cooling

[minigreen94]

HI
Just about ready to fit head to my 1360 and am torn between fitting a blank plate or heater take off. I have both housings for the stat so was just wondering what the +'s and -'s are to both. The head is a minispares mse4 by the way. Cheers

[FWDRacer]

If you blank the heater feed off No.4 cylinder will run hotter. Even hotter than it does normally with a heater in place. Google "Dry Deck A-series" and it'll explain why people force water across the head and back into the block via 2x external ports and hose. It is to compensate for narrow waterways in the head around the furthest cylinder from the water pump. Most full house race engines run this to ensure consistent cylinder head temps.

Personally if the engine is for a roadcar, I'd always run with a heater. It is far easier to run the heater flat out, frying yourself in the process, with all open the windows in the car to gain extra cooling rather than bemoaning a lack of cooling capacity.

Hope that helps.