Anything and everything Spitfire.

All, I have recently replaced the water pump housing on the front of my engine (as a bolt sheared off in the old one!) After doing this, the engine seems to just get hotter and hotter. I have a brand new thermostat and the water pump looked fine so i didn't bother replacing it.

I have a full width radiator and a kenlow fan.

My worry is that i've put the water pump into the housing incorrectly, there is a 'notch' in the water pump but i'm not sure what it means. After a while of running, my temperature guage hits 3/4 (scary!) and the thermostat housing is very hot, the top of the radiator is very hot the top hose is very hot, but the bottom radiator hose is very cool.

Any ideas? The car was fine before (running temp 1/4 of guage) I'm pretty desperate for an answer!

Pic attached.

Cheers,

Ben Wynne

Quick followup!

Just as a test, I decided to remove the thermostat. The car now runs at normal temperature.

Another thought, the sensor for my fan is on the bottom hose.

Kind Regards,

Ben

Ben,
Thermostat is fubar or possibly in upside down?
Can't comment on the position of the fan sensor, although I'd assumed that these would go into the top hose. I'd be interested to hear what the logic is behind positioning these.
just checked the kenlowe site. They say top hose for the sensor.

Top hose is recommended as this is where hot water enters the rad. and so the first place to receive water out of the engine at whatever X degrees you want to trigger your fan. If you use the bottom hose you have to wait for the water to reach X degrees AND pass through the radiator pipes to the bottom hose.

As the electric fan does a better job of pulling air through the rad. (or at least should do!) I can't see it making THAT much difference. OK, you fan may kick in/out a little more often on the bottom hose but...

I've got my sending in the bottom hose but that's more because I think the Kenlow 'blader' sensors are pants and look untidy, and there isn't room for one of these in the top hose... http://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/COOLING-Electron...

Test the thermostat is not duff by suspending it in a pan of water and popping it on the cooker with a themometer in it.

You don't want it touching the bottom/sides of the pan as it will then be reacting to the temp of the metal, not the water.

When (if?) it goes pop, read the temp off the themometer and see if it's anything like the number on the thermostat (normal is 74 degrees?).

Dear Mark,

The thermostat I have seems fine, I tested it when I bought it. It's labeled at 82 degrees (not 74) have I simply got a brute of a thermostat?

Cheers,

Ben

PS. The thermostat doesn't go 'pop' exactly more like a butterfly unfurling it's wings.

Try replacing the thermostat with the spring and wax capsule facing downwards, refill the radiator, open the heater controls and leave off the rad cap. Start the engine and let it warm up. You should see a flow of water into the radiator as the thermostat opens up. This will prove both the pump and the thermostat.

Do you still have the old one?
if it's stamped 74, then I'd agree that you've simply got a hotter 'stat. The important thing is, does the temp keep climbing, or does it stabalise at the 3/4 reading on the gauge? If it's stable, I'd relax and enjoy a toasty winters drive!
Out of interest, Canley's supply 'stats at 74, 82(labeled as standard) and 88

from my days of calibrating gauge readings etc i would expect 74c to be just off the cold
which is about what you had and 88c to be up near the hot and 82 about midships, the whole range of the gauge is only about 30c ie 70 to 100
when you look into the top tank water should flow and stop as the stat opens to let hot out then closes down as it detects cold coming in,this modulates continuously to give a controlled temerature in the head ,,,,, it is quite right that the bottom of the rad is cold
if it was hot the rad would not be doing its job,, even with a crossflow you will still get the hot rise and cold water sink.
on temp switch position is a matter of choice, if you only want the fan to come on when you are about to cook (like a euro car) put it in the bottom hose.
If you want to have it running at the first hint of spell above normal then in the top ..

if you put the stat in the saucepan use a very low heat to raise the temp slowly do not get water to bubble dont forget the temp stamped on it is when it 'just starts' to open
if you boil it will open but you wont know when.. if you can finger the top tank for about
1-2 seconds its about right,, if it takes your skin off at 50 paces its too hot
just some thoughts Peter

Section : Cooling

Water pump not pumping?

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Water pump not pumping?

Water pump not pumping?

Water pump not pumping?

Water pump not pumping?

Water pump not pumping?

Water pump not pumping?

Water pump not pumping?

Water pump not pumping?