Technical Radiator Change on Mk1 punto 1.2

[darraghcorrigan]

Hey I've got a 1998 punto 1.2, a few weeks ago got the headgasket and fan changed and just yesterday I realised (too late) that the garage either didnt put the top securing bolt for the radiator bolt back in or else didnt tighten it properly.
Last night I hit a pot hole and the car jumped a little, nothing too serious. except I realised after that the temperature gauge was literally gone off the scale, as hot as it can possibly go!
When I got home I inspected it and found that the radiator was swinging loose when I hit the pot hole, it knocked back into the power steering pump, knocking a hole in the matrix. Its leaking pretty badly now and what happened last nigh was that it leaked all of the water out of the radiator.

So now I need to fix this as quickly as possible. If anyone can give me a walk through it would be great. Also as I am away from home and have no acces to tools at the moment i'll need to know what size spanners to buy and if I'll need torx screwdrivers etc.
Finally are there any known problems with radiator in puntos? Its just that I'll probably try and pick one up from a scrapyard and I'd like to know if it is visibly okay should it be fine? Or would I be better off shelling out €80 for a new one?

Thanks, please reply quickly as I need to have this fitted by thursday. . .

 

[Scoobysnacks]

I'd always be wary of second hand rads, you never know what they've gone through! If the engine has been damaged there could be all sorts of clag in there, that will get into your engine when you plumb it in. Also there's the chance that you'll get it all connected in, fill it with coolant and discover a hole you didn't know about.

I don't know how much they'd ask for a scrapper rad, but I'd always go for new if possible! Obviously one from a scrappy is better than nothing if you can't afford brand new!

Not sure what the setup is like in the mk 1, the Mk2 is dead easy to change though!

One of the mk1ers will be along soon to advise I'm sure!

 

[Moosey]

I'd take it back to the garage and have them pay for it, seeing as how they didn't properly secure the radiator.

 

[darraghcorrigan]

I wish I could Moosey but I got the work done at the garage when I was at home over the weekend little over a week ago, but at the moment Im about 200 miles away, hence the needing to buy tools as well.
Gonna pick up a Haynes manual and socket and spanner set at Halfords this evening but I was wondering will I need any exotic screwdriver bits for anything, torx or slotted I would have to buy?
I am a bit wary of the scrapper radiators, especially considering a lot of write offs are due to engines giving up, which cant help the rad, or collisions to the front of the car. . .

 

[Moosey]

I wish I could Moosey but I got the work done at the garage when I was at home over the weekend little over a week ago, but at the moment Im about 200 miles away, hence the needing to buy tools as well.
Gonna pick up a Haynes manual and socket and spanner set at Halfords this evening but I was wondering will I need any exotic screwdriver bits for anything, torx or slotted I would have to buy?
I am a bit wary of the scrapper radiators, especially considering a lot of write offs are due to engines giving up, which cant help the rad, or collisions to the front of the car. . .

Where are you now? If you're near me (North-West London) i'll come out and give you a had. Got tools here.

Looks like you need a deep 10mm socket for the top mounting bracket, an 8mm for the fan housing bolts and either a 7mm/flat/Philips for the hose clamps. The standard hose clamps will most likely have been broken off, as they don't seem to be removable without damage.

 

[darraghcorrigan]

Thanks for the kind offer Moosey but I'm in south west Ireland! The top mounting bolt was missing, thats why it bounced back into the power steering pump, as for the fan mounting screws, in a happy coincidence they are the same size exactly as interchangeable screwdriver bits. So I just used the handle on my screwdriver to get them out!
I got the old radiator out fairly easily but I found out then that the radiator I picked up from the scrapyard is not from a 98 punto like he said, but from a 99 mark 2, so its about six inches too short!
Going back over there tomorrow with my old rad and the one I got from him to either get one for a mk1 or else my money back. Considering the chancer charged me fifty euro for the wrong part I can imagine its going to be an effort getting either.

 

[jimboy]

A new radiator for a Mk1 is less than £30 from eBay, that's not a lot of money in my book. You do say time is a factor, but I'd strongly advise you to fit a new one rather than s/hand. You may find yourself doing this job again sooner than you think... Best of luck though...

 

[Scoobysnacks]

I'd definitely be asking for my money back. If I'm gonna use scrappy bits I need to trust the scrappy, and if he obviously is a: a chancer and/or b: doesn't have a clue what he's on about, I'd not trust him!

There must be a decent motor factor around you somewhere! And for E50 I reckon you should be able to get a new one!