Sealed Cooling Upgrade Instructions? Ford Kent X-flow

[Gun Bunny]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Ford-Water-Outlet-Elbow-484835-NOS/333443704573?hash=item4da2cb26fd:g:oqYAAOSwv9Jd-yR~

[Gun Bunny]

https://www.burtonpower.com/water-union-3-8-npt-90-deg-elbow-fp478.html

[elie boone]

For the thermostat housing in 23, if you cut the small tube, drill and tap you can use a banjo for a neat installation.

[New Cat]

Thanks Elie, I know Roger talked about this too. Sadly I'm perhaps not sufficiently mechanically savvy to understand quite what you mean. If you could give a simpler description that would be great. I've actually just received the thermostat housing.

[New Cat]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gIlB9yrXHG8O-axMMeyxMv4UQVc-6BtV/view?usp=drivesdk

Apologies for the grubby engine. In addition to not understanding the thermostat housing drilling, what should happen with this hose that currently runs from the cooling jacket off the engine (I presume) to the water pump?

Many thanks!

Jon

[Roger King]

That hose shouldn't be there. In a "normal" car it would go from the inlet manifold to the heater, and then back to the water pump. In other words it's where the heater gets its heat from!

Without a heater, it is completely pointless and is in fact a potential source of airlocks in the cooling system. Not only that, being a Lotus (sort of), you are carrying unnecessary weight around, which, whilst not an actual crime, is at the very least a sin worthy of a visit to confession.

On the other hand, the good news if you are installing a sealed cooling system is that you already have the return pipe on the water pump to plumb in from the bottom of the header tank. You will need to plug the inlet manifold though; you need a 3/8" bspt plug for that.

[Molecular--Bob]

Be careful if you try to remove the water fitting from the manifold, they are very easy to snap, I used a samco silicone blanking hose stub https://www.demon-tweeks.com/samco-air-water-silicone-blanking-cap-standard-colours-339479/?sku=SAMBCP22BLK&istCompanyId=a2904180-3a7d-4e56-b876-cf81c9512180&istFeedId=6fbc4b04-fd28-4ce1-8513-835c8f118690&istItemId=wptrwtiip&istBid=t&gclid=CjwKCAjw7-P1BRA2EiwAXoPWA8EMg-k00e6f6MYcquXnVc5wNKTHolG_we2xg1xfvK-5cwErv1wihRoCC1cQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds when i did mine as it was quite corroded and I was low on brave pills. Can't remember which size I used. 

Another solution is to just cut the hose and wind a short bolt into the end and clamp it with a hose clip. Not as neat but does the job.

[7 wonders of the world]

Or get a phenoloic spacer and place this between the head and the manifold, it will blank the water jacket off and reduce heat soak into the manifold.

We saw positive results with these on the dyno,

[New Cat]

Thank you so much for the advice Roger, Bob, 7 wonders.

So looks like:

1. I need to fit my expansion tank (went with the discovery one) on the bulkhead (probably using the Caterham fitting listed elsewhere in this thread)
2. Fit the new thermostat housing with the vertical outlet (worth replacing the thermostat at the same time? which one?). Does this actually need drilling in some way?
3. Disconnect / blank off the existing manifold to water pump connection.
4. Connect the larger lower expansion tank outlet to the water pump with 5/8" hose - no further connectors required?
5. Connect the smaller top expansion tank outlet to the new thermostat housing using 8mm hose
6. Flush, fill and bleed the system.   
7. Anything else besides a few other bits of weight reduction and confession ? 

Many thanks!

Jon

[andy couchman]

Fitted mine many years ago, with a kit bought from Arrowstar. Mounted the expansion tank (was told it was a Metro unit) on the cruciform. Probably a bit easier that I don't have a heater. You can use the big hoses to 'burp' air from the system but air doesn't seem to have been an issue.

Can't find a pic immediately but shout if you need one as must have a nosecone free one somewhere!

The kit helped on track days but the worst pre-change issue tended to be the heavy traffic in Alencon coming back from Le Mans each year. As Roger has outlined, it would happily push out water but never seemed to suck it back in again so you ended up with less and less water in the system and a greater propensity to overheat. The kit changed all that - the worst part of fitting was working out where to put the expansion tank.

Only thing to add to your list is do regular checks in the earl;y days in case anuything leaks or works loose. I use Bluecol blue antifreeze at the suggestion of the rad makers and also use distilled rather than tap water.

Good luck!

[Sooty]

Almost completed my sealed system conversion. A round Freelander tank fitted at the front of the upper cruciform chassis tubes after trimming 5mm off the base and mounting it on an L shaped bracket fitted to the original now unused nearside radfan bracket.

The heater return pipe diverted from the heater outflow outlet( heater removed years ago) to the outflow from the new header tank- no trimming required and a Samco end cap being fitted to the heated flow pipe. Thermostat housing replaced with Fiests unit with vertical breather outlet and existing pipe diverted from old open catch tank to new header tank, again without trimming. Existing working 82 deg thermostat reinstalled bbut with a 1.5mm hole drilled through the plate to facilitate bleeding of any air in the system when the engine is cold.

The header now sits under the nosecone with 1.5mm of clearance- tight but ok given the solidity of the header tank fixing. It will be a relief to be able to see how much coolant is in the system and with the return f t om the header going into the lower pressure side of the water pump both gravity and suction should ensure the block remains constantly full and cooling

[Neal Worth]

 
This shows my sealed system on the car.

Parts were purchased from James Whiting as a complete kit. I found I didn't have room for the expansion tank at the front of the engine bay, so I made a mount that fitted just in front of my heater, since removed.

Hose runs are exactly the same as in the diagram of Roger's.

hope this is of some help.

[Jonathan Kay]

[cobaltcodd]

I'm getting myself organised to do this, so is it possible to site the expansion tank on top of the heater, and then T into one of the 2 heater hoses (arrowed above).  I don't have any valves on the heater circuit that would cause complications.  It's easy to find a 5/8" T connector to do this, and it means I don't have to cut into the lower large diameter main radiator hose.  As it's just for expansion of the system, I'm hoping it doesn't matter where the bottle is fed from.  

[Sooty]

[7 wonders of the world]

This photo was probably taken prior to completion but there no hose clip on the bleed hose to the bottle.

[elie boone]

When i used to run a hose from the waterpump to the cylinder head on my BDR it warmed up less eratic than without that link. The bottle i use on conversions to a closed system is this on https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOR-DACIA-DUSTER-LOGAN-SANDERO-RENAULT-CLIO-KANGOO-COOLANT-EXPANSION-TANK-BOTTLE/273003258146?fits=Car+Make%3ARena and the 1 piece hose with 90 degree bend that goes right up to the expansion bottle from the thermostat housing, i think pretty sure that it's from an Escort MK2000 MK1 

[Sooty]

7wow, correct

[anthonym]

bttt so I can find it