I've read a few threads on the use of the Micra rad but wanted to check with the MK crew before doing anything irreversible. My nosecone hasn't arrived yet so I'm a bit in the dark as to what issues I'm going to face.

1. Has anyone managed to fit the rad without chopping off either the filler cap overflow tube or the top bracket on the other end?

2. I'm presuming that the problem is width rather than height. If height isn't a problem should I be looking at mounting the radiator absolutely vertically?

3. Anyone know if the new wider MK nose cone provides any significant relief to the issue of width?

4. How much space should I allow between the back of the radiator and the front of the chassis. If anyone has measurements let's use the back of the rad rather than the fan as the reference point.

5. Where do the wires go?
Yellow
Blue
Black

6. Is it reasonable to assume that the rad should be fitted centrally using the extreme right and left hand edges of the radiator (including some allowance for the overflow pipe) as the reference points?

7. Anyone got a set of drawings for the brackets used :-)

Thanks
Russell

I wouldn't try and fit the rad until you get the nose cone, its a bit tight. I managed to mount the rad vertically and without cutting anything off apart from the originalmounting points. The rad is slightly offset to the drivers side. I have made up 3 brackets which fit between the fan and the rad which hold the rad to the chassis. Have a look at my website for some pics

[Edited on 16/7/03 by MK9R]

Hi Russell,

I've fitted my micra rad i got from MK. i also picked up the bracket from them at the same time not knowing what i was going to get; but it was maybe 10swg ali bent into like a square s-shape. mounts in front of the frame nicely no probs at all.
The fan though..sits slightly slanted on the inside or rad, contact at bottom held on by the strapes that go thro' the rad,and held at top with small L-shaped brackets which makes it sit about 1inch or less away from rad. Didn't cut anything. sorry haven't got pic.

Steve

Steve,

I thought MK supply the Escort rad, not a Micra one.

Russell

MK9R,

when you say you cut off the original mounting points does this refer in particular to the top right hand (as seen from the drivers seat) bracket?

Presumably there's no point in curring off the brackets that are on the same side as the radiator cap as these fall within the outline of the rad cap itself?

Russell

MK7,

thats correct

I just trimmed the rh top mount slightly and chopped about 5mm off the overflow tube. Overflow pipe fits no problem with decent jubilee clip holding it.

Ben

Thanks Ben, that might become an even easier task if the new wider nose cone provides more space in the right place.

How about the wiring of the fan? everyone on this and other posts seems to be avoiding the issue.

Did the overflow bottle stay in the same location or did you have to move it?, I'm not sure if there's a height problem as well as width.

Russell

[Edited on 16/7/03 by MK7]

I'm using one of premiers wiring harnesses and all the feed seems to be is a live as the thermostat switch is built into the rad and wires into the fan its just a feed to the green wire and earth with the brown there are 2 plugs one which enables you to remove the fan assembly from the radiator and one from the main harness, I'm talking about the main harness plug
tony

Slightly off thread but here goes.
I have a micra rad and am fiting to a book chassis, MK nosecone with 2.0l Zetec. In order to get the engine in, (even with a chopped sump it looks like I'm going to have to raise the nosecone by 25mm. This will of course affect the positioning of the rad. I've had lots of info from this forum and from U2Us on related subjects but can only assume that the vertical distance from the bottom of the lower chassis rail to the top of the upper chassis rail on an MK is greater than a book Locost, (330mm). Please can somebody confirm this so as I can:
stop thinking I've missed something,
stop trying to sqeeze the engine into a space it doesn't want to occupy
get on with the build.

Thanks Mick

Back on thread, I've now trial fitted the micra rad, I removed the RH upper mount,
a) because it fouled the nosecone
b) because it is too high to be easily used.
The rad is supported 10cm above the baseboard and is vertical. I plan to use the original two lower mounts supplemented by the four small lugs on the sides.

See photo archive for pictures, which I hope will be worth a thousand words.

Mick

[Edited on 18/7/03 by Mix]

Mick,

great pics, thanks.

The distance from the bottom of the lower chassis rail to the top of the upper chassis rail on my MK chassis is 365mm and it slopes backward by around 10 - 15 degrees.

I'll be getting my nose cone in a week so I expect things to become much clearer, however, thanks to all for the input.

Russell

just put 3 pics on my archive rad1/2/3 hope they're of some use
tony

Thanks for the pics tony.

It looks like you took quite a bit off the overflow pipe, how are you going to connet to this?

BTW, where did you get the headlamp crossbar from?

Russell

Just to mention an alternative that I've fitted to a couple of kits, including the very narrow nosed sylva Mojo. A radiator from a volvo 480 es coupe - you know, the little wedge that they did. It's small and square, and designed to cool a 1.7 engine. Just an option.

Happy building.

I've just returned from MK where I measured their new nose cone (which I'll be picking up next weekend). It's around 65mm wider and so should afford plenty of space, dunno what I'm going to do with all that freedom :-)

Russell

I just cut the overflow pipe off flush and intend to retap the hole and use a piece of threaded copper pipe which can be bent to suit. headlamp bar is standard MK engineering holes already drilled just line up on top rail,drill holes insert rivnuts in top rail.
tony

Hmmm,

which kit did you purchase? I bought the basic kit but there was no headlamp bar included. I picked up a length of bar this afternoon but it's not cut to length or modified in any way.

What length is your bar and on what centres are the holes? I need to get my bar into shape.

Russell

bought my kit about 18 months ago.
it was an optional extra about £15 made out of the same tube as the wishbones but typicaly well thought out, the bolts that hold it on are set through the top of the tube. overall lenght of TUBE 31in total lenght 34in bolts between centres 24 1/2 in I've put 2 pics in archive headlamp1 and 2 The lamps by the way are part of the old lolocost £100 package which I am happy with
tony

Just for info,
Ive just trial fitted the Micra rad with the header tank fitted, goes in a dream, one less challenge for the future.

MK7, thanks for confirming what I thought

Mick

Mix,

Did you mount the overflow bottle into its original place on the Micra rad?, if so then it looks like there's plenty of height.

Tony,
thanks again for the great pics, that helps me quite a lot.

Russell

[Edited on 21/7/03 by MK7]

Yep! Header tank mounted as Nissan intended, plenty of room, I'll put up another photo later.

Mick

I'd like to see how that works, particularly with the top left mounting bracket

I've just picked up a small raditor from a Merc. Not sure on the size of the engie but looked like a 6 Cyc. Nice and small with metal down each side looks like it could be easy to mount. Also one of these that doesn't have a filler cap on it.