RiF Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 Thanks Steve don't want to upset anyone. Oliver: £5 a square FOOTfor the cheapest, so you can see what I mean, total rip off. How long has yours been siliconed in place? Is this in the engine bay or on the exposed side of the tunnel nearest the drive shaft? Is it really stuck well or could you peel it off. Must do something and I can't aford the self adhesive stuff from DT either. Richard in France Flying fast in my very bright yellow 226bhp Duratec 7, with internal kevlar/carbon panels and pushrod suspension 😬 😬 😬.for pictures of 7 and carbon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageyH Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 Why not use some Fans where the heater would usually go? You can get 12v PC "delta" fans that claim to shift 190cfm, but this is at the cost of a 59dB noise output. Costs about £15. Or go for a couple of smaller ones, mounted under the dash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-B Posted August 1, 2004 Author Share Posted August 1, 2004 RIF cagey -- they'd just be blowing hot air would they not 🤔 Steve B Big Black Beast^3 Lighten up everybody....NOW USA 2005: How the West Was Driven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Biddle Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Steve, will mail photos when I get home tomorrow. Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-B Posted August 1, 2004 Author Share Posted August 1, 2004 thanks Mike i'm also going to have a word with CC UK and CC USA and see what they think Steve B Big Black Beast^3 Lighten up everybody....NOW USA 2005: How the West Was Driven Edited by - Steve-B on 1 Aug 2004 13:22:07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeK Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Could the heater fan be made to rotate in reverse, or another type of fan fitted, so that it sucked hot air out of the footwell into the engine bay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageyH Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 If you duct the fans, I don't see that they would? Would look a bit messy under the bonnet, but I think with the aluminium duct, down the bulkhead, possibly pointing rearwards, up to where the heater usually goes, it would not take a great deal of effort. Personally, I just use my fan from the heater. Works a treat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiF Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 The main problem is trapped hot air. It just does not pass through the tunnel so all the heat from the engine bay is stuck. From testing with a thermocouple this we have proven. In front of the gear stick is so much hotter and this air does not move at all and just gets hotter. There is only really 2 options unless you want to do major mods. 1 vent the air out to the cooler parts ie: rear of car or insulate. Norman Verona reckons his car was so much cooler with reflective insulation material put on the footwells and tunnel panels (outside not in the cockpit). Richard in France Flying fast in my very bright yellow 226bhp Duratec 7, with internal kevlar/carbon panels and pushrod suspension 😬 😬 😬.for pictures of 7 and carbon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey UC Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 I made a cheap heat shield out of kitchen foil backed with duck tape, and fitted it to the area around the battery / passenger footwell. We spent a lot of the w/e driving to Bath to see rellies, and then around the Cotswolds, there was a huge improvement in the passenger footwell temperature, even allowing Ms UC to go bare foot - previously impossible. We did find that we moved the problem further back down the car, and had a really hot transmission tunnel. I was wondering if there was a way of removing the heat from the engine bay by putting a heat shield just behind the exhaust manifold to try and channel the hot air out through the hole for the exhaust pipe. 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Biddle Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Steve, re picture I promised, there does not appear to be any way to attach a file when mailing from the website, so either could you drop me a mail to give me your address, or you can see the car at www.hydrojettingonline.com click on the "like cars?" link. Regards, Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe 90 Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 My cheap insulation is on the engine side and has been on since january. It's so light that I'm not really worried about it falling off. I'm under pressure to get the transmission tunnel temperatures down from SWMBO as it was pretty hot against the thighs this weekend. I might try some fan blades on the propshaft to blow the hot air out of the back. SEP field working, not spotted in 102,000 miles. Some photos on webshots, updated 10 June Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Sailor Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Why not just cut a hole at the bottom of the transmission tunnel, pop rivet on scoop with the opening toward the rear and let suction help pull the hot air out of the tunnel? Ken Sailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Sounds feasible Ken - like a self-bailer Roadsport build photo's here Le Mans 2004 photo's here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-B Posted August 2, 2004 Author Share Posted August 2, 2004 Mike, YHM KenS, that's exactly what i've been contemplating but in the footwells to get air in. Steve B Big Black Beast^3 Lighten up everybody....NOW USA 2005: How the West Was Driven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irrelevant Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 NACA ducts in the underside of a panelled in transmission tunnel + insulated bulkhead/tunnel sides. After a hi-vis (pocketted side) driver's door if anyone's got one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrolhead Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 I have also been wondering about this and reconed that somethink like Safari roof vents they use on rally cars but on the sides Now with SL No 148 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Sailor Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Can the Safari vents be blocked off if it rains? I've installed heatwrap on the exhaust pipes and heatshield on the engine side of the footwells. This has worked pretty well for me. Not insulated inside the transmission tunnel though. I have a 79 that does not have any chassis tubing inside the tunnel and the tunnel is larger than the later cars so there seems to be enough air movement to prevent heat build up. I do find that I get some heat from the floor of the cockpit and assume that this is airflow from the engine compartment. Not bad enough to bother insulating it but then I'm not driving in the heat for a full day as people will on the tour. Ken Sailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Y Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Some light aircraft use a small perspex scoop mounted in a swivel for windscreen ventilation, so you can turn it into the airflow and draw forced air, but when you turn it around 180 degrees it makes a watertight seal and closes the hole. 90 degrees provides "unforced" ventilation, as the scoop is parrellel to the airflow. These are very compact and low profile- maybe 5" in diameter and an inch deep. Dont know where you would find them, but something along these lines mounted into the floor panel might work, as well as letting you see the road go by! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrolhead Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 Can the Safari vents be blocked off if it rains? I would have thought so Now with SL No 148 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul jacobs Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 Having suffered with this problem over the years, I've been following this thread with interest. It might be of interest to note, that when Caterham Cars were producing the ill fated 21, they fitted a foam back, self adhesive silver foil on all the panels within the transmission tunnel, and I really don't remember my old 21 getting over hot, even though I had a Vx engine fitted, [or maybe because of it ] except on one notable occasion, when on a track day with a passenger, who complained that if he braced himself against the footboard, his soles would melt, and if he didn't he felt that he would go through the screen, every time I braked for a corner . The other thought that comes to mind, but not tried yet, and might work with cars that have the fresh air heater, is to put some wet cloth in the fresh air inlet, under the bonnet, and turn on the fan. The evaporation would cause cool air, which could be introduced into the footwell. If this worked, it wouldn't be difficult to lash up some sort of water bottle, pump and pipework to keep the cloth wet/damp. It might be possible to experiment with various "misting" systems too, these can be very effective for personel cooling, but the 1st principle must be to remove the cause of the heat in the first place, which is why I think that RiF has some good thoughts on the matter. Paul J. - To own a Seven you don't have to be mad ............but it helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeK Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 My car has the non-fresh air heater with six vent bonnet and heater water isolation valve. Does replacing the bonnet and heater with the fresh air inlet type make any significant difference to footwell temperatures (whne the fan is on and the hot water supply is isolated)? Or is the 'improvement' not justified by the cost? MikeK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe 90 Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 I must admit that I've been a little underwhelmed by the conversion, but I managed to do it on the cheap and console myself with the weight saving. However, with almost a years gap between the before and after, it's hard to be sure. SEP field working, not spotted in 102,200 miles. Some photos on webshots, updated 10 June Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robster Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 Unfortunately, with the fan on, water turned off to the heater there seems to be so much residual heat that it doesn't seem to work very well. It shold in theory, in practice..not much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joespeeder v2.0 Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 Hi All, Following this thread and using a compter fan to blow cool air from under the dash into the footwells comes to mind. You can get any number of fans putting out large cfm with some at great preasure. Speed controlls, ductwork, custom grills, etc. are readily available. Cooler Master makes a high preasure squirrel cage fan that puts out a ton of air. Would a combination of one fan per footwell and heat insulation in the engine bay do the trick ? Both fans could have their own speed control. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelw Posted August 5, 2004 Share Posted August 5, 2004 As I got out of the car last week to fill up with Petrol I must of caught the gearshift gaiter and pulled a rivet out. It then had an inch gap which let air from the transmission tunnel into the cockpit. The cockpit side was much cooler after this and heated up again when I pressed it back down again. So I guess the "removing air from the transmission tunnel" solution would make a lot of difference. Not very scientific but just my two pence worth. Michael. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now