The cooling system on this MGB is in rough shape. The radiator and fan have both seen better days, although the water pump has been replaced recently and is in good condition. The hoses are old, and in the case of the water pump inlet hose, completely incorrect. Additionally, the connector on the temperature probe has broken so the owner was unable to tell how warm the engine was running.
A pressure test revealed a significant leak at the water pump inlet hose.
Getting the radiator out of the car revealed even more damage to the core at the bottom which appears related to the bent fan. It also showcases the very soft, incorrect hose that was leaking at the water pump.
The bent fan clearly hit the bottom of the radiator and has been straightened enough to no longer cause damage, but is still not right. The old steel fans can be problematic simply due to metal fatigue in the rivets, so unless a car is a 100% correct restoration, we generally replace them with the new nylon fans from the later MGB.
Due to the deteriorated condition of the original radiator, we opted for a replacement radiator in the stock configuration, along with the new nylon fan and new fan belt. We’ll also be replacing all of the cooling and heater hoses with fresh rubber, along with fresh 50/50 coolant.
