New radiator
So after 11,000 miles my radiator has started leaking. Just little dribbles down the sides that eventually drop onto the nose cone and then leave a little pool of fluid under the car. So it's time for a new rad!
We now have a shiny new rad ! The design seems slightly different from my original 2022 one. This now has a Caterham logo on the top. See how it fairs..
Getting the old one off is straightforward, after the messy business of draining all the coolant and disconnecting the hoses. I've also decided to replace the bottom hose as it was also leaking at the joint to the radiator.
The original fan is still fine, did a little clean up.
Fitting the new bottom hose is a faff as access is limited, but got there eventually. I collected the new radiator and hose directly from Caterham Dartford as I live only 30 minutes drive away. Very handy.
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My procedure for filling and bleeding the system was as follows:
1. Remove the top hose from the heater assembly and fill a bit from there until it shows up in the expansion tank. Refit hose.
2. Jack up the front of the car and start filling from the expansion tank. Keep squeezing the various hoses to get fluid moving around the system.
3. Lower car to the ground, and with the expansion cap still off start the engine. The level will drop quickly, so keep filling the expansion tank.
4. As it gets up to temp and the level looks stable, close the expansion tank.
5. Lastly bleed the radiator from the top bleed screw, unscrewing the nut a little bit and letting air and dribbles of fluid out. Initially the top of the rad will get hot, but the bottom will be cold. Keep bleeding until the bottom is as hot as the top.
After that it's just a matter of checking for leaks, and tightening all the clips.