Another good reason to own a W116 - UPDATE!

[Grant V]

The Porsche has developed a leak on the radiator, and it's one of those fancy aluminium radiators with the plastic resevoirs. It seems to be leaking between the plastic resevoir and the radiator core (probably needs a new 'o' ring seal), but the guys down at the radiator shop say that they can't fix it, nor can Carrerra Motors, the specialist I take it to. A new radiator is going to cost...wait for it.....R14 300 - that's about AUS$2500!!!! Bloody Hell!!!
Now if that were the 6.9, I'd just whip out the old copper radiator, send it to the radiator specialist around the corner and collect it the next day. QED! And probably for less than R300.

FOR SALE: 1985 Porsche 928S Auto - going cheap!

[WGB]

The M-B 126 range has the same aluminium/plastic radiator and my 1987 300SE had the following tail of woe in the early 90's.

1) Crack in plastic tank - tank replaced.
2) Replacement tank leaked at rubber seal - rubber seal replaced
3) Seal leaked again and on attempt at repair aluminium suffered metal fatigue and core could not be re-used.
4) Replacement Copper core was obtained from Natrad ( National Radiators - an Australian Company) and combined with old plastic tanks.

Happiness.

They certainly replaced my Aluminium core with a very satisfactory Copper one and the cost was about $600 at the time (including main agent labour in fitting and re-fitting). A new radiator at the time was $1400 and I'm sure the copper one will be still giving good service to it's present owner.

Bill

[John Hubertz]

Here's a list of used rads in the USA - locate one and I'm sure between here and the m-100 site someone nearby will be happy to ship it to you.

[Grant V]

I contacted my friend who works at a local MB Stealership and he put me in contact with the radiator people who repair all their modern Mercedes radiators. I contacted them and they said that if I could find header tanks, it would not be a problem to remove and replace the tanks. If the crimpings that secure the tanks broke, the other option was that they could fabricate tanks, which would be welded into place.
I wanted to keep the car as original as possible, so I asked them to remove the tank first and see if the crimpings broke, which fortunately did not happen. I then ordered two plastic tanks over the 'Net from the US and when they arrived two weeks later, they were fitted and the radiator is now ready to be refitted.
Total cost:

2 x Plastic Tanks, Postage and Packaging                     R 1615.00
Duty & VAT                                                             R  398.00
Fitment of Tanks by Villeiria                                        R  615.00
                                                                            R 2628.00

That's about AUS$ 450 - much better!!

Incidently, the petrol account required to run the 6.9 as a daily driver over the last few weeks is not in these figures, so it may have been decidedly cheaper to have fitted the original Porsche radiator in the first place 

[gregdeklerk]

Are you seriously telling me that out of about 10 cars, the 6.9 is the only runner?

[Grant V]

Errrr..... ....uhmmm..... ......no, no, the 280SL goes, as well as the 220S...and....uh...oh yes - the racing car!