Sourcing a radiator... 1979 210

[molly210]

Hey there,

 

I have a low-mileage 210 hatchback 1.4L w/ a14 engine.

 

I was checking coolant level in the radiator, and when I was taking the cap off, a little piece of the brittle edge of the radiator filler neck snapped off! *&$%$%##!!! My mechanic says I need a whole new radiator, and supposedly he can't find one!

 

So, two questions:

1. Is it worth trying to solder/braze the little piece of the filler neck back on?

2. If not, do I have to put in one of the original brass type radiators, or can I put in a newer aluminum one with minimal modifications?

3. What type might fit?

 

thanks so much in advance. these forums are amazingly helpful.

 

Molly in Seattle

[jesusno2]

best to find someone with some brazing skills and fix it. finding a direct replacement might be tough and a aftermarket aluminum will take some work to fit im sure.

[ggzilla]

Yes, a radiator shop can re-braze the connection for you. Remove the radiator and take it in to the shop.

 

210 radiators are easy to find. There are two 210s at Pick-n-Pull in Tacoma, there were some in Lynnwood until last week. They had good radiators in them

 

> can I put in a newer aluminum one with minimal modifications?

 

Yes, a $250 aluminum radiator from eBay for the 210 fits with some modifications.

 

Or a $225 radiator from your neighborhood O'Reillys will fit without any modifications.

[izzo]

If your mechanic can't find a radiator for a 210, find a new mechanic. Seriously.

[molly210]

Haha. Boy, that's sad! I really do like the guy, but he sure failed today. Had me thinking the worst.

My man ggzilla also recommended O'reillys. I called and they're looking for one. Guess I'll do it myself.

 

I'm hesitant to just have the thing brazed back on. It's pretty corroded and it's gonna happen again eventually... would hate to have something bust far away from home. I think the new one's the way to go if I can find it (which it sounds like I can).

 

thankyou

[Jseoung]

I have a radiator for sale!!! would you like it? I was actually taking out the engine this evening and removing it today! :thumbup:

[molly210]

thanks jseoung! i actually think i'm getting one from ggzilla on thurs. good luck though!

[ggzilla]

Well my radiator had a hole in it :-(

 

I got one from Pick-n-Pull today which looked great, but when I got home and tested it it showed up two hairline cracks in the side of the tank. I'm taking it back tomorrow.

[metalmonkey47]

If your mechanic can't find a radiator, you need a new mechanic.

 

 

Seriously.

 

 

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/Spectra-Premium-Radiator/1979-Nissan-Datsun-210/_/N-imgt1Z8ii30?itemIdentifier=217042_233208_0_

 

 

 

 

You don't need a mechanic for your 210. Get greasy man! It saves you all kinds of money. :thumbup:

[ggzilla]

Yes, Autozone and Oreilly's have one for the same price.

 

Nissan also has them, for about $20 more

[metalmonkey47]

Yes, Autozone and Oreilly's have one for the same price.

 

Nissan also has them, for about $20 more

 

Really? Didn't know Nissan still has them available. The extra little bit of money is well worth it.

[ggzilla]

Nissan have a LOT of parts for Datsuns, just not the ones we are looking for!

[Jseoung]

if you are looking for one still i have the original one from mine. i just pulled it out and still in good condition. reason for not needing it because i am doing a SR swap on mine. let me know you want it. I also have alot of engine parts for your car as i will not be needing it

[ggzilla]

Molly got a brand new one from the local auto parts store. We couldn't find a good used one at the time.

 

It's now running cool, instead of edging towards the H, it's rock steady just below halfway on the gauge.

[Markiewicz89]

Can someone post the dimension of a radiator to fit a 79' Datsun 210 Hatchback? I've tried looking into two different manuals plus the original owner's manual, but couldn't find anything about dimensions for the radiator. I've googled it as well.. only to see a lot of businesses for radiators. Even searched on Ratsun, but couldn't find the dimensions either.

[Markiewicz89]

1.4L A14 Engine.

[notahoarderacollector]

Hey all! I'm a little late to the party on this one but I have a '79 210 and I need a new radiator really badly. I can't find anything anywhere. I currently have 14 tabs open and I'm coming up with squat. This chat is saying that finding a brand new one is super easy so maybe times have changed haha. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I can currently only go a couple exits before I have to pour water on the radiator to get it to cool off and not burn the motor up.

I'm willing to modify something to fit in there if necessary but I'd rather not have to custom fab something. 

 

Also as a side note, if anyone knows of a sweet deal on a 5-speed transmission for the A14 I am in the market for one. Can't seem to find anything on that either.

 

Thanks!

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

A series 5 speeds are pretty rare. And there are three different varieties.

 

I lifted this from http://datsun1200.com/modules/mediawiki/index.php?title=5-Speeds

 

[Tom1200]

Get on Datsun1200.com and look through the radiator section. Something from a Sentra will likely work with a bit of fabrication.

[jagman]

When we were racing a B210 one of the folks that came to our pit gave us several radiators that he said were from Datsuns.  I know they are copper cored but have no idea what they fit or their condition.  If you find the measurements I will check them.  I would like to get rid of them as is  -  not as copper scrap.

[Dguy210]

I've been running this one in my B210 for the last 4 or so.

 

Works extremely well, only need a hose shortened and one of the holes opened up a bit. Very easy job.

 

It cools very well even without a shroud even on hot days. $145 shipped

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/112058283038

 

This replaced my 210 AT radiator which had started leaking (only 15 years off a pick-n-pull part, lol. I actually kept it and intend to braze the seam back together at some point).

 

 

Previous thread about those radiators:

Posted August 16, 2018 (edited)

 

I'm running one now. Works quite well. Very narrow though, but 3 core vs the 2 core.

The old rad is out of a 210 with A/C and is much larger than stock. The "hole" is a cut out panel I removed. The radiator is actually a 1200 rad and other than the holes being off a 1/4 inch on one side pretty much bolted in. If the car was a stock 1974 B210 it would have be a very good fit.

The original stock radiator is basically undersized for the hole that it mounts to and does not come with a shroud. Overall a very weird and suboptimal setup. This bolted into the original holes for the most part. 

Edited July 15, 2022 by Dguy210