Okay, so last summer i kinda "Bit the Bullet" and put a front-mount radiator into my 1275LS. This one was from an Alfa 33? or Alfasud (Maybe it was infected by alfa-itis). It is a very large rad, almost the width of the Clubby 'grille' opening and it is about two inches taller, so it sits down a bit from the lower edge of the grille. This rad cooled an all alloy 1500cc, boxer twin-cam, twin Weber fed, go-fast (for its time) kinda car.

When used in the Alfa, the coolant flowed from the top right of the core, across to the bottom left. I had this changed to top right, to bottom right, using a plate in the side of the tank, then with Mini-sized necks and a core flush, and a little bit of patience, it all went in, with its factory Thermo-fan, too. Very neat and functional. All up $150. Bewdy.

However, it has never really worked 100%. Some days we could all go cruising during 35 degree heat and it would run as cool as the thermostat would let it (160*F). But somedays, it just wants to overheat, and not stay under control at all.

Now the car has a new motor, with 70hp at the wheels, all dyno'd up, so its not running lean or too far retarded, and the temp is even more tempramental, sometimes cool, but more often than not, too high for my liking.

Is the rad too big for the water pump? I have a high-volume (wide impeller) pump, but my cooling (or heating) issue is not consistent. Sometimes is good, Sometimes is bad. Do I need to have the flow changed back to just Left-to-right, as it is going too fast Left-to-right-to-left?

What could i be doing wrong? I have a top header-tank, with a bleed line to the top of the rad, as the core is lower than the thermostat housing, and all the air is out, but it gurgles when i turn the motor off. HELP!!! I have tried everything to my knowledge of cooling but to no reliable consequences.

I would prefer not to go back to the old side-mount, as i have had too many Minis with new or reco'd side mounts that still cook themselves.

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Cheap, Fast, Reliable. Choose two.

Front mounts were made for minis in england where they don't get hot.
My race car had double the horsepower and always sat on 72 degrees.
with a side mount radiator.

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Miniworx Centre 0883741299
Sooperdooperminicooperexpertengineering
Online BMW Mini Shop

Yer, but with a morrie 1100 Rad, and with a heater core hanging off the other side. Plus you're always getting airflow when at speed.

Sorry, but i don't like the whole heater core thing, it looks tacky.

How about your old 998 racer? That thing used to cook itself in 3 mins flat when siiting still. Morrie 1100 rad, gutted thermostat and all.

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Cheap, Fast, Reliable. Choose two.

Stuwey mate i got the perfect answer for ya.

Ditch that big stinkin fuel guzzing 1275 (or swap) for my nice 1100, smokey, runs cool, sounds alright, never overheats.
The engine is out already, half the work done.

Never worry about overheating again with this baby!!

race car never overheated full stop... as a street engine, as a race engine... traffic or racing.
998 race car, I cured that one, ran fine after that.
Front mounts don't work properly with mini engines. look at your design...
Air flow is restricted at speed when you have fan blades???

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Miniworx Centre 0883741299
Sooperdooperminicooperexpertengineering
Online BMW Mini Shop

SWAP??? Don't think so, sport. I like my Grunt!! Just not the temp gauge...

I just don't get it. It will be fine one day, shithouse the next. There is no logical answer i can think of. Or have i missed something

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Cheap, Fast, Reliable. Choose two.

I can see the problem.

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Miniworx Centre 0883741299
Sooperdooperminicooperexpertengineering
Online BMW Mini Shop

what temp does the cooling fan kick in?
do yo rev alot?, perhaps your pump is cavatating, you may need to change your pulley size....

Like what? the temp sender got changed ummm... Last week sometime.

I have already thought about the pulley size, but this would be a problem all the time, not so intermittent. And i know plenty of cars with this water pump type, which have no worries with cavitation. But i might try a Rover pulley. (Bigger) and see what happens.

Last night i went for a short cruise. All was cool, and i was happy. It was fine driving to work this morning, but it ran HOT that whole way home... I am really confused

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Cheap, Fast, Reliable. Choose two.

maybe you have a dodgy Thermostat...which likes to stick everyonce and a while, Air in the head also...which may give you the gurgeling

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

Stuwey LS-I had simular overheating last summer,sitting at traffic lights
with engine on idle-lumpy cam.
I had been recommended to try-Redline Waterwetter. Thought waste of time!!
But then read-up on this product-so I put it in...Not cheap $28.00.
Drained andl flushed out old inhibitor(do not mix).
Use only with distilled water.
Put Waterwetter in--It really has made a difference.
It runs cooler...

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just a shot in the dark but have you checked the voltage regulator on the instruments, does your fuel gauge also, so if its faulty the fuel gauge will also change readings, it should give a steady 10 volts and if its giving 12 volts the readings on the gauges will be high.

Jon

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Roundies and Clubbies(except vans) are both ugly that is why I have Midas and a van
1293 Mini Midas Bronze,1275 Clubman van

When Graham Russell came and spoke at our club meeting last month, He was dead against front mount radiators. I can't remember everything he said, but it all made sense to me at the time!! Something about the fan pulling the hot air away from the extractors keeping the heat down. I'm not sure.

I know everyone says go for a performacne 2-core mini radiator, but I have a 4 core jobbie (I think it's from a Moke) which came with my car. Cooling is just about the only thing I HAVEN'T had a problem with ***TOUCH WOOD*** !!! Works really well - even in motorkhana's and other such car-nasty activities.

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Bob Slattery
Duffman Says A Lot of Things - OH YEAH!!

sounds like you have a simple thermostat or gauge/sender unit issue

i find no dramas with front mount rads,,,had one fitted to my turbo clubby mini for quite some time in 96/97/98, no dramas at all & was simply a std VW Golf front mount with thermo fan fitted, but fan hardly ever came on, ran on the thermostat the whole time easy-peasy

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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.

i am having almost the same problem, worked 1100, brand new standard rad cost friggin $220 bucks!
plus a new standard thermostat.
and overheating!!!
cruz'n around at 60, it sits a bit over middle which is too much, but if i cruz at 100 the temp goes up to 3/4
then if i hit the track or sit in traffic, the temp goes up to the redline!

so i have the morris rad brackets so i could fit a thermo fan on the other side of the rad, but i dont have one yet so there is a gap now between the guard and the rad.. could this be a big problem?
also the distance between the fan and the rad, i made it a little bit further away to avoid damage to the rad, does this make a huge diff?

i hate the mechanical fan and would love to replace the noisy sob with a thermo, but if its overheating with the stock setup so i cant mess with it.

meanwhile my gf's green mini sits on 1/4 with a stock setup