Went to the Geelong Speed Trials Static Display yesterday and saw an interesting modification to a mini - it had a heater core plumbed into the coolant circulatory system attached to a bracket that was attached to the clutch cover - obviously for a little extra cooling. Sounds like a good idea to me.............minis don't really like the hot weather do they.

Hooroo

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Rod
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v607/Rodney/

That would be better than driving around with the heater on all the time during summer, if your up to something spirited on the road. Its a good cheap idea.

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Yep, works a treat. Heater.......... wot heater?

Matt

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68 Deluxe.... it's shiny..... I like shiny!!

If you have your cooling system working properly you don't need to resort to cocked up mods like a heater core under the bonnet.

exactly, id rather stick a thermo fan or extra ducting on anyway.

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Potato

I think you missed my point. The car should not overheat. (mine never do and I do a lot of driving in high temperatures) If it is overheating you have a problem. You do not fix problems by adding more stuff.

Hmmm I agree, but the original BMC Oz drivers handbook for a Cooper S has instructions on using the heater in summer for additional cooling... of the motor, NOT the driver.

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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.

I agree with using the heater as needed (that is why they fitted the heater to the S)
I don't know about "the original BMC Oz drivers handbook for a Cooper S" It may have been in the later ones but it is not in the first one (TP757B)

Agreed.

Most of the mini literate people know that the mini cooling system is only just there and that high capacity water pumps and larger capacity radiators tip the balance for minis in hot Australian traffic.

I will add to what the experts say. Fix the over heating probem. It is a problem and it will cook an engine but once you have fixed the problem then you can give yourself an overheating condom by installing electric fans or auxillary radiators for summer.

But........ fix the fundemental overheating probem first. It is always one of three problems.
a. Lack of circulating coolant volume (blocked radiator, crud in system etc)
b. Lack of coolant circulating ( worn water pump, crud build up, wrong or seizing thermostat)
c. Tuning issues (too lean, ignition timing problems)

I agree with all that's been said above - if you have a cooling issue on a standardish Mini there must be a problem somewhere in the system, adding extra cpacity may help, but it's unlikely to be a long term solution.
If however, you are significantly upping the horsepower of your engine, the standard cooling system will struggle to cope with the extra heat generated. In this situation a more effecient radiator, high volume water pump, thermo fan and any other avenue to increase the cooling capacity of the system will help. The pic below shows a Morris 1100 radaiator fitted with an overflow tank, and an extra little radiator plumbed into the heater circuit and placed into the airflow at the top right hand corner of the grill. It works a treat!

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Curly
'64 Cooper 'S' (Group Nb spec)
'67 Mini Marcos GT www.mm7056.wordpress.com

you could buy a BL special tuning kit that had a heater matrix as a extra radiator which was recomended to be mounted behind the grill. they used them on works cars and track cars back in the day.

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real men race downhill - keiichi tsuchiya

On this note, what is the best way to clean the system. I have had the rad off and flushed until the water ran clear, I stuck a hose in the thermostat housing and ran it until the water ran clear from the tope hose inlet. I ran a rad flushing fluid (admittedly last year) for a couple of weeks and then flushed.

Yet still, my Mini was getting pretty hot yesterday sitting in traffic at 36c and climbing the big hill to home so I had to put the heater on which helped a lot, but didn't do me much good!!

I have a thermo fan fitted under the wheel arch, right next to the rad, but this just seemed to make it worse not better when I switched it on (and it is the right way round).

I have a Pulsar dizzy and am pretty happy with the timing.

My next step was the heater matrix mod mentioned above. I can't afford a fancy new/big radiator so what else should I do. I need to get to work and back through the summer!

Cheers

Rick

I second that 'Agreed'

Ahh but what if you are racing? Poor Scrapper gets hot when he's been raced, but i think that is inherent in racing a car, especially one that has had no money spent on it.... Having said this, it gets hot but doesn't overheat unless we have constant runs in it. The thremo cools it between runs nicely, but scrapper will be getting a rad that is a little more efficient and possibly a heater core too. Motorkhana's and Khanacrosses being short runs at max revs in low gears seem to heat things up pretty quick. But i guess all motorsport is the same

So i guess what i am getting at, if you drive like you stole it alot, then this will effect the way the heating system works too. Yes sitting in traffic is going to see the guage rise, but if the system is in good working condition, it shouldn't be an issue. But if you happen to drive like a hoon, then this is going to cause the temp guage to rise as well.

Cheers
Aaron

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