C15A radiator mount and conversion

[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