Radiator replacement on Ford Freda?

[Big Rich]

Hi to all and thanks for looking, my radiator sprung a massive leak between the plastic header tank and the matrix ... I have searched through the messages on rads and there are a few comments on fitting a Ford Ranger ?? " just block off the overflow pipe with some pipe and a bolt it said "now i have took my rad to the local motor factors and it ain't like a ford ranger ? the one i looked at had no oil cooler take off pipes ! or moldings for the fan mounting bolts in the right positions. can anyone supply a good usable part number for my SGL3 Ford Freda 2.5 on a 1995 reg ....many thanks Rich ps happy new year to all!!!!

[westonwarrior]

best bet is get one from the club shop

You know you have the correct one then

[Big Rich]

Hi thanks for info ......Club shop £211.50 genuine mazda £186.40 ! all in, Ford ranger £84.30 All i can say on the matter is people are looking for credit crunch deals and prices on the high street, manufactures will now haggle,on cars and parts ....but thanks for idea looks like i'll order a new one tomorrow ! many thanks Rich

[David Edwards]

Hi I took a chance and got one from e bay, cost me £42,00 delivered and it looked almost new, had two extra pipes for atf use but not needed on my manual flat top, fitted and working a treat. The exact same thing went on my original, the seam between the top plastic and matrix.The item number for mine was 180312382324 they have an absolute trteasure trove of bongo stuff at what seem reasonable prices too. They are called need a part need a car. Worth a look although I am probably giving away a secret stash of mine lol.

[Simon Jones]

Personally. I wouldn't mess around with a radiator not intended for a Bongo. Genuine Mazda ones can be had for under £150 on Ebay (inc delivery) & we know they fit perfectly & have been known to go on for 13+ years. I'd be suprised if the Ranger rad has the heat exchanger for the autobox or the mounting points for the fans.

[Big Rich]

Hi Simon as i said in my post the Ford ranger Had not got the take off's for the cooler, and yes i also said the fan mouting bolts were slightly off in position as well but there is a bongo clinic comment that a Ford ranger will fit and all you have to do is block off the blow off outlet on the side of the cap !! thats why and only why i went to see if they were the same, I was looking at a Genuine Ford Ranger rad not a pattern copy and i just cannot see that fitting a genuine ford rad ( same size same engine ) on a Ford Freda would cause any problems thanks Rich but i am open to any factual reasons why not ...thanks Rich

[Simon Jones]

Sorry - just re-read your original post & you had mentioned both those points - I didn't really take it in first time round . Looking at the Ranger engine & rad there are several differences shown in the picture. This includes the fan is driven off the crankshaft & more importantly it is missing the top hose that goes to the expansion tank & that is how the coolant circulates before the thermostat opens. I guess its cheaper due to the design differences & the fact that the Ranger is a more widely available vehicle which was sold officially in the uk. Might be worth someone ammending the factsheet in light of these findings.

[Big Rich]

Hi again.... the thing is the ford Ranger has the same size matrix !! and i also counted the capillary tubes ( how sad)and guess what its the same rad matrix ...well it is on the 2.5 one, but its only the top header and lower tank that different, so i would think cooling capacity is going to be very near, if not more, and could be used for a doner matrix at a push, I did think of mounting a seprate oil cooler and fitting the ranger rad, giving more cooling as your not using some of the matrix for cooling oil?? leaving more avalable for cooling water, without a doubt the Ranger rad is a good as the bongo.... its just not a easy to fit. thanks Rich

[dandywarhol]

Are you aware the cooler is for the autobox Rich?

[Big Rich]

Hi yep shitty pipes gave it away, and the metal pipes up to inner bulk head from the box ... i do think i could sneak a nice oil cooler under the front though, with some nice braded hoses.... no work at the mo so plenty of play time, thanks Rich

[Trouble at t'Mill]

Brand new one on eBay for a good price: 180245734235

Not sure what they mean by a 2.7 litre diesel tho'...

[Simon Jones]

The plastic top & bottom sections are held in place with aluminium 'fingers' that are bent over the plastic moulding. There is probably some form of gasket or seal to prevent leaks & allow for differing rates of expansion. I would have thought that the cost of paying a radiator repair company to transplant the existing 13 / 14 year old plastic sections onto the new matrix would be greater than the £50 - £60 saving in the purchase cost. Then there's the cost of adding the oil cooler for the autobox.

I went for the easy option when mine sprang a leak & bought the geniune article. I paid £158, but this supplier has what appears to be the same part number for £137.50 + £10 P&P:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mazda-Bongo-Freed ... 240%3A1318

[Big Rich]

Hi to all .....thanks but the one on the short cut on ebay will not fit the 2.5 Ford Freda! My Rad Numbers are
PA66-8F88 SAE PA66 R - WLO2, Now this is where i have been banging my head against the wall!
The one listed is a WL01 Blah Blah Blah mine is a WL02 Blah Blah Blah ....to every one looking these are 2 totally different rads the 2.5 is a bigger Rad than the 2.6 note the sizes below.

2 rads listed on ebay First 550x628x26 THIS IS FOR THE 2.5 EBAY NUMBER 120359386724 got this one
Now the other listed size rad is 400x545x26 THIS IS FOR THE 2.6 EBAY NUMBER 180245734235

99.9 % of all rads listed are for the 2.6 making the 2.5 a very rare rad indeed ( try tracking one down) but also giving the 2.5 a larger cooling size ??? why?

now i hope the above has explaned why re-coring was looked at, or as a possibility using the FORD Ranger as a last resort as its the same size if i could not get the right one thanks Rich

[dandywarhol]

Don't understand all this about 2.6 and 2.7 Bongos Rich - no such beasts exists Why not just get the proper thing from Mazda which will do the job without worries?

[Big Rich]

Hi i spent last week trawling over jap parts / mazda books and staring at rads glore please just take the time to look at the ebay listings showing the size of the rads and part numbers and you will see two distinct different part numbers , I HAVE LOOKED AT BOTH RADS IN FRONT OF ME, THE WL01 AND THE WLO2 If it takes a photo to show the plate i will photo it tomorrow and stick it on.... I can only report back on the details supplied on the rad plate ...not to mention the sizes ....I have bought the right one and its on its way, thanks Rich ......ps it seems that everyone thinks one rad will do the full job lot range but not according to mazda, and my tape measure!