Cooling Problems

[tractor]

does the water push with spring or against

[Pete Mar]

I'm sure that stat is mounted backward in this unit, I can't see that it will be able to control the temperature as intended. It must be allowing the engine to get hotter than intended before opening.

[Al Milton]

Taking into account the previous comments about the plumbing to the pump, and presuming it is correct, have you tried removing the thermostat just to check that there is circulation? Not as a permament solution, but just as a fault finder?

 

This will confirm (or not) that you have circulation and the problem lies with the thermostat and it needs some holes drilling, or that there is more of an issue with the pump itself.

 

Just had a thought, have you fitted an expansion tank? What I am thinking is that if you haven't, then as the coolant is heating up, it has nowhere to expand into, creates an over pressure in the cooling system that is sufficient to stall the pump - bit of a long shot I know but....

[tractor]

hi al yes there is expansion tank and yes thermo removed and engine got hot hotter than I expected with no thermo and I had full circulation

[Al Milton]

Aha, then there's the guitly culprit, the pesky thermostat.

A relatively simple fix with the holes in the 'stat, but still frustrating after so much work.

[tractor]

ill try drilling holes tomorrow see how it goes

[blue]

Hi your thermo is the wrong way around. !! The spring goes inside the large part

[blue]

Also don't drill the thermo as even a couple of hole 3mm in size will cause it to run to cold 70-80c when on a fast run eg motorway as the stat can't do it job properly. Zetecs like and need 95-110c temps unlike old pintos etc

I run exactly the same water rail and all I've done is put an expan bottle from rad cap and it now sits at 95c all day everyday

[blue]

Also last but not least on the opposite end /side of the bit that bolts to the head does it have a pipe sticking out of it with a capped off end (maybe a bolt screwed in ) cos that's the bypass and should be plumbed into heater if fitted or into bottom rad hose

[keith kelly]

Does the thermostat fit in the other way round? That wat the heat will get to the correct part.

[blue]

yes the thermo fits with the spring part inside the housing that you bolt to the back of the engine

All you should see when you take off the waterail is the front of the thermo and a black rubber sealing ring that sits inside the waterail

if you need any more help or details pls ask

[Longboarder]

Isn't this the ideal. (I haven't seen one of these rails in the flesh so sorry if I've got it wrong.) This would work properly. A 3mm hole in the stat would not be a problem. Stats used to have one fitted with a jiggle pin to keep it open in the olden days and its not going to lead to over-cooling.

The proper zetec thermostat housing works best of all. (Westfields instructions for zetec cooling were wrong and led to overcooling in their early days). I would advise all zetec users to stick with it if they can squeeze it in. The raceline rail is not a good design IMO. It doesn't save much space, there is no provision for adequate flow to the stat when it's closed and their original instructions did not include a header tank but said it's OK to let water escape and be low when cold! Similarly if the rail/stat housing you have does not have a by-pass pipe as shown and provision to keep the bulb in the hot side of the water flow then it's a bad design.

 

Nigel

 

Is that a silvertop with a fancy cam cover or a blacktop. If it is a silvertop then the 2.0L mondeo pump turns the same way as the blacktop pump and the belt would be correct but if you have fitted a 1.6 or 1.8 escort pump it turns the other way and your belt run would be wrong. Used to do that to simplify the belt run so you didn't need an idler pulley.

[blue]

Hi your right on the early days with the jiggle pin but hat was old pintos etc modern thermos dont have them

also its not a raceline rail his using its a retroford item which does have a bypass but looks like in pic its not being used !!

and your 100% right on water pump rotation !!!

and your pic is 100% spot on for what his got .

[speedtripledan]

Nothing wrong with the raceline water rail, mine has a stat installed with the bypass done by means of the heater matrix control valve being set almost closed. The engine runs between 82 and 92. Take the stat out and it won't make 70