine is like that. I have a thin honeycomb between the core and cowl. Looks good.

The only thing i have noticed is that it holds less water, and will boil if driven very hard. But its been on 20 years now and although I bought a 4 blade fan for it, I never fitted it.

[Chris KC]

I think you are talking £600 plus for a period-style core now.

The modern cores work fine of course but tend to have slightly less capacity, which might affect how quickly you overheat on a steep climb. You can get thicker and thinner modern cores so it may be worth asking around.

I'm not sure that 4mm recess is going to give you any problem, it's the tanks that 'position' the rad, surely? Though if it were mine I'd fit some closed cell foam strip around the inside of the shell to seal the gap, leakage here can have a big impact on cooling.

The stone guard is going to set you back a bit too! But won't make any difference to the fit I think; though it will to some extent conceal what's behind.

Some firms sell roughly 1/4" thick 'dummy' cores in period patterns, you can slip this in front of a modern rad to make it look right. Hardly any point if you are fitting a stone guard too though.

[Steve Jones]

I have two cars with modern, film, cores. Both sit exactly as a traditional core would. You can get thicker and thinner modern cores. I think both of mine are three row and they both have a greater capacity than my car with a traditional core. They are very efficient, sometimes too efficient to the point that keeping the Ulster engine from getting too cool between runs at a hillclimb can be an issue.

This is the Ulster rad during the car's build in 2013. There is no gap between the tanks and the rear of the rad surround.

   

Steve

[Rpm]

Thanks, Chris, Hedd and Steve, that's good to know others have used, will also note the size core you guys are using. maybe will not get a gap, will show rad guy your pics he has loads of books on rad core shapes/sizes. £280 sound reasonable?
Regards Rob

[Hedd_Jones]

just to be clear. The modern film core on my RL sat about 1/4 back from the front of the tanks. The tanks of course sit tight against the cowl. I thought the setback looked shit, so fitted a dummy honeycomb.

The RP here, also my spare chummy rad both have 'modern' (actually probably both older than me) film cores that are flush with the front of the tanks, and consequently sit tight against the cowl. Both look fine.

With a stoneguard on a nippy I guess the setback of the core will not be obvious at all.

[Rpm]

Thanks, Hedd, he is going to sit my tank on the top square with the core, if I give him the go-ahead which will give me a loss of 4mm each side in the thickness. Feel more confident after contact with you guys and stone guard should conceal things any gaps around the edge i will seal. really disappointed my old one unrepairable not just the cost.
rob

---

Steve, I will mention your 3 core rads, thanks for info.
rob

---

Thanks, Hedd, he is going to sit my tank on the top square with the core, if I give him the go-ahead which will give me a loss of 4mm each side in the thickness. Feel more confident after contact with you guys and stone guard should conceal things any gaps around the edge i will seal. really disappointed my old one unrepairable not just the cost.
rob