hallibut Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 Hi I have a question about my new pride and joy (a 1985 1700 super sprint) . I have been a passenger in many a k series seven and have noticed the radiant warmth from the transmission tunnel. In comparison, driving around in my car seems like working in the boiler room of the QE2! I get great draughts of hot air blowing through the foot well. If I switch the heater on, I am worried that my shoes might spontaneously ignite. Whilst this is ideal for those midnight naked blats through deserted country lanes with the good lady wife , its no joke in the unseasonably good weather that we seem to be suffering at the moment. Is this normal, Doctor? Martin The Layham Seven Project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe 90 Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 They all do that Sir! The older cars don't have fresh air heaters and recirculate the air in the footwells. There are a number of ways of improving the situation if you a prepared to put in some effort. Crash team to the Upgradeitis ward, the withdrawal symptons are getting worse ❗ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Brother Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 The Crossflow engine does tend to radiate quite a bit of heat. When I first got mine I did a longish trip on the hottest day of the year and needed water to get out of the car at the other end! It will seem worse at the moment due to the ambient temperature. In the winter however its great, I have binned the heater as I never ever used it! My recommendation is to wrap the exhaust manifold. This reduces the under bonnet temp - and makes for a cooler LOTS cockpit. (also ditching the doors and getting an aeroscreen helps 😬) Steve Se7en-Up! Less is more! Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS TODD Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 I am familiar with the problem! Last year knackered a pair of boots, This year converted 2 core rad. to 3 core and hey presto even on these hot days virtually no heat blowing through. No longer worried about over heating in jams either. Best £115 spent on my 1982 Crossflow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Richard Posted June 16, 2003 Share Posted June 16, 2003 i tend to wrap up a couple of pasties in tin foil and balance them on the ends of my ballet shoes and when you arrive at your destination they are usually done. bibba. sorry about that my car is the same and i am worrying that if my legs loose to much weight my body will look all out of proportion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Field Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Depending on what type of cover you have around the gearstick and transmission cover, you may find a lot of heat creeping between the cover and the tunnel. I used a rubber seal between the two and screwed them together which reduced the heat significantly. Beware of screwing through the fuel pipe Terry Trying to get out of the garage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallibut Posted June 17, 2003 Author Share Posted June 17, 2003 Ah, it's good to know that this is 'normal'. I drove the car in to work today through some light rain; hey presto, mobile sauna 😬. The rad change is interesting. My coolant runs at a pretty rock solid 70C (which creeps up to 90 in traffic jams). Chris, What sort of temps do you see with the 3 core unit? Cheers Martin The Layham Seven Project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert heywood Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 i too have a xflow powered 7 but a 3 core fitted, the temp never goes above 70, 15st when i gote it down to 13 1/2 now, better than wieght watchers! oh for a spell thingy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky Gammom Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Know what you mean about the heat. Just got mine and its the same, however I find putting the blower on helps!!! plus taking the door off. Porky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
French Flame Thrower Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 Can anyone tell me the size differences between a 2 core and 3 core French Flame Thrower Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 About an " in thickness. C7 PWT Pure Steel XE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Hughes Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 Had problems with mine (1700 Xflow) getting hot last year especially when on the motorway. Had the main jets increased this year and the car seems to now stay around 70C John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puremalt Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 70 C, incredible, mine is normal at just under 90, and too hot when steam escapes. What is your secret? Is it purely the 3 core rad? sounds like I need one. A paltry 99.9dB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeK Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 Me too. Where can they be bought? Is it a simple bolt out/bolt in replacement? Also wrt exhaust wrapping, does this have a down side? The heat has got to go somewhere? MikeK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budgie Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 I thought 90 to 100 was the optimum temp. Isn't 70 too low ? Mine stays at 90 the whole time -except in jams when I put the fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
French Flame Thrower Posted June 18, 2003 Share Posted June 18, 2003 Thanks for telling me the difference is an inch but an inch of what original measurement? Re wrap It actually improves performance I am told with no downside. My temperature here in France is usually mid 70's but I have put in a manual overide onto the electric fan so if I get stuck in traffic or have to go at less than 30mph i can yurn the fan on, works a treat. French Flame Thrower Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robster Posted June 19, 2003 Share Posted June 19, 2003 Very often, heat into the footwells is partly due to the valve controlling water flow into the heater not being fully off, you may need to slacken the cable that adjusts it and move the cable through the clamp to ensure that you can turn this fully off. You can silver line the transmission tunnel with silver backed polystyrene (the same stuff that you put behind radiators, from B&Q) which helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallibut Posted June 19, 2003 Author Share Posted June 19, 2003 Hi Robster I don't think I have a water control valve!?! Is this controlled by a knob down by the driver's right knee? Someone else told me about it, but I don't have one! MRA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Mupferit Posted June 19, 2003 Share Posted June 19, 2003 I used to have the recirculating type heater with a simple, Caterham supplied, plastic shut-off valve and it was worse than useless. Even fully shut it allows enough water past to still roast your feet. My solution then was to fit a small 15mm ball valve in the flow pipe to the heater which shut it off completely in the Summer. I now have a fresh air type heater with a decent by-pass valve which although it works still allows too much heat in the footwells in the Summer Don't ask me how but it does. BTW I know it has been mentioned on other threads (one running at the moment) but Water Wetter actually does work in reducing the engine temperatures. Sounds unlikely but it is effective. Hugh. Would you like me to bring a bottle of 'Water Wetter' down with me next month 🤔 I had my exhaust primaries Cam-coated recently but disappointingly it hasn't made any discernible difference to the under bonnet temperatures and still seems to radiate enough heat to provide central heating for the whole of London! I think proper exhaust lagging is the way to go, which I had initially wanted to avoid, as I didn't want it to end up looking like a mummys tomb. Brent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DohNut Posted June 19, 2003 Share Posted June 19, 2003 My 88 car has an old style flat recirculating heater which does not have a shut off valve. The only heater control method I have is to turn off the fan. On a Xflow (and probably on other cars also) when the heater is removed the pipes can just be plugged ie you dont need to divert the flow past the heater, you can just block it off, this makes the pipework for fitting a control valve a lot simpler. I will be having a look at B&Q for an isolation valve similar to what Brent mentioned. If I am feeling really adventurous I may try to mount the valve on the bulkhead and try to get a control back into the cockpit. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRIS TODD Posted June 19, 2003 Share Posted June 19, 2003 My convertion from 2 core to 3 core was pretty straight forward. Took the car down to Reliable Rads of Kemsing in Kent, they "measured up" and i went back 2 weeks later with rad under arm and he took the top header and bottom off, slotted in the new 3 core, pressure checked and sprayed a sexy mat black. Off i went with a years guarantee. Moreover he braised on the bracked i required for my new electric fan and put in the screw fittings that came with the fan for the thermostat. I too have a manual over ride on the fan so the moment I see a traffic jam i can turn on and hold the heat down. i now have a cool car, silent behind the rad fan and cool feet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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