Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,
Is there an easy method of removing the radiator. The bolts just turn on the spot, and it's incredibly hard to get any grip on the square nuts /see them to grip them. It ism't helped by the fact there are these odd brackets:
..._
_/ \_

(ignore the dots, the pic went wonky with just spaces used ;))

in there, (with only one foot screwed onto the radiator).

It's only been about two weeks since it was at a garage with the radiator all out so you'd have thought it'd be easy to remove (espc. since they smothered the thing with grease and put new nuts on.

So am I missing some really easy way to remove it, or is it usually this much of a pain to do

Thanks.

There are only four bolts (two down each side) holding the rad on. It should a very simple job.

Actually in our case there's 2 bolts at the top, one down the bottom stuck in at a 45 degree angle, and the other one only the nut there, no bolt Maybe we'll end up asking the garage, how did you put it back in...

The nuts should be captive; if the bolts are just turning round then the nuts must have come loose somehow.

one possibility is that the garage used the wrong thread bolts and the high torque damaged the nut cages.... (I've seen it done )

It is normally hard to get these wrong unless you use the wrong bolts.

Hmm well the one that we found loose at the bottom of radiator (which we think is the same as the nuts at top but it's v. hard to see clearly) are square thick black metal things.
I wouldnt have thought that the garage in Q. would have used the wrong bolts, as they usually seem quite knowledgable of morris cars in general, but it's always possible i guess

I've had a few cars that came with the wrong bolts in the rad - they have been left 2 threads in, when they started to bind. If someone put the existiong wrong bolts all the way in it would be a big problem, but yes it does look a bit like I was accusing the garage

[I just wish I could forget all the garage bodge jobs I've seen when buying bargain basement cars - as there are also some good garages out there. When it comes to cheap nasty cars, its not just DIY'ers who can get it wrong ]

If you're ever passing preston I have a couple of spare rads without stripped threads, some of the fins are a bit bent though, but you should be able to use your existing core inside the decent shell.

By the description of your bolts it does sound very much like they arent the right ones.

It's obvious that your 'garage' have really messed this up for you. I think this is not the first 'bodge' they have landed you with ? The nuts are captive in the side of the radiator - and normal radiator removal is a dead simple 5 minute job. You will just have to fight the thing out as best you can - but why do you want it out anyway ?

FROM MEMORY (will check tonight) I think these 4 rad bolts are 5/16 BSF thread, 1/4 whit head. If the garage did not know this as said above it sounds like they used the wrong bolts and wrecked the threads!

Yes - that's the size.

But why were the original bolts not put back in, I must be lucky as I have never really had a problem with those bolts.

That's right - they are normally just finger tight after the initial loosening. For me - it's just loosen them all - then wiggle the rad with one hand and unscrew the bolts with the other.

I rang them today, asked them how they managed to take it out. Because the person I spoke to hadn't done the radiator removal part of the job he said he'd ask the other mechanic and if possible get him to come round today (it obviously wasn't possible because he didn't but it might be tomorrow morning as I know they're quite a busy little garage).
He seemed surprised when I said about the nuts etc, as he was saying how they should be captive

but why do you want it out anyway ?

New chrome trim to go on

New chrome trim to go on

lol.. you're just making work for yourself then!