Total f&#£ up (snapped radiator) with Jap import Hiace van

[dieselnutjob]

Mate had a Toyato Hiace "super custom" or whatever the hell they are called

He loved, but it was nicked a few weeks ago

 

So we found a newer one, this time with ten seats (big family).

More of a minibus this time, but still had 3.0 litre turbo diesel, auto trans, aircon

and no security at all

 

So this morning I was having my second attempt at installing an immobiliser

Poking a wire through from the engine bay my hand knocked a coolant pipe

this is a small bore thing that connects from the radiator to the filler cap

the bloody thing snapped clean off the back of the radiator

 

He called out the RAC to get home

RAC man said it needs a new radiator (I already knew that) and arranged for a truck to take him home

 

This is one of those vans that has the engine under the passenger seat

 

That has totally ruined my weekend

 

I don't suppose it'll be easy to get the rad out, as it will have to be from underneath and access of this is bastard difficult.

and I don't suppose getting a new rad will be easy or cheap

 

Currently I'm thinking I might find a model shop that sells small bore metal tubes (usually brass but sometime aluminium) and I'll JBweld a tube inside the bit that's left and then build it up to the right diameter for the hose to fit. The rad will still have to come out though

 

Totally totally fed up

 

by the way it's something like this (not his actual one)

[scaryoldcortina]

I'm pretty sure mr bollox did the same thing to his rover, and equally sure that nothing known to man will stick the bloody thing back on. Bite the bullet and find a rad reconditioners local to you!

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

My friend has a Toyota Regius van which is a bit like a Hiace, it was overheating and presurrising the coolant -turned out to be a porous head. That was the 3.0TD engine .Which engine has this got?

[dieselnutjob]

3.0TD with the EFI electronically controlled pump

it all seams in good condition

sounds like a quality antifreeze is essential

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I don't think any amount of maintenance can prevent a porous head.

[pogweasel]

Send it on a slow boat to Lagos and get an LDV. That's a proper minibus.

[michael1703]

get it to a rad reconners, £20-£40 and its fixed for sure

[dieselnutjob]

how do they do it?

[Richard]

Currently I'm thinking I might find a model shop that sells small bore metal tubes (usually brass but sometime aluminium) and I'll JBweld a tube inside the bit that's left and then build it up to the right diameter for the hose to fit. The rad will still have to come out though

 

I've done that. IIRC we used central heating pipe with a thread cut on it and the hole tapped, then used some super-duper glue to seal/secure it. It was a complete success. Mr Bo11ox' recent disaster was with a full-sized stub, so it couldn't really be bodged.

[retrogeezer]

Have you got enough left on the rad to jubilee clip a slightly larger diameter rubber hose too?

[scooters]

I've oftgen been tempted by these jap underfloor engined buses in Hiace or Delicia form but they seem to have woeful cooling issues when run up a few miles. weak waterworks, porus heads and HG issues abound - to top it all the flipping engine is as acessable as a nun's fanny.

 

you know it makes sense - tell him to bin it and buy a sherpa!! - BMC/PSA engines - simple, uncivilised, practical, hideous in everyway and best of all BRITISH

[Albert Ross]

How small a bore? I have used copper brake pipe and araldite in the past, with repairs outlasting the vehicle...... Sleeve the original pipe over the brake pipe, "lubed" with araldite, and insert into radiator.... obviously, the glue squeezes to the outside ot the pipe, wipe the residue off, and wait till set to fit hose. Worked for me! Obviously, a larger bore would require a different pipe, but I'm trying!

[Lankytim]

The model shop is an idea- Model R/C boats often have a threaded hollow tube that the rudder sticks through, they have rubber gaskets either side of hull to keep the water from getting into the boat. Maybe one of those would be suitable, you'd need access to the inside of the rad though.

 

Actually, this is a shit idea. Might be worth a try if you end up clutching at straws.

[dieselnutjob]

I found that B&Q have a nice selection of small bore aluminium and brass tubes.

Also Halfords have a hose joiner, which is a barbed tube like this

 

On the back of the radiator there was a tube sticking out with sort of reinforcement ribs for the first 1/4", and then another 3/4" where the pipe goes which snapped off. The first 1/4" is still there. If one of my B&Q aluminium tubes is a good fit then the epoxy will have at least 1/4" of metal and plastic to grip onto all the way round.

 

Then if I cut one of those Halfords joiners in half I can glue that onto the tube.

 

I think it will work.

 

I'll go through yellow pages and talk to the rad repairer people first though because if they will do it for £20-40 and I get some kind of warranty on the work it's probably the way to go.

 

It's nice that I managed to find everything I need to fix it, even on a Sunday.

 

Just have to see how much work it is to get the rad out and back in. It's got aircon and I think a transmission cooler so I'm expecting it to be bad

[dieselnutjob]

tell him to bin it and buy a sherpa!! - BMC/PSA engines - simple, uncivilised, practical, hideous in everyway and best of all BRITISH

 

1: We still have to get the Hiace fixed first.

2: Is there an automatic Sherpa/LDV?

 

To be fair the last Hiace was pretty reliable despite it's age and mileage. But it's true that spare parts and the expensive insurance are pain in the butt

[pogweasel]

2: Is there an automatic Sherpa/LDV?

 

 

Oh yes.

WIth a 3.5 or 3.9 RV8 attached to it.

ULTRA WIN.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

POG'S BONUS - even LDVs look less pikey than a grey import van.

[dieselnutjob]

the "super custom" vans look a bit pikey, but the ordinary white minibus with steel wheels? I don't agree

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I'd say the vibe is 'in the background of a news report about the latest middle east atrocity'.

[dieselnutjob]

I had a bit of a result today.

 

Found a bloke who sells brass fittings for repairing these things.

He said that one end is an M8 thread and the other end is shaped to accept a normal hose.

So I can just tap an M8 thread into the plastic of the radiator, put a bit of epoxy on the brass fitting and thread it in.

Wait for the epoxy to hard.

Fit hose.

 

Hopefully.

 

Just need to wait for these fittings to turn up in the post.

[dieselnutjob]

hmm, just realised that M8 is probably way too big

started looking for hollow bolts and just remembered that bikes have threaded tubes all over the place

off to the bike shop I think.

I just feel that something that's threaded in will be more reliable that a tube just glued in.