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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - 'Made in Britian' Radiators

There has been some comment on aftermarket radiators over the years. Some have noted the problems with radiators made outside of the UK. Over the last five years, I have purchased two "Made in England" radiators from a well know parts source. The one on my daughter's 77 began to leak from the top hose connection at about three years. I thought this may have been due to having the hole for the thermocouple patched over. Perhaps the heat of the soldering had damaged the seal on the top hose connector? Now, the radiator on my 68 GT has begun to leak from a soldered joint. It has had no work or modifications made. I, today, installed an original radiator from a 73 GT parts car, which seems to work fine. I am reminded of a bumper sticker, seen in London on my honeymoon, "The parts falling off this car are made with the finest of British Craftsmanship". Just a though for those who may need radiators in the future. The people, like Steve S., who recommend recoring the existing radiator seem to have the best handle on the current situation. Les
Les Bengtson

Les - I agree with Steve S, recoring is the only way to go. The trick is to find a really good radiator shop that will do the work and then make sure that they order a 4 row L type core (this is the original type core). These are available from Modine Manufacturing <http://www.modine.com/>. Click on their after market products. If you don't have any good radiator shops in your area, the one I use up here is the absolute best and will recore radiators on a mail in basis. Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

Dave. You are most kind. The link you provide will be of service to many of us over the years. I do have, locally, a good radiator shop. One I have worked with for many years. However, I thought to purchase a new radiator so that I would have the ultimate in protection for our somewhat hot summer driving season. It has been said, something to the effect that, "To remain young requires the unlearning of old "truths". The more I learn, over many years, simply shows how much more I have to learn and how many old "truths" are not correct. Have been somewhat busy of late, but, will get a reply to your off line e-mail, from several weeks ago, sent to you soon. You raise several points which I would like to address. I would, very much, like to have you do a tech article on fuel pumps, both pressure and volume, for my website. You are one of the few people who have real world experience with the more modern pumps--the ones currently being used and sold. As such, your real world experience, based on the tests you have performed, is considerably more advanced than the information currently available to me and most of the the rest of us. Will try to e-mail you tomorrow after the races. Thanks for the information. Les
Les Bengtson

Les and David-
Thanks for the compliment. I, too, chose to use Modine's 4-row aluminum core. Even with a power-enhanced engine the car never gets hot, even when driving hard in the mountains on the worst summer days. Here's a tip: Have the shop install a drain petcock on the bottom of the radiator. It will cost only a little more and will make life easier for those choosing to do this conversion. Here's a link that should work: http://www.modine.com/
Steve S.

Les - Like Steve, once I put the proper core in the radiator, our car runs at 195° on the spot, regardless of the outside temperature (I am using a 195° thermostat). The only time I have been able to get it above that Has been full power runs up the Grapevine on I5 in overdrive on a hot summer day. Even then the highest it ever got woas 205°. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Yup, Les is lucky, Phoenix is chock full of good radiator shops. Wonder why that is?
Baxter

I recently had to fit a new Moss radiator to the B, first I had to file down the excess solder in the thermostat fitting, then I had to find some metric bolts as the new ones are fitted with metric captive nuts.
Tatty

My new radiator from Moss is also leaking from the soldered elbow joint at the top. It's only about three years old. Can this be fixed? If so, how? I don't feel like laying out for yet another piece of reproduction rubbish.

Mike
Mike Howlett

You could go down the local diy store, get a roll of solder, flux and use a oxy burner gun on the radiator joint, as you would if you were adding some pipes to normal house plumbing in copper, has anybody tried?.
Tatty

Mike. I take the job to my local radiator repair place. This was exactly the problem I had with my daughter's 77. On my 68, the radiator design is slightly different from the original and it has an outside lip on the header tank. That is where the 68 is leaking from. I can have it repaired at the local shop, but will probably see if the Modine core can be fitted. All of my MGs, except the LE with the spoiler, run rather hot in Phoenix summers.

Yes, it is possible to do the job yourself using the "low temperature silver solder" and a good flux. I have repaired expansion tanks on the RB cars when they have minor problems. However, I leave the bigger jobs to the professionals myself. Les
Les Bengtson

Is BritIan in Indonesia? Good job they weren't made here!
Richard Evans

This thread was discussed between 16/02/2003 and 17/02/2003

MG MGB Technical index

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