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MG MGA - MGA Radiator

Hello All,

I am looking at purchasing a new radiator for my 59-A. Just wondering if anyone has had any luck with the radiators offered by Moss Motors or British Victoria. Can anyone tell me how well the new radiators fit and type of quality?

thanks,
Don Rosales

They fit fine, but my first sprang a leak after 9 months and the second leaked at the neck from day 1. I am still waiting for my local guy to organise the third one....
dominic clancy

I bought the Moss Chinese one ten years ago, so far no problems.
John H

Don, have yours rebuilt in Stanton, Calif at Matthison Radiatior shop. They can even fit it with a elec fan set up if you want. They will recore your old unit and just use your tanks. It will work great and looks original. Their information is in the archives. Hope this helps
jeff becker

We purchased our last unit from Scarborough Faire. Looked very much like the original tanks and no fitting issues.

-BMC.
BMC Brian McCullough

I bought mine from Moss in 1999 - still working fine!

Cheers,

Joe
Joe Cook

I'll second Mattson's in Stanton. I had my MGA radiator recored there.
Steve Simmons

Installed a new Moss as part of the restoration in 2004. 9000 miles later no problems, but it definitely isn't cooling as well as the original. I've heard that original MGA radiators were 3 cores, while the Moss repros are 2. As a result, my car runs about 20 degrees higher than I remember from when I had it on the road back in the 70's. Given all that, I had it up to 230 deg in the Key West parade this past April (along with most of the other 20 odd MGA's) and it didn't boil over.
- Ken
Ken Doris

I should mention that the driver has claimed it to run a little hot but we have the Moss supercharger on it but that shouldn't make a huge difference, but some. We are going to install an electric fan on the radiator next time its here now that MG2006 and other shows have passed and the car was built to drive.

-BMC.
BMC Brian McCullough

I should add that the cooling capacity of the curent Moss rads is excellent - with the Judson SC the car sits at 70C exactly, no matter how I drive. Even in a traffic jam, temp reaches 80-85C max. In winter I can't get it to warm up without blocking off 2/3rd if the rad.

This is of course while it is still holding some water :)
dominic clancy

I have had a Moss radiator now since 1998 and it started leaking 2 weeks ago from the front of the tank where it is lipped over. I have made a repair using lead-loading of the lip and it seems to be okay now!!
The cooling capacity is excellent, dont go for more cooling tubes than original if you get a re-core as this will lead to overheating when traveling at speed. I did this and spent 3 years scratching my head afterwards wondering what I had done to make the car overheat as it could not be the new radiator(?). The Moss rad solved my overheating problem straight away.

Neil
Neil Purves

Echoing Neils point about new matrix for radiators: The use of additional cores is not necessarily good. My rad was recored a few years ago with extra cores and a lot more vanes that in theory gave a much greater surface area for cooling. The radiator was in the end no better than my original rad with less cores and more open airways. I think there is a point where cooling is counteracted by the reduction in airflow due to higher friction through the rad. The original rad is a well balanced item.
J H Cole

I guess a key element in this discussion is the type of driving one expects. In my case, I live in a highly populated area, and often sit in traffic barely moving with summer temperatures in 80-90 deg F. To compound things, I often end up in this traffic after cruising for hours at high speed, coming back from trips like Gatlinburg. At speed, even in high temps, I run 190 or less, but that heat buildup, upon sitting in stop and go, puts me up at 210 or more when sitting/barely moving.
Another factor may be whether you have an oil cooler. I don't, but have been considering adding one to aid in the cooling. I've done all the other "tricks" (sleeve, water wetter, felt,etc.) but don't have a fan shroud either, as my reading of the archives indicates they are often more trouble than the value they may add.
So, perhaps with oil cooler and fan shroud I would be in agreement with the other Moss radiator owners that they are totally satisfactory in terms of cooling.

- Ken
Ken Doris

I had a Chineses Moss radiator in 1999 which sprung a leak in 2001 around the top tank lip which was badly soldered. I had the core replaced for an 'improved' replacement with loads of fine horizontal fins to replace the zig-zag type on the Moss rad where apparently only 1 in 5 fins are supposed to touch a tube!

Didn't notice any difference, but it hasn't leaked since. Tried all the usual things to keep the temperature down. The US sourced fan shroud made no real difference and made access for belt adjustment or replacement almost impossible, so it came out. I reluctantly fitted an electric Kenlowe fan, keeping the engine-driven fan for originality and to get all the cooling possible when needed. This seems to work fine up to 30 deg C ambient.

Pete
Pete Tipping

Don/Ken,

A shroud definitely helps to keep the temperature down when in slow moving traffic, but it does not have any effect at higher speeds. I thought it was good value at around $40, and when it is painted black, you hardly notice it is there.

I'm rebuilding a '58 coupe (or COUP EH!, as we would say in Canada) and will probably fit an electric fan without the original fan - I'm building this as a replica 50's/60's rally car so can allow some mods.

Peter, Chairman GT32.
P. Tilbury

Ken,

Sorry - forgot to mention that an oil cooler will not assist with the water temperature, in my experience. I fitted one about 20 years ago (when I had this car in Africa), and it made no difference, except the oil pressure is consistent at 65 lbs.

I think the oil cooler may actually prevent some air getting to the rad. Over the years I have concluded that the carb tuning and timing have a significant affect on the running temperature.

Aplogies for the two part contribution.

Peter.
P. Tilbury

This thread was discussed between 03/10/2006 and 05/10/2006

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.