T car heating system

[DonkeyApple]

I seem to have a memory, back when I owned the Griff, that I closed off the hot water loop to the heater matrix in the summer as it helped considerably to stem the flow of hot air into the car.

Now, given that with the T cars the cold air from the aircon is just blown into the whole dash void and that the hot air pipes are also in there then I have a feeling that closing off the flow of hot water to the heater matrix should have a good positive impact on reducing the temp of the air coming from the aircon vents.

Has anyone done this?

[julianc]

What's aircon?

[DonkeyApple]

julianc said:

What's aircon?

Don't worry Julian, it's one of those handy last century inventions for civilised people.

[julianc]

DonkeyApple said:

julianc said:

What's aircon?

Don't worry Julian, it's one of those handy last century inventions for civilised people.

Thanks for putting my mind at rest!

[shep1001]

Didn't Graham have this mod on his orange Sag?

[DonkeyApple]

I've just done it today. (Thanks to Bespoke, as good as they've always been over the last 20 years!).

Has made an enormous difference. The dash now maintains an ambient temperature and isn't a super heated mass radiating heat into the car. Means the car should be useable now on a hot day with 3 other bodies inside.

[Don1]

Ermmmm.... What? Talk to me Goose! What is this hot water matrix...

[DonkeyApple]

Don1 said:

Ermmmm.... What? Talk to me Goose! What is this hot water matrix...

? The heater matrix Don.

[Whitenoise1]

On the T cars some had a panel closing off the heater air intake from the radiator. Mine had one looking at the tracers of sealant but it's long gone now.

Basically it blocks off the area on front left from the hot rad stopping it forcing hot air into the heating system as you drive along with a warm car.

I think this was covered here: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=143...

Andy

[DonkeyApple]

On my car there is no means to halt the flow of hot water into the heater matrix. So the matrix is always as hot as the water temp, 88c. The heating/cooling system for the cabin is just to fan dials, one for hot air from the top screen vents and the other is from cold air from the dash pods and footwells. But, the void in the dash where this 'cold' air is drawn is super hot due to the presence of the heater matrix. There is an aluminium bar that can be seen in the images below that divides the upper dash section from the lower and this metal becomes super heated by the matrix, as does the whole upper dash and this heat obviously impacts on any 'cold' air in the dash section.

The trans tunnel is heavily insulated so there isn't much excess heat radiating from there. You can feel heat radiating from the roof on a sunny day but on any day there is a wall of radiated heat hitting you from the dash. By halting the hot water from entering the heater matrix this issue has gone away and the air from the cold vents is once again cold. Quite essential when you have four people on board on a hot day.

[Whitenoise1]

What about a heater control valve?

http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/15mm-58-heat...
http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/12mm-12-heat...

[DonkeyApple]

Whitenoise1 said:

What about a heater control valve?

http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/15mm-58-heat...
http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/12mm-12-heat...

Thanks. I'll need a bypass solution rather than a cut off when I get round to a longer term solution.

[Whitenoise1]

This should do it then:

http://www.t7design.co.uk/index.php/accessories/wa...

[Whitenoise1]

Switchable manually or by cable. Assuming the hose sizes are correct.

Andy

[DonkeyApple]

Thanks. There is a thread running in the Chimp forum where they use a bypass from a Ford Ka which looks to use a solenoid to control the valve.