Is the oil fresh?

ok,,, for a start i`d try just wait till the car is dead cold,,, like over night & then try turning the igition on (but don`t start the car) & leave the igition on for a minute or so & see if the guage reads hot,,, then if it says it`s hot obviously the engine isn`t --> right??? so therfor the gauge or temp sender unit in the head is faulty or maybe even the wire to the sender has fallen off & is touching the engine or body somewhere---> right???

Ok,,, if that`s not a problem & the guage reads cold, then when you run the engine & the guage climbs in temp ,,, i would take the car to see someone with another (Known to work & read correctly) gauge to double check yours & your engines "actual" running temp.

"""IF""" in fact, after all the testing shows the engine "IS" running hot, then i`d take it to a mini specialist to diagnose the problem

"""""IF"""" the engine isn`t actually running hot & it`s just the gauge reading incorrectly then i`d have the wiring & voltage stabiliser & temp sender unit checked out

Typical reasons why engines "actually" runs hot are--->
thermostat stuck shut
blocked radiator
leaky cooling system
carby mixture running too lean or air leak into the inlet system
igition timing retarded (a bit like me )
blown head gasket
cracked head
corroded water pump impeller
&/or any combination of all of the above

if a mini fan is fitted on backwards--->""" it is still pushing air the right way""",,, Please don`t be fooled,,, it`s not really "that" much of an issue... I know plenty of minis with fans fitted backwards & still run correct temp---> however it is designed to be mounted & run a specific way & therfor will work far better when fitted correctly ,,, as is the same with the placement of it in relation to the metal rad cowl in respect to alignment with the little folded lip that it`s meant to line up with the creat the correct efficiency

keep us all informed of the results of your tests please???

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

First check when it starts to get hot that you have cooling system pressure at the rad cap ( its the pressure that douse the cooling, retarding the boiling point) it must have pressure ! if not it could be a dud cap. by pass hose ! most minis use a 13lb cap ,the old 850s and coopers with the flat rad use a7lb cap, ex uk idea . try draining out the rad check that the tubes in the top tank are clear of crap :o (looking into rad cap filling flange ) if blocked , remove rad soak overnight with hot, hot water and auto dishwasher powder inside ,then flush out refit to car then use a cut down stocking as a filter on top hose , the crap gets caught here not in your rad , the system must have pressure or it will boil real quick! :)

is what LILLIE said correct from his memory , 93 degrees... normal operating temp??. what would be max that would be recomended to be driving around with . i know the cooler the better to a certain "degree",, but am just wondering myself and maybe the guy who posted would be interested to know also .
cheers

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PrOuDlY aSkInG qUeStIoNs FoR uR aMuEsMeNt

Normal operating temp should be near to whatever the thermostat is, or you have a problem.
93C might be near it with an 88C thermostat.

88C one is too hot for out here IMO, I like 82C.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

ok well i started my car again when it had all cooled and the needle stays up about 10mm away from H is this ok?

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1964 smooth roof panel van
1967 Mk 1 X-Police cooper s
1970 mini k
1975 leyland

Sounds OK.
I would stick a thermometer in the top of the rad when cold and run it until hot, then you can see how HOT it really is.
Some of these temp gauges are miles out.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

ok thanks for all your help guys really appreciated

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1964 smooth roof panel van
1967 Mk 1 X-Police cooper s
1970 mini k
1975 leyland

jaycar are currently selling an excellent multimeter for about $35, that among oodles of great features, has a thermometer, so you can test the actual temperature of your water - amazing!

what you can do is tape the probe to one of your heater hoses, and look at the temperature while your driving around - if you don't think putting it on the heater hose is good enough, you could tape it to the outside of your top radiator hose, and run the wire through your passenger 1/4 vent window - if you were really really paranoid, you could undo the hose clamp in the top hose, and poke it into the water, and do the clamp up again

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

but is a Rover.... usually when someone refers to a round nose, they mean a pre-1971 aussie produced mini, Rovers are a different kettle of fish

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

Go to dick smith or blackwoods and buy a laser digital hand held thermometer. Just point and where the red dot is it will give you the temp at that point. They are very good for temp diagnosis. There are two temp scale units -30 upto 400 and 0 upto 800 [ cels and farenhight readings on both]
You can check all areas around water system and see what the temps are.
I use one to check each cylinder exhaust temp on my twin cam engs. makes tune-up a lot more accurate.

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Research is the difference between speculation and investment. Anyone who copys some one else will always be second
www.minisprintgt.com