I'm considering replacing my 2004 Discovery 2 stock radiator (broken return line nipple) with a 4 row aluminum one. Recommendations and/or advice are appreciated. Thanks !!!
Radiator replacement.....
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I had a Nissens in my D1 for about 5 years. It was 3-row. Started out great, by the fifth year it was struggling to keep temps where I wanted them while off-roading. I replaced it with a 4-row, all-aluminum model (not Nissens, forget the brand). So far, so good - after two years.
For a D2 V8 operation (any engine really) you need a good combination of coolant, water pump, thermostat, radiator, fan, fan clutch and monitoring the temps with a real temp gauge.
I thought I'd get a nice four row from FleaBay (yes, I know). BIG mistake, not one hole lined up, the base pins were off by an inch and the sensor hole was threaded for 1/4" pipe thread. Not even close, doesn't cover it... The seller would admit no fault (really?). Thanks China (the seller forgot to mention China). I ended up with a Nissens, no trouble so far.
Nissens radiators are great. I use them in P38 and D2s restorations but the rest of the system is new too. If you install a Nissens and have overheating issues, the problem is very likely elsewhere.
I've had good luck with Ebay large aluminum radiators in a Discovery 1 and a RRC, but am not sure about the Discovery 2 options from China.
Note that not all Chinesium is equal. The one I recently installed in a RRC seems pretty high quality for what I paid. I have had absolute garbage show up for a Jeep though. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell which you are going to get from the ad. Half the time the pricture isn't even right.
I've had good luck with Ebay large aluminum radiators in a Discovery 1 and a RRC, but am not sure about the Discovery 2 options from China.
Note that not all Chinesium is equal. The one I recently installed in a RRC seems pretty high quality for what I paid. I have had absolute garbage show up for a Jeep though. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell which you are going to get from the ad. Half the time the pricture isn't even right.
Identify the LR part number that fits your vehicle. Looks like with or without air injection is one determining factor. Genuime LR part can be purchased for $460, about 2x price of non-genuine. But fits right and built to LR specs. If that’s more than you want to spend, see what’s out there under your part number from people that know land rovers, like lucky8, British parts Utah (BPU), and lrdirect (often cheaper to get from the UK and transit times have been less than a week). Nissens are good and available from many sources. Looks like Britpart on lrdirect has a 2 year warranty versus 1 year for most other options. Some people say Britpart sucks. I haven’t had any issues with their parts. You may have already done a thorough check, but I fully agree with JUKE169r. If you haven’t yet isolated all potential issues within the cooling system, it’s worth checking so you don’t end up not resolving the symptoms or having a temporary fix as the new radiator can no longer cover for other worsening components. Please forgive if comments come off the wrong way.