Refilling coolant after rebuild?

[caduceus]

I am in the process of adding fluids to the Chim today getting ready for first start after rebuild.
In the Steve Heath bible there is no guide on how to refill after a complete rebuild. Does anyone know if there is a special process to follow that is different to the normal refill?

Also, the dash is out (although I will be putting the clocks back in to see revs, oil pressure, etc) and the heater blower is not working. Is it critical the hater blower needs to be on during this phase?

I can see the first start being put off yet again at this rate...

[Paulprior]

My heater is also not working, i believe the need for it is just to prove that the hot water is circulating and making the air hot, but i also suspect the heater matrix is an air trap, i was considering bypassing mine in the engine compartment, i am never going to use a heater, any thoughts on that, will it make the refill easier?

[Steve_D]

ideally the heater valve needs to be open so water can displace air. You don't need blower as you can feel the in/out hoses and confirm you have flow.

Fill system then bleed the rad. Fill again and start up with caps off. System should burp a few times so just continue topping up and bleeding the rad until you are happy it has settled.
Nothing complicated it just takes a while.

Steve

[J400GED]

You don't need to run the car, just make sure that the heater is set to fully hot (and that the heater valve is in the open position)
Fill via the swirl pot,


Fill the radiator until you get an air free flow of coolant out of the bleed point, then refit the bung/blank.


Find this hose and unblock the end - this will end up as your highest point in the system and helps with bleeding.



Half fill your expansion tank



Squeeze the hoses as you go to help push any air round, keep topping and squeezing until you have got as much air out as you can.

Don't forget to put any blanks, bungs etc. back on the hoses, tanks or radiator!!!

I've always found that even after careful bleeding, I never get all the air out and it takes several runs and topping up of the expansion tank before the level settles.

Hope this helps,

Ged

[caduceus]

J400GED said:

Find this hose and unblock the end - this will end up as your highest point in the system and helps with bleeding.

st. I don't have that pipe
The original one was threaded so I helicoiled it. But could I find a hollowed out M8x1.25 bolt? No. Even did a thread on here. So I just put a normal M8x1.25 bolt in it.

So without the inlet bleed point operational, I'm fooked

Thanks very much for the reply Ged. Appreciate it.

[J400GED]

caduceus said:

st. I don't have that pipe
The original one was threaded so I helicoiled it. But could I find a hollowed out M8x1.25 bolt? No. Even did a thread on here. So I just put a normal M8x1.25 bolt in it.

So without the inlet bleed point operational, I'm fooked

Thanks very much for the reply Ged. Appreciate it.

You're not fooked at all, it will just take a little longer to bleed the system that's all mate. It's not an actual bleed point, on Range Rovers it would have been connected to the underside of the throttle body to warm the inlet when operating at -15ish. It's just that dependant on the length of the hose, it can be the highest point of the system. Most manufacturers put the expansion tank highest.

You must stop these negative vibes mate.

Hope this helps,

Ged

[Cider Andy]

caduceus said:

I am in the process of adding fluids to the Chim today getting ready for first start after rebuild....

Here's a reply I gave on the TVRCC forum some years ago, about bleeding the system (originally gleaned from one of the indies):


1. Start with a cold engine.

2. Set the heater control to its hottest position.

3. Remove the swirl pot top and screw in a large plastic funnel.

4. Remove the expansion tank cap and half fill the pot.

5. Fill the system with a solution of anti-freeze (between 25% and 50% anti-freeze to water).

6. Keep the funnel about half-full as you bleed the radiator via the bleedscrew on the radiator's end tank near the expansion tank.

7. Tighten the bleed screw and start the engine.

8. As it heats up there will be lots of air escaping through the funnel. Keep the funnel half-full.

9. Once normal running temperature's reached there will be less and less air escaping. Eventually the water level in the funnel will start to rise. Switch off at this point.

10. Remove the funnel and replace the swirl pot top, remembering that the coolant will be very hot at this point, almost boiling.

11. As it cools, don't let the expansion tank level fall below about half-full. Once the level stops dropping replace the cap.

However, by design the system should cope with air, as long as there's enough coolant in the expansion tank.

[caduceus]

J400GED said:

You're not fooked at all, it will just take a little longer to bleed the system that's all mate.

I think I'll just loosen off that bolt I have to let any air out. Once a steady stream comes out I'll tighten it back up.
That should suffice.

[caduceus]

Andy, thanks for the reply, but I've pretty much filled it up already. Half filled bottle with blue cap, took off the rad nut and filled up from swirl pot till all air was expelled. Then topped up swirl pot.

Not started her yet but can't till a mate I trust with mechs is free on Tuesday. Need someone to hold the revs at 2k and rise to 4k every now and then to run in new cam.

[jojackson4]

As above get a big funnel and have a supply of water if your fireing up

For the first time don't bother with the anti freeze you can do that after you have done the cam

[pb450]

Cider Andy said:

3. Remove the swirl pot top and screw in a large plastic funnel.

Screw in? My problem is always 'sealing' a funnel in the swirl pot so it doesn't all p*ss out everywhere when over-filled and prior to burping, (the car, not me!) when the level receeds again.

[Graham]

i made mine with some pipe fittings, a piece of copper pipe and a container.

pipe fittings have scre connection one side and compresssion the other..

one screws into the top of the swirl pot. then a compression onto a bit of copper pipe, and then drill hole in container and use the other fitting to connect to that