Quick sanity check - Duratec heater bypass connection

[k80rum]

Raceline water rail feeding the radiator, the radiator feeding the engine via the thermostat in the normal housing on the block. The system doesn't use a header tank..

 

I've no heater, so do I connect the heater bypass hose (comes out of a rearward-facing elbow in the water rail), to the metal connector on the block or to the other connector on the thermostat housing?

 

Darren E

 

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[Pendennis]

Darren, you connect it to the metal pipe connection above the return housing. The spare connection on the return housing should be capped off

 

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[k80rum]

Phew..

 

Cheers for the speedy response Mr C

 

On a related note, do you have a procedure for bleeding your system? Only reason I ask is that I got the distinct impression last time I ran the engine up to temperature that the 'stat hadn't opened; the pipe to it from the radiator was cold, so I was wondering if some air had become trapped against the thermostat..

 

I suppose that a small hole drilled in the shoulder of the thermostat would help if this was the case but I'm not sure whether it should be necessary; perhaps I just need a better filling/bleeding procedure

 

Darren E

 

K80 RUM Website and Emerald maps library

 

Home of the long-term, supercharged Duratec project

 

Edited by - k80rum on 19 Aug 2009 22:54:19

[Pendennis]

Basically fill system then leave housing cap off and bleed radiator via vent screw. It takes about 1/2 hour prior to running up engine. Once run up I leave the cap off for 24 hours and fill again the next day, then repeat if necessary until level doesn't drop anymore. Fill coolant catch tank 1/2 full so relief pipe is always fully submerged.

 

Yep, pipe from water rail to top of radiator should remain cold until return t/stat opens and this happens on my car @ 87c approximately. Yes it is a bit scarey watching motor heat up to that without any hot coolant circulating through the rad, but it's normal

 

Don't drill t/stat

 

Want to rent an 18th century Farmhouse in Rural Somerset?

 

Edited by - Pendennis on 19 Aug 2009 23:04:06

[I.Mupferit]

I second that re not drilling the stat. Because the filler cap on the Raceline water rail is the highest point in the system, you shouldn't encounter any problems when filling. When I filled mine, I found that I didn't even need to loosen the bleed screw on the radiator.

 

At the first fill, I would put in as much as it would take, then massage the top rad hose a bit which would see the level dropping, then top up and massage again until it wouldn't drop any more. Put the filler cap on and start up, at which point there would often be a bit of gurgling, so switch off, top up as necessary, replace cap and start up to warm the engine. I would usually half fill the overflow bottle and once the engine was warm, with the water flowing through the rad, let the engine come up to full working temperature.

 

After switching off, I would let it cool down overnight and by the morning, the overflow bottle would probably have about an inch of coolant in the bottom and removing the filler cap would see the coolant system full. Job done.

 

 

[k80rum]

Thanks Brent

 

Darren E

 

K80 RUM Website and Emerald maps library

 

Home of the long-term, supercharged Duratec project