AN fittings have a lot of bling.... but, for the hillbilly version;
Cut up a lower hose with the heater take off to fit the upper thermostat/radiator. Run a hunk of heater hose from the head to the upper hose and drop temperature by a few degrees......
And then find out you've been chasing your tail trying to "cure" an overheating problem when the real problem was a very inaccurate gauge.....
But, if you want to drop a few degrees and don't have a heater to act like an auxilary radiator, this seemed to work.

"Here in the warmer climate (since I don't need a heater) directing the water flow from the end of the cylinder head to the thermostat housing, which flows into the radiator before going back into the engine. " 

I knew that I read about this somewhere -

Another alternative is to use a AN fitting to direct the coolant flow.  Here in the warmer climate (since I don't need a heater) directing the water flow from the end of the cylinder head to the thermostat housing, which flows into the radiator before going back into the engine.  More than a few Mini folks here use this method to combat the intense heat in the desert.  Some even run the coolant to an aux radiator before flowing to the thermostat housing, and some even braze on a fitting to the radiator itself for the coolant return.

Here is a pic of the install.  It's an inline control from early Ford Bronco or 90's dodge... mine is a plastic version, and they are simple to install as the mount for the cable is integral to the valve.. I think I paid about $25 or so.. here is an ebay one..  LINK  but should be able to pick it up at the local auto parts place..

uhm, i used my digital temp reader...

unlike mightymice, i didnt skimp on temp reader , not a $3 reader this timelol

And, how did we confirm these figures? (seems like a very wide range for running temperature... and a bit on the low side)

160 to 180sh

So Robster, based on no science can explain it, what temperature is your Mini running at now?

i accidentally discovered a solution to my heating problem, ,   when i was using a coolant(50/50) alone i 'd still experience overheating once in a while, it goes up to 3/4 on the guage, then 3days ago i put one bottle of radiator cleaner to my radiator for the purpose of cleaning the cooling system, and eversince i put the radiator cleaner mixed with the coolant i have not seen the gauge go up to 3/4, not even half,  up until  now the radiator cleaner is still there, i did not drain it...i suspect the cleaner has a more powerful cooling properties, no science can explain it, but based on my experience it's amazing...

Hi Rick,
Cooper & Cooper S here in Oz got a heater fitted as standard spec. The MiniMatics got the factory freshair heater for additional engine cooling. This heater was optional on the 998 Mini Duluxe and 1098 Mini K.
No other Minis made here got a factory heater fitted, until the Clubman came in. Heater then became standard. And this was primarily to provide screen demisting, legislated under an ADR (Australian Design Rule).

Even now, a heater is not mandatory to be fitted when upgrading a Mini to take a 1275 or Toyota etc motor, but a demister of some sort is. 

Blood pressure is AOK.  Wifey is happy with warm cabin with heater available to do its job.  Aux rad gone until another hot weather trip is forseen.  However I will not use heater in hot weather as additional cooling for the engine when a simple, effective alternative is available.

As per KG from Australia the Off/On fan switch, Cabin/Screen and Cold/Hot (air flow control over matrix) all work as intended.

Question - with no mountains higher than 7,300 feet and all of Australia (including Tasmania) being closer to the Equator than I am here a few miles north of Seattle, why did Australian Minis or some of them get heaters?

 

[I'm teasing just a bit because we did have frost in Gyra "top of the range" in New South Wales in mid-August on the One Lap test drive - when I met Kevin - and in Tarraleah, Tasmania in early November last year, after seeing remnant patches of snow in the Australian Alps on the way to Melbourne]

Hi MiniMike, I'm also curious about the inline valve as I'm looking to install a heater on my Mini and a more reliable valve alternative option would be great. Do you have a photo showing where you installed it and how you ran the cable? What valve is in the photo? Thanks, Mark

I'm currently returning to the bottom hose.  You're absolutely correct, really don't know why I considered the sandwich plate/top hose earlier.  Must have read it somewhere.

flow is not really encouraged when you go from one outlet to another outlet. If you are using the heater, why wouldn't you return to the lower rad hose? 

Right, I see -

I've considered installing a sandwitch-plate and returning from the heater through the intake manifold and then into the thermostat housing/top hose instead of the

'normal' bottom hose.  Any thoughts?

What is the part number for the Ford version. The inline Rover's are a bit expensive.

Ranco made the old ones. They still make some for older cars, nbut not BMCs.

Jeg: it goes through the aux rad and is cooled and is then drawn into the water pump again at the lower rad hose. His concern is that people simply run coolant from the heater take off and back to the lower rad hose, without cooling it, which then pumps a mixture of cooled coolant from the rad and super hot coolant from the head into the block. Me? I get the coolant hot. Then it goes through the rad to get cooled, then it gets pumped back in. The heater is either on putting heat into the car, or off. The expansion tank I use allows steam to form and be absorbed within the system.

I use one of these inline.. from Ford .. no leaks, no problems..

Jemal, maybe I missed something.  Isn't this essentially what you did when adding the aux. radiator to your moke project?

 

 

 

Nobody? I certainly don't have an oil cooler up front.  I don't argue this perspective just to bring up Rick's blood pressure. 20+ years ago I did stuff like this. I was lucky to have some smart folks argue with me about why I was doing things certain ways and I got away from answering with: ...all of the mini people do this...

I now answer with: This is what works.

I think it would be sad if this board simply became an echo chamber for certain solutions and stifled ingenuity, or in my own case using the simplest collection of parts that produce repeated results.