Mondial Radiator Repair

Mine's out for a pinhole leak and I'm taking it to a local repair shop tomorrow. Since the top of the rad is embossed with the Ferrari name it may be difficult to avoid the associated "tax".

Anyway, quick question, are these radiators aluminum or brass?

I searched but couldn't find anything, I guess they don't go bad very often.

 

I think brass. Brass cools more efficiently then aluminum Also since aluminum is sensitive to water I think the chance is high that Ferrari went for brass. Again on the other hand.. aluminum is very light.

You can check it actually when you look into the hole of the sensor. Black/brass color or aluminum metal color.

 

Thanks Tijn, I'll look again.

The shop asked and assumed aluminum which, at times, may not be repairable. BTW, this shop also contracts for NASA so I'm pretty confident they'll be able to fix it.

Photos later...

 

Think brass. Had my 83 and 88 Mondial radiators rodded, and welded small holes before at the local radiator shop. No questions asked.

 

If it looks like a duck...
.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Found the hole. Plus the construction appears to be brass and copper.
.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Photos for reference:
.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

So I pick up my repaired radiator from the best rated Euro car indie in my area. Bread and butter for them appears to be 70s, 80s, and 90s European cars. They found two minor leaks; the repair cost me $93.

However, when I get it home and unload, I can hear what sounds like a couple of pebbles rolling around in the bottom tank and I can't get them out.

And, someone spray bombed it to hell and back... paint runs everywhere. It also looks like they had it on the ground outside during the recoating because you can see the grit added to the paint.

Is this normal! Or am I just having a bad month.

 

.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I did NOT ask them to paint it, now all of the OEM markings are gone!
.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Is it possible to lightly wipe off the areas where the markings were with paint remover or something milder still to uncover them???

If not, you might be able to recreate them from your pics.

The good news, it was under 100bux and painted black!

 

Yeah, I guess I got what I paid for

But I was expecting to pay premium.

Unfortunately, I still can't get the pebbles out of the bottom tank, which weren't there before I dropped it off at the shop.

Worst case, the tank will have to come off... for the first time.

 

Sweet lord what nutcase did this!? Pupil?
Sorry to see Wade! I don't understand that people are not ashamed when they deliver such bad quality work. It would be a simple question to ask if it needs a paint job as well. What the h**ll they were thinking. Really sorry to see this! Perhaps you can sand it carefully yourself until the marking come up.. but then it needs to harden it first a few weeks.

 

This is par for the course with radiator shops. If it is a show car then I'd keep working at it. If it's a driver then I'd run with it. Even the pebbles probably won't get picked up and moved around the system, could be slag from the repair. You can always call and ask them if you should be worried.

They put fresh black paint on it as I understand the black paint dissipates heat better. Looks like they were a bit sloppier than they needed to be but may be consistent with what they do, and I've seen worse. If they tanked it more of the paint would have come off and it would have looked terrible.

 

It was getting dark when I picked it up, just before they closed for the day. Plus they loaded it into the car.

I noticed everything after getting home.

You can be sure that I'll be at their doorstep the first thing tomorrow morning.

 

The bottom tank has the outlet which leads directly to the water-pump. I can imagine the slag jamming up the impeller at some point.

Otherwise, I can deal with the crappy paint job. Shoot, I know that my 8 year old grandson can do better.

 

The pebble sound you are hearing is probably some solder that would up in the radiator. Radiators are repaired like sweating copper plumbing together. Solder is lead so since the flow of water is low it would probably find a home in the radiator and never be a problem. Also don't be steamed at the guy for the paint job. When you fix radiators they get painted, always. He probably thought he was doing you a favor putting a thick coat of paint on it.

 

I'm more than steamed.

This is, without a doubt, the worst rattle can paint job that I've ever seen, anywhere... on anything.

I suppose if this were for a beat-up Honda or first gen kia, and I was 16 and without any money...

Or, if the radiator wasn't so exposed like it is in a Mondial...

Naw, forget that. No excuse for blowing dirt all over the wet paint.

 

So I take it back to the shop; they sand blast the tanks and claim that the "slag" is removed.

Today I paint it myself using a low gloss engine paint.

Before and after:
.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Unfortunately I trusted them (shame on me) because after I'm finished I notice that there's still some debris rolling around inside the bottom tank.

 

I took my 328 radiator to a reputable radiator shop in Cost Mesa. They said the core was rotten and the 4 row cores would be about $1,200 to replace. I wanted to see the pressure test in the water, but they said it was too late. I paid them for the test and took the radiator unfixed. I went to another place and the owner said it is probably the core and he could replace it with a non-original one for $800, but I asked him to pressure test it he said it would be another $25 for the test at this place. The test revealed the bottom tank was the only place that leaked. They guy said he would fix the leak for $100. I wanted to get going home so I said I would paint it at home. I messed around stripping and cleaning it for a day or so; I stripped and lightly sanded the tanks complexly and got all of the paint build-up off of the fins. Then I sprayed it with the radiator paint they gave me. It was a nice, high cover and I assume high adhesion paint. I sprayed a couple coats on and it really looked great. At a shop, they may have just loaded it up with paint and let it sit over night; this could've caused the bubbling on the pictured paint job.
Anyhow, I'm glad it worked-out the way it did; the price was good and I liked cleaning and painting it myself.
There was some solder inside that I couldn't get out, but I doubt it will cause any problem.
For what it's worth, sometimes its better to just do it yourself.

 

Those jerks! Anyhow, it looks fabulous now! Excellent reading, thanks.

 

Yes a tip for people with 2 fans, this includes also the 328.

You can get a new QV radiatior for under 800 USD and would only need to take of the mounts from the old radiator and place it on the QV one. They are the same and only missing these mounts. The mounts are soldered.. For a 3.2 radiator you pay at least 1200 USD new.

Glad it worked out! I am waiting for mine to get a new core. I trust the old gents who do this already for 50 years.

 

in my workshop, it's a monthly business to send out drive shafts for fixing and balancing, and radiators for recoring, cleaning or fixing.

The shops see it as an extra service that they paint it. Radiators and drive shaft are well hidden in and under cars/trucks. So they think there are no extra points given for well executed paintwork.

BUT, I got the radiator for my Mondi back and paintwork is sublime. The stamps are gone, but thet were not visible when mounted anyway.