Cornish Rattler Posted December 31, 2023 Author Share Posted December 31, 2023 Right i've recently had the engine out to fit a LOF clutch assy so whilst it was out i replace the thermostat again this time for a Gates one, the others have been a mixture of britpart and allmakes ones but its still doing it and the gauge still reads the same, so i'm now thinking its my electric fan over cooling it ( free wheeling ) but i will remove it completely to test it but obviously keep it with me just incase then decide what to do next as i'm not sure if you can buy a fan that doesn't free wheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep The Disco Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 10 minutes ago, Cornish Rattler said: Right i've recently had the engine out to fit a LOF clutch assy so whilst it was out i replace the thermostat again this time for a Gates one, the others have been a mixture of britpart and allmakes ones but its still doing it and the gauge still reads the same, so i'm now thinking its my electric fan over cooling it ( free wheeling ) but i will remove it completely to test it but obviously keep it with me just incase then decide what to do next as i'm not sure if you can buy a fan that doesn't free wheel .....and breathe...., Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 23 minutes ago, Cornish Rattler said: so i'm now thinking its my electric fan over cooling it ( free wheeling ) Very doubtful on that one, if the stat is working it won't be letting any water into the rad if it's too cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 How would a freewheeling radiator fan cool the engine that has a closed thermostat and therefore no water running through the rad? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted December 31, 2023 Author Share Posted December 31, 2023 My cooling fan switch lights up when the fan is switched on but when driving and the fan switched off the switch lights up so i'm assuming the fan is freewheeling then when you come to a stop you can see the switch getting dimmer as the fan slows down then once it stops the light on the switch goes out, so was thinking it could be overcooling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 The light is only coming on as the fan is generating a small current in the breeze, and back feeding to the switch. It's not powered, and is actually reducing the cooling capacity of the radiator when switched off, as it hinders airflow a bit. Plus as I say, if the thermostat is shut there's no hot water for the radiator to cool, the radiator, fan etc do not set the Operating temp of an engine, only the thermostat does that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted December 31, 2023 Author Share Posted December 31, 2023 6 minutes ago, Bowie69 said: The light is only coming on as the fan is generating a small current in the breeze, and back feeding to the switch. It's not powered, and is actually reducing the cooling capacity of the radiator when switched off, as it hinders airflow a bit. Plus as I say, if the thermostat is shut there's no hot water for the radiator to cool, the radiator, fan etc do not set the Operating temp of an engine, only the thermostat does that. Ok so looks like its still a thermostat problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep The Disco Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Sounds like your heater box needs a good refurb and setting up correctly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Being a 2a heater there's not much rebuilding you can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep The Disco Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 (edited) True but getting all the flaps set up right is key to getting any heat out of them. Personally I would plumb in a radiator than try and stay warm with one of those Edited December 31, 2023 by Shep The Disco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted December 31, 2023 Author Share Posted December 31, 2023 1 hour ago, Shep The Disco said: Sounds like your heater box needs a good refurb and setting up correctly It already has Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep The Disco Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Well then either run some longer pipes from the existing heater and plumb in a second radiator or rip the whole lot out and put in something bigger. I would fit a small radiator behind the seats or as the artic wolf's do fit a heater box in the centre cubby area. Plenty of choices if you think about it. Just fit isolation valves so in the summer you don't cook but remember to circulate it once a month. I used to run a fan heater in my S2 from a 12v plug .....😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted January 1 Author Share Posted January 1 4 hours ago, Shep The Disco said: Well then either run some longer pipes from the existing heater and plumb in a second radiator or rip the whole lot out and put in something bigger. I would fit a small radiator behind the seats or as the artic wolf's do fit a heater box in the centre cubby area. Plenty of choices if you think about it. Just fit isolation valves so in the summer you don't cook but remember to circulate it once a month. I used to run a fan heater in my S2 from a 12v plug .....😂 Why, the heater works but seems to loose heat whilst driving Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep The Disco Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 13 minutes ago, Cornish Rattler said: Why, the heater works but seems to loose heat whilst driving It's not big enough. Fit something bigger or a secondary system if you want heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 24 minutes ago, Shep The Disco said: It's not big enough. Fit something bigger or a secondary system if you want heat. If it’s hot and then getting cooler, it’s a thermostat issue rather than the heater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep The Disco Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 20 minutes ago, landroversforever said: If it’s hot and then getting cooler, it’s a thermostat issue rather than the heater. Not necessarily. They are so puny as heaters that a lot of airflow will make them cold in the winter easily enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 4 hours ago, landroversforever said: If it’s hot and then getting cooler, it’s a thermostat issue rather than the heater. Exactly. It doesn’t matter how big a heater you fit - cold coolant is not going to heat the cab. It appears to be a thermostat issue, as diagnosed early on the previous page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 3 hours ago, Shep The Disco said: Not necessarily. They are so puny as heaters that a lot of airflow will make them cold in the winter easily enough. rubbish. The heater will still be hot, as will the air it pushes out, that could just be lost in draughts. But if the heater is cooling down with increased road speed, then the rad must be working too well when the thermostat should be blocking it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep The Disco Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Disagree. I've experienced a 2a heater go cold with everything working correctly due to cold air intake.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 21 hours ago, Shep The Disco said: Disagree. I've experienced a 2a heater go cold with everything working correctly due to cold air intake.. The engine is working harder at high speed because it is opposing increased drag. If its coolant temperature dropped, then that was because of increased airflow through the rad without effective coolant control by the thermostat. It’s basic physics. You can get more draughts in the cab at high speed which counter the effect of the heater, but the direct output of the heater will still be hot if the rad is not over cooling the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 Is it worth me trying an 82° thermostat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 What's in it now? Should be 88 these days, no reason to run cooler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 18 minutes ago, Bowie69 said: What's in it now? Should be 88 these days, no reason to run cooler. 88° one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep The Disco Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Fit a bigger heater is the best option in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 2 hours ago, Cornish Rattler said: Is it worth me trying an 82° thermostat It’s best to keep the standard 88deg type as it’ll be better for fuel efficiency as well as heater effectiveness, but it seems it’d be worth trying a few different brands. Sadly, even the better brands seem a bit hit-and-miss with thermostats, so patience is required. You can save a bit of effort by testing new stats with a cup of boiling water and a thermometer before fitting them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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