C15A radiator mount and conversion

[harrygrey382]

I'm hoping someone might help me with some info here. I've just got my C15A down to the workshop and tackling the radiator issue. I pressured up the original and there are several million pin sized holes everywhere, and some whoppers. So it's not a goer. I could get an ally one from the US but I have roughly 0 money to spend right now and I want to get this going or it's going to become really stagnant.

I have a VGC radiator, shroud and mount frame out of an HJ45 landcruiser. It's a bit shorter, a bit wider (still narrower than the engine bay though) but I'm thinking as the HJ45 has a 3.6L diesel should still cool pretty well. But I'm not sure how far from the fan to mount it...

Could someone either put up some pictures of how the radiator mounts (I took it out about 15 years ago so have no recollection!) or measure the distance from the fan to the back of the rad? Can anyone see any problems with this conversion (hose placements are OK)? It's 510mm wide - is there anything that will fowl? I should try and drop the front section over it but that's not a right-now job

[hrpearce]

Harry the fan blade to radiator is 15mm and 510mm would fit as long as the thickness is roughly the same. If you want to keep your mount for future use you will need to make up a special one for your replacement.

[harrygrey382]

Thanks Robert. I actually had a fairly productive evening - the mount frame for the cruiser rad is very 'blitz like' - overly heavy gauge steel and very well braced. And amazingly the original shroud is an exact fit to it, just had to re- drill 4 out of 6 bolt holes. I got the bottom mount done using the proper cross member holes so it's almost done. I'll use the landcruiser method of bracing the top back to the chassis each side. It sits a lot lower than the original but the only issue I see is filling will be slightly more awkward when it's all in. Just need to sort out some hoses then it's ready for a good temperature test run.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Harry

Please keep us posted on how this works, if it does can you give us some more information on the year model etc of the Landcurisier. As this may be away of breathing some new life into other Chevy CMPs short of having radiators made.

Cheers Phil

[David Dunlop]

Is it possible to have the original rad recored, or are the upper and lower tanks too far gone? I had that done at a local rad shop for a C15A many years ago and the cost was a fraction of finding a complete new replacement rad.

David

[hrpearce]

Hi Harry do you have photos of your progress you can share.

[harrygrey382]

My tanks are good enough for a recore, but the nearest good rad place quoted $1000 which made it a bit unattractive. I'll keep it and if I ever have a spare grand I'll do it.

Cruiser is an HJ45 - that's the first diesel one with the H 3.6L, 1977 this one I think. They changed to the 2H 4L in 1980 and had a slightly different rad. I'm sure it could also be made to fit it's just the manager said to have anything I wanted out of this HJ45 wreck so that's why it's a donor. And it seems like it must've had a brand new just before its demise!

I'll try and get some photos up, but as my wife has the camera and is away (hence the blitz rush - I could say blitz blitz even) I'm limited to the laptop webcam...

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Harry

Just by coincidence Hagerty Insurance in their online newsletter to day had a story about the rising value of the early Land Cruisers thought you might get a kick out of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh8i...s%2007-03-2013

Your response concerning David's suggestion mirrors my experience here in the states. But with one more complication finding a good shop. So many of the really good radiator repair guys have retired. Around here the few really good ones are spending their time working on really big equipment so their base charge is high.

Thanks for the information on which model, I know someone who is selling off his military vehicles and spare parts because he has taken a job overseas, and he just happens to collect Land Cruisers including an Australian one he had shipped to the states years ago. Have to check to see if he has any radiators.

Cheers

[harrygrey382]

no worries - here they're very common, every farm has a wreck or two and we operate 8 of the newer models (HZJ75,HZJ79 and VDJ79), I'm the mechanic so spend a lot of time servicing and repairing. I love them. Nice video, sweet old FJ40.

If I were you I'd look at putting a petrol one in - the diesel ones will be a lot rarer in the US. The petrols are very similar, one of our newer diesel ones had a petrol rad fitted and no one new until I had to pull it out for repairs. We're lucky round here there are a few old style mechanical joints. I've send a few rads to this place including ones out of our hanomag 'dozer and D7G as well as a few cruiser ones

[harrygrey382]

well I guess it's still on topic if I show some progress. I fitted the cruiser radiator last week but only just got a chance to take some photos (sorry, poor quality due to only having a webcam as my wife's away with the camera!).

It all went pretty well. The shround fitted perfectly to the cruiser rad, but I had to make an opening for the top hose and alter the bottom brace on it to sit it in the right position and not have the fan rub. It was also rusted round there so needed some treatment anyway. It was so thin I welded with oxy rather than risk blowing it away with mig.

Bottom hose was bang on, top hose will need some attention later on, at the moment it's two 90s joined in the middle with a 1" pipe to clamp against. For the bottom mount I used some 75x75 RHS, bolted it to the original mount holes in the chassis then sat the cruiser rad mount frame to that. I used polyurethane washes in between for some cushioning. For the top mounts I used the cruiser style bracing but had to do some bending of the rods, the worst one being the offside to allow for the clutch pedal.

I fitted an NOS holden gauge (screwed right into the head no dramas) and she's only making 50*C sitting at idle absolutely no more. Driving it about it went down to about 40. So I definitely need a thermostat before running it more. Also, this is the first time I've tried to get the cooling system water tight and it's shown me the water pump leaks. I see I can get $140 ones from the US but it'll be sitting for a long time before I have that, does anyone know of a rebuild kit for one? Or if you can fix the leak? I'm half handy on a lathe... Also where would I go about getting a thermostat in this country?

Photos

[Lynn Eades]

Repco Harry. They will confuse you with the options.

[harrygrey382]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Repco Harry. They will confuse you with the options.

the pump or the thermostat? Well if they confuse me I'm sure I can confuse them...

[hrpearce]

Harry there are pump kits on eBay at the moment. I got my thermostat from Ross Prince and he has the pump kits as well.
Phone 07 41244075 or Email rossprince(at)y7mail.com replace (at) with @.
The pump kits on eBay are from Ross.
Great work on the radiator.

[harrygrey382]

Thanks for that Robert, I'll give him a try