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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> Cossie Radiator
        
(Message started by: Dave2302 on Nov 23^rd, 2008, 2:33pm)

Title: Cossie Radiator
Post by Dave2302 on Nov 23^rd, 2008, 2:33pm

Hi all,

Settled in Scotland now, haven't been on for a while due to move, but back here now :).

I remember reading about this so can anyone help wiv info.... My Cossie estate has had a slightly ballooned radiator for ages, but it finally gave up last night and burst, in spectacular style half way across the Lochcarron Road in a blizzard at 2 in the morning :'( lol. Luckily I had enuf water to keep topping it up and it got me home without getting hot.
I know the cossie radiators are hellish expensive and prone to balloon but remember someone saying they used a 2.3 rad succesfully and got one for about £50 new ??? . May have been Highlander... apparantly all I need to do is change the header tank or block off the extra bleed pipe ???
Can anyone tell me where to get a 2.3 rad cheap and if this conversion is successful i.e. it dont run hot in the summer etc ?

Many thanks in anticipation,

Dave

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by pinto on Nov 23^rd, 2008, 2:55pm

From what i remember reading, the 2.3 rad can be used if you transfer the pipework and 2.3 header across with it.

I think you'll find that the 12v rad is compatable with the 24v, as is the one from the 12v v6 granny too ?

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by Highlander on Nov 23^rd, 2008, 3:00pm

Any auto radiator will do, all you need to do as you have already mentioned is either change the header tank or block off the third small hose from the top of the 24v header tank that goes to the top of the 24v rad.

The 12v rad still needs the pipework blocked off as it doesnt have the pipe at the top like the 24v

Works fine, 30,000 miles in mine so far, never a problem. ;D

Where are you in Scotland Dave?

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by Dave2302 on Nov 23^rd, 2008, 3:06pm

Okay thanks for that, ;)
more options then... Anyone got a really good rad to sell me, will need it packing and posting to IV40 area will obviously pay p+p too. Or can anyone tell me roughly how much / where to get a new one as long as they can post it ! Not too worried about the header tank I can easily blank off the little pipe that becomes redundant.

Dave

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by Dave2302 on Nov 23^rd, 2008, 3:10pm

Hi Stuart,

thanx for info, we are in Inverinate, near Kyle of Lochalsh, back onto Loch Duich IV40 8HB. Moved up last December, love it here, have been touring Scotland for years, finally made the plunge, lost a bit of money as we sold our house down sth just as Northern Rock news broke but glad we got out when we did.... away from the rat race lol ;D

Cheers Dave

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by Highlander on Nov 23^rd, 2008, 3:11pm

I've got a good 2.0 one I can post to you tomorrow for the price of a chinese takeaway ;)

pm me your address Dave

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by Dave2302 on Nov 23^rd, 2008, 3:34pm

Hi Stuart,
Yep that sounds great have sent pm. Glad to get it resolved as I use the car to transport my equipment around... I have started to run a Karaoke Roadshow in a lot of local pubs and hotels now has took of really well as no - one does one up here and the locals and tourists all love it !! :)
Will be going back to doing auto box re-builds next year once I finish building my garage, so will post when I start doing them, hopefully will be able to help a few guys out on here by offering an honest and reliable rebuild / repair service in the Highlands. ;)

Cheers Dave

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by Dave2302 on Nov 26^th, 2008, 4:33pm

Oh Well, stripped the radiator out today, had a break in the rain and snow ;D Will be glad when we get some dry weather so I can carry on building new workshop, All I have at the mo is a tool shed which is crammed full and a concrete base with 900 concrete blocks and a big bag of sand stood next to it :(

Anyway whilst stripping out the rad I noticed the Transmission cooler in front had a big hangy drip on one of the pipes attached. I took the pipe off to re - do the joint ;D At this point the stub snapped off the cooler >:( I didn't use any force at all, and once I had removed the cooler the problem was obvious :( It is made of ally and all the road grime / salt has corroded it over the years to the point where it was rotten. If this had gone undetected it could very well have burst whilst driving and caused my transmission to burn out. I only rebuilt that last year so I'd not have been happy... ;D

Message here guys, if your Scorpio has done 90k + miles have a very thorough look at the tranny cooler, also check the metal pipes too cos I've seen these fail thru rust.

Have just ordered a replacement cooler kit, bigger than standard one ;D from my gearbox parts supplier £60 :) Also comes with brackets and fittings and theres loads of room to fit it up between the steering cooler and air con rad. These kits also help the gearbox last longer too cos they are more efficient than the standard cooler. Good if you tow, carry load or have a heavy right foot ;D

Might get it back on the road for Friday, otherwise I'll be humping all the gear out the back :'( and sticking it in the Land Rover to go to Portree Friday Night,

Dave

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by Bikerdon on Nov 27^th, 2008, 12:31am

Ah! the gearbox oil cooler, exactly the same thing happened to me recently, corrosion on the pipe stubs, fine until you move them the tiniest amount, moisture gets under the paint and weakens the alloy while everything seems ok on the surface. I was lucky that Ghia-X had a spare in his garage which he kindly posted to me double quick. Bikerdon.

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by Baz on Nov 27^th, 2008, 2:38am

My gearbox oil cooler failed near Orly airport on the way to Biarritz 2 years ago. Ended up leaving it in Paris for a fortnight and coming back on a french car transporter from Paris to Calais and then on one from Dover to Warrington.

Two good things came of the experience though;

1. Never take your car to France when the Virgin Pendolino and Eurostar do it a lot faster, easier and sometimes a lot cheaper.

2. While broken down in France, Green Flag rented a Mercedes S Class W221 (New shape).... best car I have ever driven and I am now the proud owner of a 2003 S Class 3.2 CDI which does 42mpg (I could only just about get that on LPG on my Cossie) and a boot which will carry Belgium

I agree about the warning regarding these coolers; I was lucky to have one as a spare but it still cost me £150.00 to get the gearbox serviced afterwards and as I had kept driving and then stopping to fill up with Auto fluid I hadn't done any permanent box damage so just needed fluid and a filter!

The pipes are so thin and exposed, they will probably be very weak on a lot of cars and the owners won't know until; like me, you are batting down the motorway when all of a sudden there is a huge pile of stinking smoke behind as the auto fluid flows out onto the manifolds!!

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by martin_rowe on Nov 27^th, 2008, 5:20pm

Baz, dont get too bitter, we have all loved our scorps, but I too have only 1 left (the works run about) I swapped the familey car for an S-Type R jag (yes the 4.2 supercharged V8 one) and its fantastic, a real porsche eater, it runs on LPG and gets better mpg than the old scorp 24v. will post some pics if I ever work out how to do it.
The Jag forum is excellant too.
Martin

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by Dave2302 on Dec 8^th, 2008, 12:30pm

:)

Rad fitted Saturday along with new transmission cooler.
Gave it a run into Kyle great to have the old girl back on the road again. No signs of any coolant or transmission leaks so well happy, driving nirvana restored ;D

Big ta to Stuart for his help cheers M8 ;)

Dave

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by Highlander on Dec 8^th, 2008, 6:16pm

No Probs :)

So the Highlands and Islands service finally delivered then :)

Title: Re: Cossie Radiator
Post by Dave2302 on Dec 9^th, 2008, 6:48pm

;D

Yeah finally delivered lol. To be honest, I get a lot of things sent up here and have found that the couriers get the parcels to Inverness and then they get transferred onto smaller local delivery firms....

We have found Royal Mail Parcel Force are the quickest to us ;) Normally get here next day, good ole Postman Pat ;D

Once again tho many thanx car running lovely ;D

Cheers Dave