Overheating

[Only1Rob]

Can anyone help???

As some of you may know i own a 1970 2 door. After recently fitting a recon engine and box the water temp is always in the red. At times the pipes are too hot to touch, but she has never boiled over.

At a standstill the temp gauge reads 3/4, then when you move away the temp goes to max. This would indicate a blovked rad, but i have flushed it twice.

I have changed the water pump, flushed the rad, checked the pipes, changed the filler cap, checked the antifreeze......

The only thing i can think it may be is the timing. Can anyone shed any more light??

Please help

[philc]

Take the thermostat out and try again. They can fail closed.

Phil

[newagetraveller]

If the ignition is too far retarded the engine will overheat.
I think the same may be true if it is too far advanced but then it will knock as well.

[Only1Rob]

Thanks for the replys,

I have fitted a new thermostat about 1 month ago. Any more ideas??

The timing.... This knock, i have a knocking noise when travelling at about 55-60mph coming from the engine bay, could this be the same??

I also have a problem with my battery. Because i can only drive her at the weekends, she is not started during the week. Then when ic ome to start her, nothing!! I have checked the earths on the radio, the fag lighter, and the temp guage and are all fine.....

Can you help??

[Willie]

Lo, re the knocking noise. If your timing is
too far advanced you will get 'pinking'.
this is a light metallic pinging when you are
accelerating or pulling hard up an incline.
it will disappear the moment you stop accelerating. this does not normally cause overheating. Being too far retarded WILL cause overheating, check the timing with A
stroboscopic timing lamp. When you fitted the recon engine did you convert to unleaded?
that will run a bit hotter than the old leaded fuel. What value of thermostat did
you fit? You should not be able to touch
any of the water pipes on a properly warmed
up engine, they SHOULD be too hot to touch.
Willie

[Chris Morley]

Internal combustion creates a lot of heat - anything up to the lower 90s ( Celsius ) is normal. Forget the temperature gauge - it's clearly faulty and should be binned. It should move slowly from cold to hot, not start at 3/4, even if the cooling system wasn't working at all.
If your car really does overheat three things will happen.
1) the engine will lose power very quickly.
2) Very hot water will drip from the radiator
overflow pipe.
3) Steam will seep from the radiator cap, and if hot enough the cap will lift and your mog will impersonate the Flying Scotsman in full steam.

The battery is probably faulty and losing it's charge - why not get it checked ?[ This Message was edited by: Chris Morley on 18-02-2002 22:39 ]

[Willie]

to check the battery, fully charge it and then take it straight round to a battery
specialist who will be able to give it a
"discharge test" in less than a minute.
Willie

[Only1Rob]

The temperature guage isnt faulty as i have just tried a new one, the readings are the same!! Doh!!

The engine doesnt seem to pull as well as it use to, is this connected?

Teh battery isnt discharging by its self, so something in the car ios drawing power, but what??

[Willie]

this seems a repeat of an episode we had very
recently. If you have an Alternator fitted
it is highly likely that IT is causing the
battery drain. Check by disconnecting the
wiring at the alternator end and see if the
battery then retains its charge. If you do not have an alternator then ideally you would remove a battery terminal and insert
a test meter on AMPS between it and the battery terminal from whence it came. If you
read any sort of current with the car OFF
and the doors CLOSED (interior light)then you have a 'leak'. If you do not have access to a test meter than the only way is
to leave the car overnight,the next morning
diconnect a battery terminal and,with all
switched off, gently touch it back on to the
battery. If there is a leak you will see a
small spark.( you leave it overnight so that
the battery will have stopped 'gassing' which
is highly explosive).
You do not say if you have checked the timing
yet??
Willie

[Only1Rob]

Thanks Willie,

I havnt checked the timing yet because im not sure how to. I will try the amp reading next weekend when i have some free time.

I dont have an alternator fitted, the only thing i can think it is is the fag lighter.

Cheers

Rob

[newagetraveller]

Here is the easy(!!) static way to set the ignition timing. When the engine is about 3 degrees before top dead centre (TDC)
the ignition points should be just breaking (opening).

The first part involves getting underneath the front of the car (although with practice you can do it with a mirror!!)
At the front of the engine is the crankshaft pulley which has a notch on the rim at the back of it to indicate the TDC mark.
Behind the pulley and fixed to the front of the engine is the timing chain cover which has a three-pointed timing indicator fixed to the bottom of it. The largest pointer indicates TDC, the centre one indicates 5 degrees before TDC and the other one indicates 10 degrees before TDC.
You will probably need to use a rag to clean the timing marks.
Use a starter handle or a large spanner or some mole grips to turn the crankshaft until the notch in the pulley corresponds to about 3 degrees before TDC on the pointers.

The second part involves the distributor which sticks out of the driver's side of the engine. To start with, remove the distributor cap which is held on by a clip on each side. Inside the distributor is a cam. As the engine goes round the cam rotates causing a set of ignition points to open and close. The contact breaker gap should be between 0.014 and 0.016 in. when fully open.
The distributor is held in place by a clamp at the point where it goes into the engine block. Use a small 7/16 in. AF (I think!) spanner to loosen the bolt at the top of this clamp until you can rotate the distributor.
Turn the distributor anticlockwise until the ingition points are closed and then slowly turn it clockwise until they just open. The point of opening is best determined using either a multimeter or by switching the ignition on and watching for a small spark.
When you are happy that the distributor is in the correct position carefully tighten the clamp (but not too much!) and replace the distributor cap.

This is not the most complicated method (really!) but should be OK to prevent overheating if it is your timing that is causing it.

[Only1Rob]

Thanks for the reply,

I really apprechiate (Cant spell) you giving me such in dept instructions!! I will be having a look at it tomorrow afternoon, so with some luck i will send a post tomorrow night to tell you all how it all went.

Thanks again and dont forget the f1 qualifying tomorrow at 1pm on ITV

Cheers

Rob

[Hannomag]

I fitted a NEW thermostat 2 years ago and it was faulty, didn't look like the flying Scotsman, but wouldn't stop running even when I took the key out......who said you can't put a diesel in a minor! Had the same with flasher units too, are they all made so badly? had to solder the last one up myself to get it working again....

[Only1Rob]

Well guys i have fially solved the problem!!!

It turns ou that when i did a temperature check with a kitchen thermometer the water temp was correct. Therefore the guage was faulty, right? Wrong! I fitted a new one and it still read full.

After reading a few articles about voltage regulators i connected the power to the guage from the back of the spedo. And hew presto it reads perfectly.

Thanks for all the posts, just thought id put your minds at rest.

Happy minoring!!

Rob