Cooling Plumbing (again)

[Guest boggybogstar]

This weekend I'll be looking plumbing the radiator, but as usual have a few questions.

 

I'm following this diagram....

 

 

Q1. I'm not planning on using a heater (hoodies are for real men!) - do I just block off the heater output (yellow pipe) from the thermostat housing and never worry about it again?

 

Q2. The upper hose will be over 3ft long (distance to top hose) with a number of interesting bends, what's the best thing to use?, Ive blown the budget so wont be using silicon hose for a while. Considered 28mm copper pipe but even when painted I dont think this will look very good

 

Q3. I'm not using an expansion tank/bottle so should I put a bleed screw on the thermostat housing to help remove the air?

 

Q4. What else do I need to consider?

 

Off to the scrappy tomorrow for some other bits

 

Thanks

Tony

[steve in stockport]

Tony

 

for the heater, yes, just do away with all the hoses and block the outlet on the stat housing

 

for the top hose try B&Q, quite a few locost builders use the aluminium tv ariel poles for hose runs

 

would suggest you use a non pressurised expansion bottle as per the diagram, if you're worried about getting the air out try jacking the front of the car up when filling the system to ensure the rad filler is the highest point in the system, so the air has to go there. You can drill a couple of small holes thru the stat to help it on its way too

[Snapperpaul]

There are slightly conflicting views on just blocking of the heater matrix, most people just run a pipe direct from the waterpump to the inlet manifold this allows the water to flow as normal through the head as there can be some hot spot problems if you don't and if you still have the standard carb through the manifold to stop icing and in some cases through the water temp driven auto choke.

[Andi]

I dont use a heater but have just done some re-plumbing.

It was blanked off under the inlet manifold, I put rubber pipe into it and covered that

with cover chrome (from car builder solutions) then got some chrome radiator pipe from

the local plumbing suppliers.

It used to run at 86-88 deg but has dropped to 82 so its slightly better.

 

Andi

[Guest chris brown]

Andi and Paul I think you are talking about the Pinto whereas Tony has a Zetec - different system - Yes on the Zetec just block off the output from the stat housing. People have various views on the Pinto. Some insist on connecting the two heater points together, which I can see the logic of. But in practice it makes little or no difference whatsoever. The Brisca lads never linked there’s and there engines get more stick than ours just in shorter bursts. Mine has done over 30k with the pipes blocked off with no problem.

[Longboarder]

I have used 28mm copper for the top and bottom pipes. Painted black they disappear in the engine bay. I can't understand why you would want to run without a header or overflow tank. Firstly using either will bleed air out of the system and secondly water does expand when heated and contract when it cools. This blows water out or sucks in air as the engine temp goes up and down. Queuing to get in to Stonleigh = Puddle under the car. Open it up on the motorway = air sucked in. When cold there will be 200ml of air in the system.

 

Nigel

[Guest peter2b2002]

always handy to have a heater , my tin top failed its mot last Oct so I had to use my 2b for 3 months , a heater was god send

also handy for those long ques at shows

pete2b

[Guest chris brown]

always handy to have a heater , my tin top failed its mot last Oct so I had to use my 2b for 3 months , a heater was god send

also handy for those long ques at shows

pete2b

Never had one so have never missed it. In winter just remove the gear leaver gaiter.

[Guest boggybogstar]

Thanks for the responses so far, I havent started playing yet as the boss has decided the house needs a lick of paint this weekend ....

 

So (and I'm not very good with the cooling system!), as Nigel says above - I don't want to be losing water when she gets hot, if I stick an overflow bottle in the nose cone with the tube from the neck of the filler going to the bottom of the bottle will it suck the water back in when it cools?, or will it just slowly fill up? - and I;m assuming the bottle can be lower than the top of the radiator.

 

I would prefer to fit an expansion bottle (struggling to find a diagram on here), but I'm running out of room to be honest - might have a play tomorrow and see if I fit one in the space between the engine and the Rad. The top of the radiator is about 1/2 inch below the GRP on the nosecone!

 

Has anyone got a diagram like the one I started this post with that includes the expansion tank - (and can anyone help with the overflow Q's above)

 

Thanks

Tony

 

ps - I reckon this is my last complicated bit !

[Guest chris brown]

if I stick an overflow bottle in the nose cone with the tube from the neck of the filler going to the bottom of the bottle will it suck the water back in when it cools?,

Yes it will that is what most of us do that have pintos

[Guest boggybogstar]

Thanks Chris, just to confirm though - it can be placed low down ?

[Guest chris brown]

Thanks Chris, just to confirm though - it can be placed low down ?

Yes as it sucks back it can be lower than the rad. but what you must have is a rad cap with two seals in it one in the standard place sealing the rad below the overflow pipe and one sealing the top rim so all water that is expelled when heated goes down the pipe into the bottle and on cooling the vacuum sucks the water back into the rad via the small negative pressure valve in the middle of the inner seal. Some people have had caps that have leaked around the rivet in the middle of the top and have had to seal it up but I have never come across this problem.

[Longboarder]

if I stick an overflow bottle in the nose cone with the tube from the neck of the filler going to the bottom of the bottle will it suck the water back in when it cools?

It will suckback when the cooling system is at negative pressure when it cools assuming all joints are sealed as Chris has pointed out. The rad cap contains valves operated by pressure or vacuum in the cooling system. If the rad cap is at the high point of the radiator it will always vent any air first and if the overflow pipe is at the bottom of the overflow tank it will always suck back coolant. Thus the system is self bleeding of air and keeps itself full of coolant. Bottle can be on engine bay floor if you want!

 

Nigel