Temperature problems on a '87 Mini

[bmt216a]

Hello.

I have a standard Mini 1000 and when I take it upto 60/70, the temperature just shoots to 3/4 mark. It dosnt matter if the weather is cool or hot. When its hot I end up putting my heater on and I have also fitted an electric fan on the otherside of the rad ( the fan sucks not blows ) it will then sit at 3/4 hot.

I have checked the water pump by taking the top rad hose of and running the car.

I have also used strong car rad flush and filled with 50% antifreeze.

Also I have changed the sendor unit 3 times ( for second hand ones I know that work)

And last of all am running with the thermostat out.

Any helpers?

Cheers

Ian

[miniman]

Voltage stabiliser?

[cooperman]

Don't run with the thermostat out. It reduces the back pressure and overheats locally around no. 4 cylinder wall which can be very damaging. If necessary use a blanking sleeve (commercially available). However, an unmodified Mini should never overheat. Possibly the guage is defective. Is it throwing water out of the overflow when hot and does it seem really hot? It could be the instrumentation and if not maybe the radiator needs replacing.

[bmt216a]

I found out yesterday about the thermostat and put it back but still seems to heat up to 3/4. Got no over flow. Dosnt seem to be that hot. Is there any other way I can test the tempereture? Could my pump be failing?

I am basically driving to Mongolia in two weeks and starting to worry that this problems isnt sorted

[cooperman]

I think if I were going to drive a Mini to Mongolia and had doubts about the cooling system I would change the lot! I would fit a new rad, new pump, new fan belt, new thermostat and new hoses all round. Then I would change the temp sensor and, if necessary the gauge and voltage stabiliser. Maybe I would also fit a manually operated electric fan under the LH wing.
Doing all that is still cheap compared with a serious overheating in the wilds of the Middle East.

[bmt216a]

I have replaced the hoses and taking spares. Taking a spare new pump and a spare second hand rad. Have fitted a electric fan on the inner wing. I think I will just stick the new water pump on and see what happens.

Do you recon I might have blocked channels in the block/head? as I say I have flushed the lot out with rad flush, and got lots of crap out.

[mr dann]

I did the plymouth dakar a few years ago, similar thing, be prepared to back your ignition off for poor fuel, run hot as a consequence and then overheat. I suggest using the guts of a heater as an aux rad. This is well documented, mount it on the front.

We were running rich so it didn't detonate but some of the petrol was abysmal and people were pinking and having engine problems left, right and centre.

Good luck with it.