Hi, I've spent a fair amount of time looking but not sure I've found what I'm looking for. I have a 1997 DI and want to replace the stock radiator as well as the AT & Oil cooler lines.

My question is first, which actual parts do folks recommend over others. I see prices all over the place. Not sure if a $250.00 radiator is any better than the $850.00 radiator. Same for the cooler lines. I want to make sure I get decent parts but don't want to break the bank doing it. Any suggestions or links to threads that might help me out with part no's, etc..

Also, wondering if there are any special tips/tricks to changing out the lines and refilling the fluids without problems. I plan on flushing the block once the radiator is out and will blow it out with a high power blower to eject all the remaining fluid prior to refill. I believe the last time it was in the shop the monkeys put in leakstop which I hope will all be removed with the block flush.

Any help or direction to threads would be greatly appreciated. I'm fairly handy so I really want to save money by doing this myself. I spend over $1000.00 at the shop last time it was there for cooling issues which never went away so can't see the need to give them another grand for doing nothing.

Cheers,
Murray

 

Is the D1 overheating? Why did they put stop leak in the cooling system? Is the radiator leaking?

 

Yes it is overheating. They acid flushed the radiator, changed all hoses, replaced the expansion tank, thermostat and fan clutch as well as cleaning out any debris caught between radiator and condenser. It still overheats, especially at idle and with ac on. The electric cooling fans do not work but they told me they really weren't necessary. Something tells me this isn't probably true. Also the radiator is now weeping a bit and the tranny and oil cooler lines are bleeding quite a bit as well. I can see radiator fluid dripping back on the driver side aux lines so I'm sure the system can't be sealed 100%.

 

Oh, they put stop leak in when it was last taken to them as I refused to give them any more money to repair the issue since they didn't have a diagnosis. I didn't know what they did until I got the invoice showing the addition of stopleak. Big bummer if you ask me.

 

Your electric fans should come on with the A/C and when the engine temp is high. Are you sure you are overheating? Do you have a laser temp gun?


I've see some weird things on D1 related to overheating. You really don't want to drive the rover with it overheating. This can damage the engine and heads really easy.

This temp gun is great for check the temp of the coolant at the top of the radiator (inlet) and the bottom of the radiator. You can then see if you getting a temp change. The fan clutch should lock up if you are overheating as well, pulling more air over the fins of the radiator.

 

If you are leaking from the radiator, then why did they acid flush it??? Is maybe a hose loose? If the radiator is leaking, then replace it- however, this doesn't explain why it overheats at idle. Maybe its the original and partly plugged.

 

Yes it's deff overheating. It boiled over once and I stopped driving it until it got back to the shop to get the last wave of cooling work done. It hasn't boiled over but does get hot so I stopped driving it again until I can get these issues resolved. I can't tell you why they acid flushed the rad except that I think they were trying to clean it out. And yes, it's the original radiator. I want to replace it with a new one rather than having anymore work done to it. All hoses are tight and brand new. Fan clutch is operational and was replaced also. I will replace the non operational electric fans as well since they are no longer functional.

I had the heads tested for blow by (i think that's the correct term?) and there were no issues. My concern was since it overheated, did it cause damage. I was told no.

As stated, I would like to replace all the parts mentioned in original post then go from there. I have read of many strange factors that affect cooling and hope to at least rule out all the obvious ones initially that I can do without much trouble. In the process of doing that I would love to find a source for reasonably priced parts and also to make sure I get the correct ones. The cooling fans were incredibly expensive at $370.00 each. That seems quite unreasonable to me for two simple electric fans.

 

Atlantic British sells a quality radiator with plastic tanks, made by a company called Nissens. Land Rover Radiator - Radiator For Discovery I And Range Rover Classic Vehicle

The metal radiators are really expensive! Double check the fans are getting power. The harness runs along the top of the radiator. Simple quick test before replacing the expensive fans. Jegs sells a bunch fans. You will need to know the size of the fan. Plus, the motor of the new fan may not need as much voltage as the factory fan. So, the power source is something to consider. Maybe be worth getting original equipement. Could try and find a used fan motor as well.

Electric Fans: Cooling Heating

 

I know all the modern radiators are plastic now. Do you feel it's worth the extra money for an all metal one or are the plastic ones okay like the one your suggesting.

Fans are getting power, just not turning on. I was going to try direct wiring prior to removing them. I hadn't considered getting used fans. I will look into that. I'm sure they would be much less expensive as well. Thanks a bunch.

 

I don't think the metal (OEM) radiators are worth the additional cost. Before the plastic radiators came out, I was using a local radiator repair shop to recore them and add an additional core. This helped out with some off-roaders in the desert temps. That would be the only reason I can think of to keep the metal core over plastic; rebuild-able.

You could even mount external oil coolers if you really want to keep the engine cool. That's the problem with the D1, Classic's, and older Rover radiators, the transmission and engine oil runs in the radiator force it to work overtime. Kinda over kill but the temps in the desert get high in CA and everybody still wants the A/C. Also, off-roading at slow speeds doesn't give you the air flow over the radiator.

Food for thought. Not sure which direction you are going with this rover.

Roverlandparts.com - We know Land Rover Parts

These guys sell a bunch of used and have a user friendly site.