Coley Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 I am currently stripping down my TR3A and I am struggling to remove the radiator! I cannot seem to gain sensible access to the two bolts securing the bottom of the radiator to the chassis. I can get a socket onto the bolt but cannot get a socket handle attached to the socket as well because the depth fouls against the front chassis cross member. I am struggling to get a spanner onto the bolt head and turn it as the spanner movement is VERY limited, although I have just purchased a set of swan neck ratchet spanners that might aid the job, however I cannot believe it can be this difficult....am I missing something very obvious? Any suggestions as to what I am / am not doing that is making what should be a simple job seem to be so complicated? Regards Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
james christie Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 I am currently stripping down my TR3A and I am struggling to remove the radiator! I cannot seem to gain sensible access to the two bolts securing the bottom of the radiator to the chassis. I can get a socket onto the bolt but cannot get a socket handle attached to the socket as well because the depth fouls against the front chassis cross member. I am struggling to get a spanner onto the bolt head and turn it as the spanner movement is VERY limited, although I have just purchased a set of swan neck ratchet spanners that might aid the job, however I cannot believe it can be this difficult....am I missing something very obvious? Any suggestions as to what I am / am not doing that is making what should be a simple job seem to be so complicated? Regards Paul Sorry about that I have just had a senior moment with the keyboard To undo the bolts that project upwards try cutting a slot in the top end with a hack saw and thus convert them into set screws - you should be able to undo them with a hefty screw driver and a mole wrench. - I presume that you have the whole of the front end removed. james Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Coley Posted March 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 Sorry about that I have just had a senior moment with the keyboard To undo the bolts that project upwards try cutting a slot in the top end with a hack saw and thus convert them into set screws - you should be able to undo them with a hefty screw driver and a mole wrench. - I presume that you have the whole of the front end removed. james James, Thanks for the advise, I was heading in the general direction, but this then begs the question, how do I reassemble the car afterwards? I do have the car stripped down (well the front end) and if you are interested you can see it at www.tr3a.blogspot.com. Thanks for the advice. Regards Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Kitchener Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 Paul I seem to remember that the rad shield should be bolted on...Is yours welded? Cheers Mike http://mikek.9online.fr/index.htm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Coley Posted March 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 Paul I seem to remember that the rad shield should be bolted on...Is yours welded? Cheers Mike http://mikek.9online.fr/index.htm Everything has been removed and all that remains in the radiator area is the radiator and the two bolts at the bottom securing it to the chassis. Regards Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 As to putting it back together again - a little later, I presume, take a hacksaw and cut a cross slot in the far end of the threaded end of the bolt. Get it started by hand from below, then use a screwdriver from above to "pull" it (or screw it backwards up into place. Then a half aturn from below will secure it tightly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neil Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 Hopefully for once I can contribute something back! I bought my 3A a year ago and late summer I suffered a broken crankshaft. I replaced it myslef and learned a lot about the car sooner than I anticipated... the rad bolts: I don't think you are missing anything obvious. They are a pain but through perseverence I manged to get them out. I lay underneath the car and wedged an offset ring spanner on the lower bolt and used a ratchet to undo the top ones. With two people it would be easier. Looking at your photo, the axle stands look as though they may inhibit access. I got the front up as high as possible and put the axles stands under the outriggers (I think thats what they called) on the chasis under the doors. HTH N Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Coley Posted March 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 Hopefully for once I can contribute something back! I bought my 3A a year ago and late summer I suffered a broken crankshaft. I replaced it myslef and learned a lot about the car sooner than I anticipated... the rad bolts: I don't think you are missing anything obvious. They are a pain but through perseverence I manged to get them out. I lay underneath the car and wedged an offset ring spanner on the lower bolt and used a ratchet to undo the top ones. With two people it would be easier. Looking at your photo, the axle stands look as though they may inhibit access. I got the front up as high as possible and put the axles stands under the outriggers (I think thats what they called) on the chasis under the doors. HTH N Thanks.......I have decided to go for the easy option and have cut the bolts out and I will prepare two more bolts for the replacement and screw them in from above (king of screwingthem up I guess), hopefully with this approach I can get a neater finish on the 'cut' ends of the bolts. Thanks for all the help....watch this space for the next problem. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
julian c Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 1ve had a few rads off over the years,(the last one on Saturday) and had no trouble getting the bolts off. I normally use 1/4 inch drive sockets in these situations. Sometimes the bumper iron securing nuts/bolts come thru and get in the way of fitting a socket on the rad bolts,but you seem to have managed that bit already,so give the 1/4 drive gear a try. Remember,someone had fitted it,so it should be possible to remove without resorting to butchering. Unless its seized,bent or rounded off of course........... Julian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
unclepete Posted March 2, 2006 Report Share Posted March 2, 2006 (edited) Paul Am I missing something? The bottom radiator nuts are captive! I just used a 1/2" drive socket with enough extentions until I could spin the handle without hitting anything! After I had drained down and removed the hoses it only took about 5 mins to pop it out! I presume you've got the nose off? Unc Edited March 2, 2006 by unclepete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Kitchener Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Paul I must be missing the same thing as Unc unless the rad shield is still fitted as shown in your first photo. ( what I call the rad shield is the brown steel bit that goes across the chassis below the rad in front of the axle stands) Cheers Mike http://mikek.9online.fr/index.htm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Here is a photo referring to my suggestion above. Don Elliott Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Coley Posted March 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 Paul I must be missing the same thing as Unc unless the rad shield is still fitted as shown in your first photo. ( what I call the rad shield is the brown steel bit that goes across the chassis below the rad in front of the axle stands) Cheers Mike http://mikek.9online.fr/index.htm Doooh! The Radshield was still in place, I had thought that this was an item of the chassis and because the car has been heavily waxoyled / coated in layers of gunk it did not look like it could be removed......lesson learnt. Regards Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 (edited) Paul, Glad the penny has finally dropped, but don't feel too bad about it. When I had my first TR3A (eons ago) I also thought the rad shield was the front chassis cross member and regularly used it to jack-up the front end. I got away with it for a few years (although it puts a lot of stress on the fixing bolts) until one day a friend had been working on my car and removed the rad shield. Next time I jacked it up, I wondered why the chassis seemed to be a little soggy and the car reluctant to move off the floor, until I realised the jack was a couple of inches into the radiator! So don't forget to replace the radiator shield and, better still, don't use it as a jacking point. Regards, BrianC P.S. I still have the radiator and when last used in my current car was still OK, although not pretty to behold. Edited March 4, 2006 by BrianC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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