Last summer I replaced the radiator with a two core (larger one), cooler thermostate, replaced the water pump, and put the electric fan on a switch so I could turn it on when needed. I am also using Water Wetter (additive) in the radiator. It runs great, all of the above items helped alot, actually I can run it all day around town in 100+ degree heat with no problems. But on the way home, almost every time the temp gets all the way up to red line. The proplem is this hill on the way home, it goes up about 2000 feet in about 4 miles (the only way home). I'm pretty sure these cars were'nt designed with this in mind, but I was wondering what I may have missed, or what else I can do to help it with the last stretch home. I was thinking about taking the thermostate out for the summer months, would that help?

Any thoughts/ ideas are welcome . (except for the dont drive it in the summer ones)

Nik

 

Did you try blasting the heater? Sucks for you in the cabin, but it should help disperse a bit more heat. There's also a rubber shroud/sealing peice that I've seen on race and performance cars that seals the radiator fan assembly into the wing - keeps heat from recirculating back into the engine bay and increases the cooling efficiency of the radiator, or so I'm told. Sorry - no linky - I've only seen these on cars not in catalogs (anyone have a site?)

Last - try a "Tropical" mechanical fan - these are made specifically for hot climates:

http://www.gbcarparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Tropfan

if you really get desperate, they DO majke a 4-core radiator:

http://www.gbcarparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=rad4core

Note that this should not be used in conjunction with the Tropical Fan due to clearance issues according to the site.

Good luck!

 

just guessing here...
with the larger radiator and even with the fans manually running, you might still have too much pressure a*behind* the radiator...

you might look into somehow getting more air out from behind the radiator... side venting, or through the hood (or some how push the air down under the car, but that might cause high-speed instability...)

BTW, are you running water wetter with pure distilled water (no anti-freeze?)

 

And now the dumb question: Is the fan blowing in the right direction? It is possible to mount the belt driven fan backwards and result in "suck" instead of "blow".

 

The belt will only run in one direction, but I guess you might have the fan on the shaft backwards... I believe is only goes on one way though.

 

The plastic fan can be (and occasionally is) mounted backwards. One of the buyers guides I read indicated that it was a good idea to check the air flow though the wheel well (in side mounted rad versions) by holding a dollar bill next to the vent slots. The fan should "blow" the bill rather than "suck" it against the slots.
FWIW

 

He shouldn't have slots since he has the electric fan... You need to cut them out to fit the housing. be careful around the electric fan!

But yeah - air should be flowing FROM the block TOWARDS the wheel well - if you have the fan on backwards then it will dramatically affect the cooling.

 

Thanks for the suggestions!

jakay11- I'm using the water weter w/ antifreeze, should I be running it without?

I've done the heater trick, but thats not alot of fun! Was trying to get around that tactic.

I know that the fan on the engine side is going the correct way, but I have never checked the electric one, I'll do that tonight. I also believe I have slots, but I'll double check that too.

I was trying not to go to a larger radiator because it already very tight in there.

Thanks,

Nik

 

anti freeze is for cold weather,hence the name.use water wetter ,distiled water and 10% antifreeze max. In my 64 cooper S i used only water did'nt have water wetter in those days.good luck.

 

I always thought that antifreeze both lowered the freezing point, and also raised the boiling point.

Nik

 

That's what I understand too.....

concur with advice about fam direction, one Mini online site warns about this esp if using the yellow plastic fan....very easy to put on the wrong way.

what concentration are you running????? I've read and follow - 20% a/f..... and then how much ww?????

Frankly I ran 20% for a couple of years and last flush added water wetter and saw no significant change. (a/f + half bottle of ww to maintain 20% dilution....too little ww???? dunno....but don't think I really need it. Put in a full bottle when I changed Miata with fresh 50% and saw no change there either)

The one time i overheated the thermostat stuck......ever since I freed it I've seldom seen my temp g' over the 1/2 mark except when idling for long times on hottest days.....but 've no inner fender in front :impatient

 

I've forgotten how much ww I put in last summer, but I'm doing the 50/50 antifreeze combo.

I have the yellow plastic fan, but put in on the same way it came off (which doesn't mean it was on correctly in the first place) but I'll double check that too. The thermostate could be stuck, but I don't think that it is cause it heats up to operating temp then holds until climbing the hill.

Nik

 

Would an oil cooler help out in this situation?

 

Checked all the fans.... they are running and installed correctly.

Never thought of an oil cooler, that might help.

Nik

 

If you do install an oil cooler, you might want to consider one of the bypass switches for it. I've been told that you don't want the oil cooled before you start running in the optimum range.

 

I've heard that as well... If you run 20W50 oil (as recommended) then you want it to get warm as quickly as possible and then switch on the oil cooler after you're warmed to the midway point. I'm not sure how to install such a thing through...

 

The ones I've seen are a vertical cylinder with 2 hoses on each side. I'm assuming there's a little thermostat (or gnome) inside that either forces the oil to return to the engine or lets it go through all the way to the cooler. I've seen 'em mounted on plates off of the flywheel and on the inner wing on the left side as you face the car.

 

I have been told that 50/50 is too high a mix unless you're in Minnisota. An 70/30 water to AF will provide much better heat protection and still provide the corrotion protection.