Cooling and Things!
Discussion
Hi, guys, I'm a newbie on the forum and the very happy owner of a 95 4.0 Chim in Starmist Blue (naturally!), which I've now owned for 18 months of rapid motoring without major problems once the initial niggles were sorted under warranty.
Like many of the contributors to this forum, my beast tends to get a trifle warm when used with vigour, and I have read with interest the various fixes that have been suggested. To get a better idea of what is happening in the cooling system I have wired in the 'spare' temp sender(with appropriate resistor) and rigged a switch so that I can select either the normal or the 'spare' sender to read out on the gauge. I have also fitted a fan override switch and an led warning light to show when the fan is operating. Lastly, I have sealed the gaps around the rad to maximise airflow through the rad, and lowered the front number plate to increase the intake area. All of this seems to work fine, but while grovelling around with the grill off, it occurred to me that the two wide fibreglass struts across the intake aperture (pre-facelift) must substantially reduce the airflow. It seems to me that they could be removed, leaving a small stub at top and bottom, and the strength restored with a pair of aluminium tubes bolted between the stubs. This would significantly increase the intake area and also help access to headlights, alarm etc., since the tubes could be removeable. Has anybody out there tried this mod? How did it work? Any problems?
While talking about mods, here's a couple for the competent do-it-yourselfers which remove some niggle factors - if you find the dash lights too bright, a Peugeot 405 dash light dimmer can be judiciously cut down to fit in the steering wheel cowl and wired into the dash light circuit at the switch; it provides infinitely variable dash light brightness. Also, if, like me, you are infuriated by the inability to opoerate a radio from the accessory position on the ignition switch, the switch can be modified to work using just a craft knife! All the right contacts are in there, but the accessory contact is prevented from functioning by part of the plastic moulding of the switch. The switch is quite easy to remove and strip down, after which the plastic can be carefully pared away until the contact is standing proud.
I hope these ideas might be useful to someone, and I look forward to dozens of replies telling me that my pride and joy will fall apart if I touch the bars across the intake!
Like many of the contributors to this forum, my beast tends to get a trifle warm when used with vigour, and I have read with interest the various fixes that have been suggested. To get a better idea of what is happening in the cooling system I have wired in the 'spare' temp sender(with appropriate resistor) and rigged a switch so that I can select either the normal or the 'spare' sender to read out on the gauge. I have also fitted a fan override switch and an led warning light to show when the fan is operating. Lastly, I have sealed the gaps around the rad to maximise airflow through the rad, and lowered the front number plate to increase the intake area. All of this seems to work fine, but while grovelling around with the grill off, it occurred to me that the two wide fibreglass struts across the intake aperture (pre-facelift) must substantially reduce the airflow. It seems to me that they could be removed, leaving a small stub at top and bottom, and the strength restored with a pair of aluminium tubes bolted between the stubs. This would significantly increase the intake area and also help access to headlights, alarm etc., since the tubes could be removeable. Has anybody out there tried this mod? How did it work? Any problems?
While talking about mods, here's a couple for the competent do-it-yourselfers which remove some niggle factors - if you find the dash lights too bright, a Peugeot 405 dash light dimmer can be judiciously cut down to fit in the steering wheel cowl and wired into the dash light circuit at the switch; it provides infinitely variable dash light brightness. Also, if, like me, you are infuriated by the inability to opoerate a radio from the accessory position on the ignition switch, the switch can be modified to work using just a craft knife! All the right contacts are in there, but the accessory contact is prevented from functioning by part of the plastic moulding of the switch. The switch is quite easy to remove and strip down, after which the plastic can be carefully pared away until the contact is standing proud.
I hope these ideas might be useful to someone, and I look forward to dozens of replies telling me that my pride and joy will fall apart if I touch the bars across the intake!
Mines still in 1 piece without the stays behind the grill, seemed to me like it was only for screwing the grill/number plate to. Cut them out ages ago, no cracks or anything so wontnt bother to add any kind of stay, in fact I shall probably cut the stubs off shortly (which I left in case it needed strengthening again.
I also cut 6 60mm holes in the undertray to ventilate the oil cooler & air filter - further 'weakening' that area with no apparent problems.
IMHO best cooling mod was ceramic coating of manifolds & y piece. £300 for coating is peanuts compared to problems you may encounter due to the heat from the exhausts (starter / alternater / wiring / replacement inner wings....)
Dave
I also cut 6 60mm holes in the undertray to ventilate the oil cooler & air filter - further 'weakening' that area with no apparent problems.
IMHO best cooling mod was ceramic coating of manifolds & y piece. £300 for coating is peanuts compared to problems you may encounter due to the heat from the exhausts (starter / alternater / wiring / replacement inner wings....)
Dave
spend said:
IMHO best cooling mod was ceramic coating of manifolds & y piece. £300 for coating is peanuts compared to problems you may encounter due to the heat from the exhausts (starter / alternater / wiring / replacement inner wings....)
Dave
I noticed a similar benefit from fitting heat wrap bandage stuff around the headers. Ceramic coating is obviously a better solution if you have a new manifold.
prbw said:
it occurred to me that the two wide fibreglass struts across the intake aperture (pre-facelift) must substantially reduce the airflow.
I wondered why there was a 'ghost' of two diagonal lines across my grille.
They've been totally removed on mine and there are no signs of any issues.
I have a 4.0 HC and was getting overheating problems until I moved the number plate so that it was mounted lower than the usal position. It occured to me that there was just not enough exposed grille area to get enough air flow. I made a bracket the mounts to the exsiting holes but drops the number plate down meaning that there are no additional holes in the body.
Now I have not cooling problems in fact the opposite, in the cold weather I have to block off part of the grille to get the engine to operating temp.
Now I have not cooling problems in fact the opposite, in the cold weather I have to block off part of the grille to get the engine to operating temp.
Hi, Thanks for your feedback. What you say is exactly what I thought when I first got the car.
The Problem was that temp was almost always up in high 80's to low 90's and then the fans cut in when driving in slowish traffic. I was assured that there was nothing wrong it was serviced at the dealer. Hence I decided to take action so it would only turn the fans on when in stop start traffic jams. I have since been told that other HC owners have done a similar mod. The car definitely performs better at the slightly lower temps as well. It was hardly surprising the fans ran a lot with the tiny area that air was supposed to enter via on the early models with the mesh grill and the number plate smacked in front of it. Later Chimi's have a much less restrictive air intake area for the rad and a slot under the front for further air intake. The other thing I found out was that later Chimi's do not have a gap between the rad and the body. Early ones do meaning that hot air can get circulated from the rear of the rad back into the front when the fans start and the car is stationery.
The Problem was that temp was almost always up in high 80's to low 90's and then the fans cut in when driving in slowish traffic. I was assured that there was nothing wrong it was serviced at the dealer. Hence I decided to take action so it would only turn the fans on when in stop start traffic jams. I have since been told that other HC owners have done a similar mod. The car definitely performs better at the slightly lower temps as well. It was hardly surprising the fans ran a lot with the tiny area that air was supposed to enter via on the early models with the mesh grill and the number plate smacked in front of it. Later Chimi's have a much less restrictive air intake area for the rad and a slot under the front for further air intake. The other thing I found out was that later Chimi's do not have a gap between the rad and the body. Early ones do meaning that hot air can get circulated from the rear of the rad back into the front when the fans start and the car is stationery.
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