Discussion
So there I am happily enjoying the new found bliss of taking my Mini out of retirement (and swerving the fuel bill of the Tiv) when I find an accident on the M4 thats slowed traffic right down.
Slow down to a stop, and crawl for 10 or so minutes, look down at the gauges and
thats looking hot.
Next thing I know theres a creaking in the pipes and steam coming from under the bonnet and wheel arches, bugger! Lift bonnet to find a small amount of water being sprayed from the back of the engine onto the bulkhead. Leave engine cool, get some water, fill it up, no leaks, all looks fine, carry on.
Then this morning, get in traffic again, temp rising, pull over, fizz, steam, water, off on my way again.
So, what do we reckon? Personally I reckon its a leaky hose or similar as the temp is stable as long as its moving. Would it be reasonable to suggest that as the pressure is coming up in the cooling system a ruptured hose could leak at a low rate initially, then as pressure builds allow the coolant to boil and come out?
I've got half day to go and sort it, so any ideas on which hoses to start looking at?
Matt.
Slow down to a stop, and crawl for 10 or so minutes, look down at the gauges and
thats looking hot. Next thing I know theres a creaking in the pipes and steam coming from under the bonnet and wheel arches, bugger! Lift bonnet to find a small amount of water being sprayed from the back of the engine onto the bulkhead. Leave engine cool, get some water, fill it up, no leaks, all looks fine, carry on.
Then this morning, get in traffic again, temp rising, pull over, fizz, steam, water, off on my way again.
So, what do we reckon? Personally I reckon its a leaky hose or similar as the temp is stable as long as its moving. Would it be reasonable to suggest that as the pressure is coming up in the cooling system a ruptured hose could leak at a low rate initially, then as pressure builds allow the coolant to boil and come out?
I've got half day to go and sort it, so any ideas on which hoses to start looking at?
Matt.
Its a 998, but fortunately not the bypass hose, that went at the Mini Showdown in '96!
I'll have a second check though just to make sure. Oh please for the sake of my knuckles, sanity and paintwork let it not be the bypass hose.
I am desperately hoping though that its a hose rather than something metal...
I had resigned myself to running it up and checking I have to say, just thought it may have been obvious as there arent that many hoses down the back... are there?
Is this the 1275 you bought or the original 998? Whats the prognosis on the Griff?
Matt.
>> Edited by plotloss on Wednesday 14th May 11:04
I'll have a second check though just to make sure. Oh please for the sake of my knuckles, sanity and paintwork let it not be the bypass hose.
I am desperately hoping though that its a hose rather than something metal...
I had resigned myself to running it up and checking I have to say, just thought it may have been obvious as there arent that many hoses down the back... are there?
Is this the 1275 you bought or the original 998? Whats the prognosis on the Griff?
Matt.
>> Edited by plotloss on Wednesday 14th May 11:04
Well, Paul, you were spot on.
God damned bypass hose.
Got home, took the old one off - 5 mins, got the new one (after discovering that this is now a deleted part!), put the bottom bit on the water pump a la Haynes manual - 5 minutes and then spent the next 6 hours with a variety of drifts, spanners, screwdrivers, kitchen knives and anything else I could find trying to get the other bloody end on.
After much swearing, cursing, kicking, bleeding of knuckles I gave up and went to see the X Men 2 (Not bad, better than bypass hoses anyway) and brought the TVR to work today.
So, any handy hints on what shall henceforth be referred to as the 'Pig Job'?
Matt.
God damned bypass hose.
Got home, took the old one off - 5 mins, got the new one (after discovering that this is now a deleted part!), put the bottom bit on the water pump a la Haynes manual - 5 minutes and then spent the next 6 hours with a variety of drifts, spanners, screwdrivers, kitchen knives and anything else I could find trying to get the other bloody end on.
After much swearing, cursing, kicking, bleeding of knuckles I gave up and went to see the X Men 2 (Not bad, better than bypass hoses anyway) and brought the TVR to work today.
So, any handy hints on what shall henceforth be referred to as the 'Pig Job'?
Matt.
Hmmn, wanted to avoid that if possible. Annoying thing is that I have done this before, using nothing more than two screwdrivers, in a field, whilst it was raining. Can I remember the technique? Can I buggery.
To drop the water pump presumably I need to drop the rad bracket off the stat housing - does this have a gasket as well? (the housing to cylinder head rather than the bracket to the housing!)
Hmmmn, maybe a trip home via Cafco is in the offing.
Saturday? Surely Sunday? If I can get it sorted then I may have a run down there to see if there are any bargains about.
Matt.
To drop the water pump presumably I need to drop the rad bracket off the stat housing - does this have a gasket as well? (the housing to cylinder head rather than the bracket to the housing!)
Hmmmn, maybe a trip home via Cafco is in the offing.
Saturday? Surely Sunday? If I can get it sorted then I may have a run down there to see if there are any bargains about.
Matt.
Yeah its a concertina again, and still a pig.
Boiling water some have suggested to make it a little more pliable.
Perhaps I'll just bite the bullet, get a pump gasket, a stat housing gasket, a stat and a new radiator cap (as mine appears to be 16 ft/lbs but the Haynes manual suggest 15 ft/lbs) and do the lot whilst I am in there.
What has really pissed me off though is that it had a new water pump fitted during the MOT and they reused the bypass hose rather than investing the 50p and putting a new one on.
You going Sunday then?
Matt.
Boiling water some have suggested to make it a little more pliable.
Perhaps I'll just bite the bullet, get a pump gasket, a stat housing gasket, a stat and a new radiator cap (as mine appears to be 16 ft/lbs but the Haynes manual suggest 15 ft/lbs) and do the lot whilst I am in there.
What has really pissed me off though is that it had a new water pump fitted during the MOT and they reused the bypass hose rather than investing the 50p and putting a new one on.
You going Sunday then?
Matt.
Right then, after moving someone on Saturday I tried again, in vain, to fit this bloody hose yesterday. Got mightily pissed off with it so I finally took the rad off, and have dropped the water pump in anticipation of getting new gaskets, thermostat and rad cap this evening.
Now, given that I have the space to put any sort of hose on the recommendation seems to be to not use the concertina style bypass but to use a proper bit of water hose. I was thinking, and I require some assitance here, of fitting a section of silicon hose so I never have to do the damned job again. My question is, is this alright? Is the hose designed to go at a certain pressure and fitting a silicon one would knacker that? What do you think?
Now, given that I have the space to put any sort of hose on the recommendation seems to be to not use the concertina style bypass but to use a proper bit of water hose. I was thinking, and I require some assitance here, of fitting a section of silicon hose so I never have to do the damned job again. My question is, is this alright? Is the hose designed to go at a certain pressure and fitting a silicon one would knacker that? What do you think?
ARRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why, is what I want to know, why dont they make gaskets for Minis anymore? Now I have taken the radiator out with a view to dropping the water pump to replace this sodding hose I discover that the water pump gasket is only available with a new water pump!
I have just had a new pump put on so dont really want to shell out for another one, how ridiculous is this, I now have to pay £20 for a 50p gasket.
ARGGGH!
Cheers for all the advice chaps!
Well, once the rad was out, you know how it is, thought, well might as well paint the cowling while I am here as its looking a bit dicky. So did, and the upper bracket, and the 'stat housing. Finally got a nice little bit of half inch heater hose to do the bypass, new stat, radiator cap and after some frantic searching the old fella 2 mins from my house had a water pump gasket in a box of about 1000 assorted gaskets!
So its all back in now, had visitors last night so didnt manage to get it completed but all I need do is retighten the fan belt, fill the cooling system and I am back to grinning like a nutter on roundabouts
Thanks very much for all the advice and assistance chaps, it really is appreciated.
Well, once the rad was out, you know how it is, thought, well might as well paint the cowling while I am here as its looking a bit dicky. So did, and the upper bracket, and the 'stat housing. Finally got a nice little bit of half inch heater hose to do the bypass, new stat, radiator cap and after some frantic searching the old fella 2 mins from my house had a water pump gasket in a box of about 1000 assorted gaskets!
So its all back in now, had visitors last night so didnt manage to get it completed but all I need do is retighten the fan belt, fill the cooling system and I am back to grinning like a nutter on roundabouts
Thanks very much for all the advice and assistance chaps, it really is appreciated.
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