Had to replace the water pump on my K the other day, lots of corrosion from lack of coolant/Adelaide water over the years I guess.
Any way, while I was at it I removed and cleaned up the heater (which is in good nick!) and un-jammed the heater tap, all sweet, flushed the whole lot out, new 71 degree thermo, hoses and coolant.
But when I took it for a run, the temp gauge warmed up Ok, but the heater is cold!
Thought maybe it was air in the system, but ran for a few hours, cooled down and checked the level no worries!
Then I was thinking does it matter which way the hoses go? I ran them as they were, heater tap to radiator bottom hose, and the outlet to the other end of the head.

Any ideas?

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Cool stuff!!

What heater does it have - the plastic clubby type or the metal cooper type ??? - its sounding like a clubby type with the tap next to the heater. Junk the tap. !!!

The hoses themselves may gunked up, so get new hoses and plumb them in. The heat runs from the cylinder head throught the heater radiator core and then finally to the bottom radiator hose. Just plumb the new hose into the heater radiator (called commonly a heater core) and then from the heater to the bottom radiator core.

Now at the cylinder head end you have a few choices - get a cooper type tap (or even off an old morrie minor) and fit that to the head and the hot water pipe. Another alternative is an appropriate sized gas fitting valve tap

Those clubby taps are alloy and even if you do free up the tap - there is no guarrantee any amount of hot water will pass through the gunk.

Finally - the heater needs air blowing through it to provide heat into the cabin - either by fan or by vents.

Mike

Thanks Mike, Plastic clubby type, but I did change the hoses, and did flush the tap/heater core after getting the gunk out and freeing up the tap, air flow is Ok.
Without changing the tap (reluctant to start modding the car if possible) style, will it matter which way the water flows through it?

Chris

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Cool stuff!!

Are you sure about the thermo being 71 deg if it is that is your problem should be at least 84 deg for the heater to work change it, it is to cool for winter

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

Chris - the water is only going to flow from greatest pressure (the head) to the lowest pressure (the bottom radiator hose) - the water pump decides the direction of flow.

But i agree and missed the point about the water not being hot enough. You do have an air flow through the heater core don't you - the fan is to blow the air flow through the heater andinto the cabin.

Mike

You have a heater ?

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