I made an attempt last night.

Not very sucessfull I may add, managed too change the nearside lower one and that was it.

Couldn't figure out how too get the rad out. (how do the pipes disconnect for a start???)

Anyone got any top tips for when I have another go at the other three :O

I should sort mine really. I've stopped the squeaking at the mo with a strategically placed cable tie!

I've still got the piece of hose pipe wedged under the rad - seems to be working

lol you still not sorted it mate?

if you dont get it sorted before july lol i might pope and see you so we can do them together as mine are a bit dodgy lol,

I would also like to know how to do it.

billy

I changed mine before I fitted the universal FMIC. I decided to change them as If I decided to change them after It would be a pain removing the FMIC. I don't know If I did the job In a correct procedure, but I got them changed:D

I already had the bumper off when I was fitting the universal FMIC, so I whipped off the crash bar for better access. I removed all the bolts that held the rad mounts in place & just manouvered the rad about in a way to gain some space to get them out.

It was a swine to do. They are very tight to remove & there isn't much manouverability with the rad. I don't know if this is the correct way, but I got the job done:thumbup:

Make a note of the way the bottom original ones came off. If you put the new ones on the wrong way round the holes in the mounts won't line up with the bolt holes.

I know this isn't much of a guide. I did the job a couple of months ago & I had that many things to think about on the day, so I just got on & did it without making much of a mental note:rolleyes:

One pic that was taken.

Nice carpet on your drive

Nice carpet on your drive

Thankyou:thumbup: It wasn't a cheap carpet either. My mother in law wasn't too happy when she saw us using it:rofl:

Thankyou:thumbup: It wasn't a cheap carpet either. My mother in law wasn't too happy when she saw us using it:rofl:

Perfect for those few little drips of oil which miss the oil tray too. I tend to either use cardboard on my driveway as it is gravel based, or my parents grassy orchard when I am back there - till my mother sees

I managed to change mine last year, but it did drive me insane doing it!

Bumper off, headlights out, horn off, aircon bracket off (the one holding some hose or drier unit I think), bonnet up, all 8 mount screws out. I didn't bother jacking the car up.

I then followed an order of removing the bushes, which I got off a thread on here somewhere. Did the passenger side first, removed but noted positions. The drivers side was an absolute pig though! You have to wangle/wobble/squeeze/force the radiator about so you can pop them out. It seems impossible at the time, but it will happen eventually! It's like a rubix cube!

Once I got them off I realised that the top bushes were fine, and had very little wear, mainly because they are 'keyed' so the radiator peg can't rattle about inside them to wear them away. The top mounts only allow rotation.

The bottom mounts are not designed so well, it's just a slot, so the radiator pegs rattle and rub away at the bushes. Mine hadn't munched through the plastic liner into the rubber yet, but they were very close. I'm guessing when they hit the rubber, they start sqeaking. Even after fitting the new bushes, there was still play in them, as they arn't a tight fit anyway. I actually slackened off the screws on the lower mounts and twisted the bushes a bit to get the oval profile peg to tighten up more in the slot.

A year later, and there is more movement at the bottom of the rad again! She did about 80k on the first bushes, so I'm probably not gonna do them again unless they start sqeaking!

Next time I won't be bothering with the top bushes. And I'll probably just fit a short oval section of rubber or maybe metal pipe over the lower pegs, to increase their diameter, to get them to fit the bushes more tightly.

Basically to sum it up the top bushes are probably fine, and you might want to think about modifying the lower bushes/mounts to make them last longer. At the end of the day the rads not going anywhere though, so it's not exactly high on my list!

And breathe.......

Edited 13 May, 200917 yr by Bodge
missed a comma!

I refuse to do mine, i bought the new mounts and left them near the car. I'm hoping it'll get the idea and fix it's self overnight. So far it's not worked but I'm sure with a bit more patience it'll figure it out

The bottom mounts are not designed so well, it's just a slot, so the radiator pegs rattle and rub away at the bushes. Mine hadn't munched through the plastic liner into the rubber yet, but they were very close. I'm guessing when they hit the rubber, they start sqeaking. Even after fitting the new bushes, there was still play in them, as they arn't a tight fit anyway. I actually slackened off the screws on the lower mounts and twisted the bushes a bit to get the oval profile peg to tighten up more in the slot.

Next time I won't be bothering with the top bushes. And I'll probably just fit a short oval section of rubber or maybe metal pipe over the lower pegs, to increase their diameter, to get them to fit the bushes more tightly.

And breathe.......

I agree the top ones look ok, you're spot on with the bottoms though, Iwas thinking of modifying them a little too make the fit tighter, any ideas of something good which will do the job, I was thinking about some heatshrink layered on the lug, what do think of that idea or am I being a tit (again)

PMS lol

fair one mate

shame no one has thought of something to stop this? shame I dont have a garage lol or Id of strippd it to see what I could do.

them GEMS is the way to go lol, forces boys will know

I agree the top ones look ok, you're spot on with the bottoms though, Iwas thinking of modifying them a little too make the fit tighter, any ideas of something good which will do the job, I was thinking about some heatshrink layered on the lug, what do think of that idea or am I being a tit (again)

Yeah a few layers of heat shrink would probably work, no harm in trying it.

I was thinking of stretching some silicone hose over the peg, but I'm thinking it may be too fat to fit the bushes then. Or filling the voids with silicone sealant, but that would probably fall out.

Anyone got a spare radiator to do some trials on?

Needs to be something that won't squeek, and won't wear out the plastic or itself too quickly!

We need an aftermarket upgrade option me thinks!

Mine squeeked when I bought the car. It was one of the first things I did with the car. Well I say "I" but I didnt have the time or a drive to do it so I bought the parts and left it with my works mechanic

He said it was a pig of a job to do but he only charged £50 so I was happy enough with that.

Yeah a few layers of heat shrink would probably work, no harm in trying it.

I was thinking of stretching some silicone hose over the peg, but I'm thinking it may be too fat to fit the bushes then. Or filling the voids with silicone sealant, but that would probably fall out.

Anyone got a spare radiator to do some trials on?

Needs to be something that won't squeek, and won't wear out the plastic or itself too quickly!

We need an aftermarket upgrade option me thinks!

http://briskoda.net/showthread.php?p=1702360#post1702360

See what this gets us as I found this Heat-Shrinkable Tubing with Adhesive Inner Liner > Maplin Which has adhesive inside it which may just be the thing we need. Just need the size of the lugs now

The problem is that the pegs on the radiator wear as well as the bushes, so even new bushes end up as a loose fit.

When I did mine recently I shimmed up the new bushes with some strips of thin aluminium cut from a Coke can, carefully bent over the nylon centre of the bushes to stop then dropping out,

It's certainly stopped the rattle, but whether in the long term the pegs on the rad wear even faster remains a mystery. Pity I didn't take photos of the modification when I did then.

I called in my local suppliers and measured the lug/pegs for the rad. 12mm they areso I have now ordered some 19mm adhesive heat shrink.

We shall see if the weather allows to attempt this mod, I'll keep you informed.

Did you ever get around to this Fatty?

I will one day lol

For now the pipe lagging is holding up

Spooky though as I was just having a quick tidy in my computer room / car stuff/ dump in the house and the heatshrink just looked at me from in a draw, and reminded me that I still hadn't done it :rofl: