GT17 water return.
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi

I've had a search around but not been able to find an answer to my question.

I'll be taking the coolant feed for the gt17 from the head at no4, but can I return it into a thermostat sandwich plate?

Does the thermostat sit in the head still or in the top of the sandwich plate when fitted please?

If I did use a sandwich plate as opposed to the bottom hose, would it be ok to just blank off the bottom hose heater pipe as it wouldn't be used?

Thanks, James

Are you still running a internal heater ?

If so just plumb the GT17 int he heater line.

I've taken the water supply off the rear of my block and returned it beack to the top of the radiator.

What the mind can conceive the mini can achieve
MITP 2012 17.01 seconds 1/4 mile against "The Don"
MITP 2013 16.83 seconds 1/4 mile

No heater fitted... Engine is all built so don't want to be drilling and tapping the block etc.

If you put it into a sandwich plate, make sure you put the thermostat below the sandwich plate, other wise you will just cycle hot water round the engine.

Thanks andy, that was my concern about the position of the thermostat and circulation. I've just ordered a dsn sandwich plate and thermostat housing :)

If you take the feed from the No4 end of the head you will be taking it from the hottest possible location and a low pressure location.

It simply won't circulate, apart from when the thermostat is closed, when it will circulate backwards.

If you actually want to cool the turbo bearings, the feed must be "cold" and (as far as is possible) from below the turbo, ie, the bottom of the block, where the pump pressur e is highest, and the return into something high up and "hot", ie, the pipe into the top of the radiator.

The flow will mostly be "pumped" when the engine is running so you need to replicate the feed being just after the pump (and before the engine has heated it) and the return just before radiator (which is just before the pump so will "suck" and cool it).

Once the engine is shut down, the heights become even more important as you will rely on thermo-syphon to continue to cool the bearings without the pump.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

So Rod am i right in thinking that taking the feed off the rear off the block and returning the water back to the top of the radiator is probably the best for the GT17 or any water colled turbo.

What the mind can conceive the mini can achieve
MITP 2012 17.01 seconds 1/4 mile against "The Don"
MITP 2013 16.83 seconds 1/4 mile

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

So the connection on to the radiator has to be lower than the water in the top of the radiator... if that makes sense.

What the mind can conceive the mini can achieve
MITP 2012 17.01 seconds 1/4 mile against "The Don"
MITP 2013 16.83 seconds 1/4 mile

Thanks for the explanation, it's helped my understanding of the cooling system. As I said before, taking the water feed from the back of the block as you said isn't an option as ive just had the engine built, so can't be drilling and tapping into it now. I know it's not a solution, but if I ran an auxiliary rad between the head take off and the turbo, would that help to cool the coolant before its passed through the turbo?