MiniWorld July 2019 63
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When the radiator is out of the car it
makes sense to flush it, reverse flush it and
also hose through the fins at the side.
The radiator vent pipe is often neglected
and it is not uncommon to see them split,
bodged or missing on an older Mini.The major reason why it is important to
maintain the cooling system. Overheating
causes many head gasket failures!The thermostat housing and the heater take off are fixed to the
head with studs and nuts, although some thermostat housings
used bolts. All of these can break, as in the case of this heater
valve stud. Use new studs when overhauling and apply copper
grease to prevent seizure to both threads on the stud.
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With pre-1972 Minis it
is necessary to remove
at least the top section
of the two-piece
cowling attached
to the radiator (as
opposed to the wing
cowling). The rad
cowling is held on by
six small bolts. The
fronts are easy to get
at; the lower rears
are very difficult.
1959 to 1976 radiators
have two lower main
fixing bolts; the inner
one is difficult to
access. 1972-onwards
the radiator can be
removed complete
with the one or two-
piece cowling.Just about all cooling system work, apart from heater valve
replacement, or perhaps sender unit replacement (if done very
quickly), will require the cooling system to be drained. The best
way to do this is to disconnect the bottom hose.20
Cooling system upgrades make a lot of sense when the engine
has been modified. A larger-capacity, more-efficient radiator will
help and can be used on standard Mini engines too as many are
the same shape as OE radiators.