Radiator & Frame removal

[epipete]

I'm undertaking, what is for me, some extensive remedial action on my Elan. This commenced when I lost all my coolant a few weeks ago and I decided it was time to replace the pipe work with the Samco Hoses that I bought several months back, of course having removed the old hoses I thought, because access was so good, I'd change out the old gear cables for some SS that I acquired last year!

And now, well, as I've got some new fans which I bought a couple of years back I thought I might as well change them as well, and, having looked at various threads (incl. Cliff & Jeemy's), assess the Rad condition &refresh the paint work on the support brackets etc.

Since I want to drop all of it out (Support Brackets, Y frames and radiator) what is the most simple way? Looking at the picture in the manual (which I can't add here for some reason) if, having disconnected the fans, I remove the three bolts on the Prongeron and the two at the top of each Y bracket will the whole lot drop down?

Pete (becoming ever more lazy!)

[dapinky]

if, having disconnected the fans, I remove the three bolts on the Prongeron and the two at the top of each Y bracket will the whole lot drop down?

Basically, yep! (I did mine last week )

Just undo the 3 x 8mm (head size) bolts holding the prongeron to the rad frame......

...undo the 2 x 8mm nuts at the bottom of each fan....

....2 x nuts at the bottom of the 'Y' brackets....

.....2 x nuts at the centre (top) of the rad frame....

....undo the long bolt which connects the rad frame to the front towing bracket - whilst you're there, you may as well undo the 2 nuts at the top of that bracket and take it out to clean and paint whilst you're at it

Then it will 'drop' out, giving you better access to the top nuts on the 'Y' brackets to remove them.

****Note - the 'Y' brackets are handed, and if you mix them up, they won't fit back together, but you wont notice until you're trying to fit the last of the 6 bolts*****

You will need to pull the fans towards the engine a bit to unhook them from the frame, and then give it a bit of a wiggle to drop it out. (worth replacing the nuts with some nice shiny M5 stainless nylocks )

[epipete]

Cheers Dave,

I have now undone the prongeron three and the fans two (and far from innocent they were) along with the bottom tow hook bracket nut (though the bolt is still to be drifted out)

The Y frame nuts have seized on both sides

The tow hook bracket top only has one seized nut, the other is absent, I figure it was just too hard to put back in for someone, strange as it is the easiest to get at! I can't figure at all how to get this one out as it is fouled by its proximity to the turbo, various wires and, of course, working at a 180 angle.

So I'm like an old man 'do a bit, leave a bit' but the damned thing is comming out today, which means only 11 hours left!!!

Ho hum, torture is just to good for the blokes who (allegedly) designed this car!

[epipete]

Tis a all a pack of lies, the bolts are accessed from below, (Lord knows what I was attempting to undo at the top)!

Anyway, the good news is that I can now see the two upper Towing Eye bracket bolts the bad news is they are seized as well!

[dapinky]

....I was going to say that access to everything is easier from below, but i sort of assumed you'd realise that - so my mistake, sorry

[epipete]

No Dave, not your fault at all.

Assuming I remove these stubborn nuts will the entire lot drop on my face?

[dapinky]

if everything is as seized up as you say, then the chance of it dropping on your head is quite small - it'll probably need a bit of a wiggle to unseat the rubber donuts which hold the radiator frame to the radiator.

[epipete]

Dave, I now have everything undone save for the top nr side towing eye bolt, I can't get a good grip on it and suspect its 'rounded' off, if I could get a camera in I might have a better idea what's what! Looking at the manual (30:21a) it would seem that with the long bottom bolt removed that the rest is all free to drop, so why doesn't it? Arghhhhh!!!!!

[epipete]

Got it, finally!!! Seems it was just rusted in and a bit of vicious waggling brought it down, hopefully the fans and Y brackets should be simple to get out now (at least when I've had this coffee!)

Condition of the frame looks poor but the radiator is good, very light weight so perhaps it Aluminium already, will need to strip the frame tomorrow to see if its saveable!

In the interim happy new year

Pete

[muley]

Pete

Great stuff!

Top tip : when you're refitting it, put the y brackets in then the rad and secure in position with some tie wraps loped round the bottom spigots before putting the frame back in. Saves having to grow an extra pair of arms.

Jim

[epipete]

Thanks for that advice Jim.

Radiator is very light, seems in pretty good nick with no evidence if leaks. It has plastic end covers which suggests its OEM but maybe quite new, a few buckled fins and that's all, so shan't be on my list of replacement items this time round. The support bracket seems sound on further inspection so a strip and paint should suffice.

A couple of the top Fan studs broke when removing them and it hasn't granted greater access to the broken stud on the exhaust manifold so will need to think how to resolve them IDC.