Heating up

[watsop]

I just got my car on the road recently (Fury fireblade) and am having a bit of a problem with overheating. I've currently got the thermostat out but i've still had it overheat once. I've got a fiesta rad on with the standard cap. Its normally ok when i'm on the move (30plus) but around town it heats up pretty quick. Its got a dynojet kit, freeflow airfilter and a Cat on the exhaust but otherwise its standard. Any clues? Is this a common problem, Ive seen a couple of postings on bike sites that suggests that some people have trouble with their bikes but i thought the bigger rad in the car would sought that out.

Also does anyone know the legal position with the Cat, now I've SVA'd and have my q plate does that mean i've only got to meet a visible smoke test. If so does that mean I can get rid of the bit that keeps me looking out of the window ever 5 minutes,after i've driven the car, to check that it hasn't burst into flames.

[anonymous-user]

What sort of fan have you got on the radiator? Could you replace it with one with a higher flow rate? How are you controlling the fan? Could you use an adjustable thermostat so you can reduce the temperature at which the fan cuts in? Are you sure you don't have an airlock in the cooling system somewhere?

[docevi1]

I have a Marlin Roadster and had exactly the same problems as yourself. To combat it a previous owner had wrapped the exhaust in heat tape (a no-no on cast iron pipes), re-cored the radiator to 3 rows and added a Kenlowe electric fan and thermostatic switch. This helped but it would still slowly rise on hot days till I was uncomfortable with it.

I replaced the electric Kenlowe fan on the front with a 11" Pacet from www.s-v-c.co.uk (I got the super clover which is an 11" blade with uprated motor and was £84 delivered) and the temps now climb, the fan cuts in and they drop again.

If I were you, before going the expensive route like me, try getting an Electric fan from a scrappy (I tried for a front mounted fan but had a very restrictive space). The ones I found:

* Citroen ZX / Zantia / Pug 306 have nice big fans, but tend to be dual so you'd need a new mounting system and a fair bit of work to take it off. They are also quite deep
* Citroen Zsara have one nice big fan but again they are deep with the blade covering the motor.
* Granda's have a nice, thin 16" bladed fan.

Most other cars have rear mounted fans and most modern ones are electric (although some have very big motors driven off the engine belts). Apparently a 1.8 moddded Westie runs nicely with a Mrk1 Polo and a Mrk2 Fiesta fan...

As for the Cat - MOT rules changed recently to say that the car has to go through an emmisions test according to the year it is consider to have been first used. Anything later than 98 (?) has a strict test, whereas pre-98 is considered pre 73 (and therefore visual check only). Two arguements therefore exist

1) It's on a Q plate so Joe Smo on the street has no idea if a CAT is meant to be on or not. It's also fitted on the side of the car allowing easy removal / adding for MOT should it be needed for emissions testing.
2) The SVA requires it therefore technically it should be on the car.

If you do worry about it bursting into flame, take it off and worry about it later.

edit:: Welcome to PH

>> Edited by docevi1 on Thursday 14th July 20:01

[hot wheels]

re the cat if its on a Q plate then you can qite happily sling the cat as its treated as a pre 92 car therefore not tested or needed

[Avocet]

I thought that now the MOT system was computerised, the emissions test parameters were set automatically once your registration was keyed in. If the car had to do cat emissions for its SVA test, I'd have thought it would have to do cat emissions for the rest of its life?

[watsop]

I've just check and I've only got 9" (of fan that is)so thats about 49% less volume than the 11" fan so i guess a bigger fan is the order of the day. Thanks

on the subject of the Cat, I just checked the photocopy I have of the MAC and is says C02 =N/A and HC=N/A so V5 must say the same.
I just found this on the vosa site
http://www.vosa.gov.uk/SCRIPTS/texis.exe/webinator/search/xml.txt?query=kit+car&pr=VOSA&order=r&cq=&id=42d5381e19">www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/publications/mot%20-%20issue%2026%20-%20jan%202005.pdf#xml=http://www.vosa.gov.uk/SCRIPTS/texis.exe/webinator/search/xml.txt?query=kit+car&pr=VOSA&order=r&cq=&id=42d5381e19
see the bit about kit car emmisions which is meant to clarify but I not convinced it does.

When I had the MOT the test guy said that it was visible smoke only so I think i'll take it out, the worst that will happen is it will fail the MOT next year and i put it back in for a day I guess.

[Avocet]

Fair enough but remember CO2 would be "N/A" in any case and that the cat wouldn't reduce CO2 emissions - might even increase them a bit! The MOT equipment can't measure CO2. It's the CO that they would be looking for. Can't explain the HC though - they SHOULD have been looking for that!

[watsop]

On the record of the test I have it does have all the values
fast idle
co = .06
hc = 33
lambda = 1.03 (right on limit)
but when he transferred it onto the MAC which is what the dvla see he just put N/A in the boxes so those fields are left blank on the vehicle reg doc. I guess if I take my Reg doc and my copy of my MAC when I do an MOT they will probably treat that as a proof that i don't need an emissions test.

[Purple AK]

N/A in the emissions boxes of your Mac (copy) and V5 do mean Visual Smoke Test Only so take them along for Mot and you will/should have no problems Just make sure that Swansea have managed to copy the details off your Mac properly Mine came back as a "Rebuilt Jaguar Sports" although it clearly said on the Mac and all the paperwork "AK Sportscars"
The Online Mot thing is still a long way from being up and running fulltime as Seimens still haven't got it right, And frankly never seem likely too

[Avocet]

watsop said:

On the record of the test I have it does have all the values fast idle co = .06 hc = 33 lambda = 1.03 (right on limit) but when he transferred it onto the MAC which is what the dvla see he just put N/A in the boxes so those fields are left blank on the vehicle reg doc. I guess if I take my Reg doc and my copy of my MAC when I do an MOT they will probably treat that as a proof that i don't need an emissions test.

You jammy ^&^!

Yes, if it's not on the V5 I think you'll be OK for ever. Just the same, keep the old cat in the corner of your garage just in case you need it one day!

[Pum]

Overheating and cooling were recently discussed in this thread:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=30&h=&t=187423
One obvious point, put a properly working therostat back in.

Pum.