More cooling questions...
Turbo Mini Forums

over many years i've found the major problem with cooling is recirculation of hot air due to the lack of a cowl around the radiator. most people including me have drilled holes in the stat, altered the pipework, fitted extra radiator etc etc etc, but all these are either a bodge or a waste of time and effort.

drilling the stat. we think this improves flow rate but flow is not the real problem, its recirculation, so all this does is slow the worm up process, increasing wear on the engine and makes your heater crap in winter.

fitting a massive rad. increased capacity just slows the temp rise and does not solve the problem

changing the plumbing. why? when the original design was thought out and can work. taking the heater take off from the head and putting it in the top hose just reduces flow through this pipe, stops the engine heating up in the winter as it bypass the stat so increasing engine wear and will not help in the sumer, as the under rated cooling system is still in place

on mine the heater pipe goes from the head, to the turbo, to the heater and back to the bottom hose. i dont have holes in the stat, i sealed the rad to the inner wing and fitted a 2 core rad. this works so well, i binned the mechanical fan and fitted an electric one and it never overheats, worms up in winter, the heater works as well as a mini heater ever works and best of all its a cheap solution, i recon i could have got away with a standard rad. i'm sure its turbo tel did something similar in the states and he said it works well. just try standard everything and seal the rad to the wing very well, the better the seal the better the cooling.

Hope this helps I made a pipe that links the heater take off above No.4 into the bottom hose of the rad. The bottom hose comes from an SPI if memory serves so has two return lines this allows me to close my heater tap and still allow the circulation of water from around No.4 water jacket.

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Own the day

well nic i have same problem but i am going to get a extra rad made which will fit between the alter and intercooler it will be narrow but will be full height of the front.

i will turn top hose around 180 deg then into one side on the new slim rad the water will go down and the up and then pug straight into the old rad if you get my drift.

always looking for them bigger bunches of bannanas

I tried all manneer of radiators in my saloon before I addmitted defeat and purchased an ally rad.

The temp rises to just below half and stays there even after a full throttle nailing from the M11 to the M1! and they do look the nuts.

Own the day