I Hate Rads

[theduck]

Have a look at longboarder's post on this thread http://www.rhocar.org/index.php?showtopic=39046#entry302551

 

Is your car plumbed like this?

[biksz]

yeah that's the one duck only difference is I have longer hoses to the rad but apart from that that's how I got it plumbed in.

[Guest mcramsay]

You really need to go back to basics. I wouodnt be thinking timing or anything like that. You are saying the engine is showing 100 degrees but the rad is Luke warm. That means for one reason or another the hot water in the engine is not circulating through the rad and cooling down. Either the water pump is not pumping properly. There is a blockage in the pipe work/ head / block. Or there is a blockage in the rad. I would drain the coolant. Disconnect top and bottom rad hoses and use a hose to flush the rad and check you are getting flow out the bottom pipe. I would then remove the thermostat and do the same and check you get a good flow out of the engine block. Once you have done that you have proved you can flow water. Assuming the pluming is correct, then you have to start looking at the water pump.

[biksz]

that's what was thinking of doing taking rad of and checking flow although it is new.then was gonna check water pump even though that is new too but I had same problem with 1.8 pinto in car aswell and used same water pump with it only being a couple of month old in old engine.

[Longboarder]

Your last post seems to say this is not a new problem and you had it with the 1.8 pinto. Presumably you have duplicated your plumbing, used the water pump and water pump pulley from the 1.8 engine. What else have you used from the old engine? Carbs? Dizzy? Pipes? Anything?

 

So would it be true to say you have copied the old problem onto the new setup? (You can probably rule out the rad as that is new.) Carefully watching the temperatures of engine, bypass pipe, rad top and bottom pipes and the rad itself when you start from cold and let it warm up an earlier post seemed to say that the engine got to 100 and boiled while the rad top was luke-warm and the bottom cold. Is that correct in each detail? What was the bypass doing. Is this with rad cap on or off? Have you checked the stat in a pan of boiling water on the stove to make sure it does open? Has the stat got a couple of 3mm holes drilled in its opening plate and one of the holes at 12o'clock when fitted? Does the rad have a filler on top?

 

Set timing to 10 degrees advanced. Check it with a strobe and make sure it is advancing to at least 30 when you rev to 3000 rpm. Apply a clamp to the bypass hose so it still allows a little water through but not much. Leave the cap off. Now do a run from cold to hot, topping up with a watering can every time the level in the filler drops. Let it idle hot for ten minutes and continue topping up as it blows water out. Will it settle? Can you report back what happens with as much info as poss.

 

If it won't settle after a few minutes then you have a basic problem in the system and it's not just airlocks.

 

Nigel

[biksz]

yea same pump and pulley same hoses the filler cap is in the top hose I can run it up for so long as the cap needs to be on to pressurise the system if I leave it running till it gets hot with the cap off it blows all the water out the filler neck in the top hose and starts boiling the bypass pipe is red hot.will set timing to 10 degrees.the carb is brand new too a twin choke webber 32/36 I think

Edited March 19, 2014 by biksz

[Guest mower man]

Hi sorry to hear you are still in trouble ,you can for get about w/pump probs it either works or it doesn't next is the rad ,it sounds asif there is no flow through it take it off and run a hose thtough it both ways and check flow it should be the same , take the stat out if it not out allready as said above it should be drilled at 12 o'clock 3/4 mm hole make sure when you refit it that it is in the correct way , by all means set ign timing as said above 10 degs is good start , when filling do it slowly to allow any air to bubble out when you think its full run the engine on tickover or a little more with filler cap off ,keeping an eye on level and tempif it bubbles some coolant out top it up straight away and keep running it unless temps are way off until level settles puthe cap on and raise rpm a little temp should settle to around 80/85 depending on what stat I run an 82 orion /cossy stat if you fan switch /thermo is adj set it to come in around 93/4 and out at 86/88 follow all this and every thing should be good-------- Just had a daft thought is your temp gauge 12 v if its 8v massive over read!!!!! , by the way had a serious reshuffle in the wshop guess what I found --- 2 l cam and followers keep in touch hope you sort it do you want me to have aride over mick

[biksz]

am away this weekend mick sonot sure when gonna get time to do much over next couple week as again had a couple of peeps wanting work done on cars.

[Guest davidimurray]

I've been following the thread and must admit I haven't posted as just about everything I would suggest has been suggested!

 

If you don't mine changing your setup, you may wish to consider trying a header tank arrangement. When I set mine up first of all on my Pinto I had problems with it boiling very quickly. I replumbed the setup and still had a problem. I discovered that hot water was not getting to the thermostat and hence it didn't open and hence no flow around the system. The way I have now setup my system works brilliantly. This is my setup

 

Rover 25 header tank, bottom connection tee'd into line between pump and bottom of rad.

Top of Rad to thermostat housing

Thermostat elbow bleed connected by small (8mm copper) pipe back into top of header tank.

Heater connection looped back inlet manifold.

 

The connection to the top of the header tank is higher than the rocker cover and heater loop. There is a constant flow through this line meaning that there is always water circulation around the thermostat and also the system bleeds itself.

 

I doubt this is your problem as you mentioned you had tried with/without the stat but maybe worth considering.

 

I wouldn't dismiss pump problems. Not familiar with the pinto pump construction, but I have seen pumps where they turn fine by hand, but clamp in vice and put some load on and the pump shaft spins seperate to the impellor where the press fit has failed.

[biksz]

think ight of cracked it took thermostat out filled the block through the thermostat water pipe then filled from filler cap and checked with a infa red thermometer and head reads 88c and rad 78c at top and 46c at bottom of rad and fan kicked in then out only problem is now think with all trouble with overheating i might have fried the headgasket as when i rev it white smoke comes out exhaust so gonna change headgasket and start all over again i will get there lol

[Guest mcramsay]

I would be thinking the head gasket has been the issue the whole time.

[Guest chris brown]

Don't just change the gasket without getting the head checked for true and get it skimmed if its warped, might be worth getting it pressure checked at the same time.

[IanS]

If you are checking the head dont forget to check the block. I have seen more than one head that had no gasket problems skimmed to raise the CR and then found that the block was also warped, they had warped together and so had no problems untill one was "corrected".

[Guest mower man]

As above but pinto blocks are very good only known the odd one be a prob and massively o/bored and linered mowerman