Chimaera Cooling system

[TVRGareth]

Hi all

Yet another question for you wonderful lot.
I have a small leak from the header tank and wondered if I can just top up the levels through the expansion tank until I have a new header tank fitted next week? Or do I need to check the header tank too?

Also does anyone know or would recommend any garages in Scotland that could carry out this repair?

Thanks in advance

[Chuffmeister]

Where is it leaking from?

[QBee]

Ideally use a TVR expert, as they need to know how to get all the air out of the system when they refill it. TVR Ecosse must be somewhere in the Haggisnkilt zone.
I always take the blue cap off to top up - only half way up that vessel, by the way.

[TVRGareth]

It's leaking at the joint with the chassis.
I just want to keep the levels topped up until it's repaired

[TVRGareth]

Sorry it's leaking at the bottom, must be a small hole somewhere.

Guess I'll use a 50 50 coolant/water split?

[Chuffmeister]

Take it off, get the hole welded and refit. Purchase some non-OAT coolant and follow the directions as to how it should be diluted. Re-attach hoses and refill. Use the bleed screw on the rad (near the expansion tank) to bleed the air out when it starts to get hot. No need to do a complete refill/ coolant change, unless you need to.

Check that the otter switch is still working properly once refitted.

[TVRGareth]

Excellent mate thank you.
I'm not sure where the leak is so was going to buy a new header tank!
Or I can buy this but there is a pin hole at a joint


http://www.racetechdirect.co.uk/tvr-car-part-k0345...

[kennybgr8]

The Hagiskilt zone lol, hey Gareth where about in gods country are you,,,

[TVRGareth]

In Edinburgh. Live up at Danderhall

[kennybgr8]

Ok thats good to hear im out at Armadale, have to meet up sometime im away for another 2 weeks though, good to hear another owner close about ,,,

[Chuffmeister]

TVRGareth said:

Excellent mate thank you.
I'm not sure where the leak is so was going to buy a new header tank!
Or I can buy this but there is a pin hole at a joint


http://www.racetechdirect.co.uk/tvr-car-part-k0345...

Racetech are pretty good in my experience. However, I would just get your existing one welded and save a few quid. Just unbolt it from the chassis x-member and remove hoses and otter connection. I'd be tempted to remove the otter switch before getting welded and they're easily damaged. However, it is also good opportunity to change it for one that turns the fans on a little earlier. I think they have a crush washer fitted to help seal.

[TVRGareth]

Sounds like a plan, is the otter switch inside the swirl pot?

[QBee]

TVRGareth said:

Sounds like a plan, is the otter switch inside the swirl pot?

On the earlier cars it is under the tall alloy pot, brass insert with two wires coming out of it. On the later cars it's in the back of the radiator, passenger side, half way down.
You will need about a 27mm socket to remove it I think.

[TVRGareth]

Ah found it. Thanks again
I owe you all a beer

[QBee]

TVRGareth said:

Ah found it. Thanks again
I owe you all a beer

Just put Scotland into Google/Googlemaps.......seems to be somewhere near the Arctic Circle and to be populated by Nationalists in skirts, led by a nice but earnest woman with short hair, who spends her spare time salmond fishing.
Trouble is I would have to cross the wilderness that is Yorkshire to claim my beer. Google says Yorkshiremen have short arms and long pockets, and spend their time loitering at the foot if their stairs eating tripe and dripping and playing a sport called "crickit"..

[TVRGareth]

That is a bit of a trek, and yes we are ruled by some short haired bint who wants to F**K everything up between our southern brothers.

Now need to remove this swirl pot and Can see the otter switch at the rad but can't see it connected to the pot!

[QBee]

TVRGareth said:

That is a bit of a trek, and yes we are ruled by some short haired bint who wants to F**K everything up between our southern brothers.

Now need to remove this swirl pot and Can see the otter switch at the rad but can't see it connected to the pot!

That's because it isn't! It is simply a temperature sensitive switch, designed to close the circuit when the temperature rises about a certain temperature (say 90 degrees C) and make the fans come on, and open it again when the fans had cooled the water enough. So it just needs to read the water temperature somewhere reliable.

TVR realised the bottom of the swirl pot was a daft place to locate it, so moved it to somewhere slighltly less inaccessible. However, you still need a big socket, rather than the plumber's friend, the adjustable, as they managed to make it tricky to get at.

If you find the engine overheats in traffic on one if Scotland's three days of summer, check that the fans are coming on with the temperature above 95 degrees. If not, come back on here for advice. It will be a faulty otter switch, or corrosion in the connectors under the fans.

[TVRGareth]

It's not overheating which is good. I'm going to top up the coolant tonight but can I just do that from the expansion? Or do I do the header first at it's leaking slightly, bleed it etc???????

[Chuffmeister]

Open up the swirl pot and check to see how low it is first. The expansion tank should have about 20mm ish in the bottom IIRC. If the expansion tank is good, but the swirl pot is low, just top up the swirl pot. If the swirl pot is fine, and the expansion tank is low, put a splash in the expansion tank.

The rad draws the coolant from the bottom of the swirl pot, so it shouldn't draw in air unless it is low enough to expose the outlet to the rad. The expansion tank takes the coolant from the top of the swirl pot, so if low, the expansion tank may be empty.

That's my take on it anyway.

[J400GED]

Chuffmeister said:

Open up the swirl pot and check to see how low it is first. The expansion tank should have about 20mm ish in the bottom IIRC. If the expansion tank is good, but the swirl pot is low, just top up the swirl pot. If the swirl pot is fine, and the expansion tank is low, put a splash in the expansion tank.

The rad draws the coolant from the bottom of the swirl pot, so it shouldn't draw in air unless it is low enough to expose the outlet to the rad. The expansion tank takes the coolant from the top of the swirl pot, so if low, the expansion tank may be empty.

That's my take on it anyway.

With the coolant cold, the expansion tank should be half full - there is a handy seam half way up to fill it to.

If the expansion tank is half full but the header tank/swirl pot is low make sure that the hose between the two is not blocked. Actually make sure that hose is not blocked no matter what the levels are.

Hope this helps

Ged