Glad to hear you got it sorted out, and as usual it was a basic thing. I don't know why these Minis get so much dirt in the cooling system.....when I opened mine up it was as if the rad and heater matrix were full of mud.

However, sometimes it's something else causing the problem....on my car it would run perfectly normal temps in town, but when you hit the highway it would head for the red zone in just a few miles (assuming hot days 85+) My problem turned out to be of my own making, I had changed the final drive ratio from 3:44 to 2:76 and as the engine wasn't turning nearly as many revs at highway speeds it just wasn't moving enough water - changing the water pump pulley from the largest one to the smaller Sprite pulley cured my cars overheating on the highway.

This summer it ran MTTS with no issues, tho since I live in Kansas (it has since moved to Texas with it's new owner) where it gets really hot in summer I did add an extra heater core with a shut off valve for summer use only, just in case.

Glad to hear you got it sorted. My only comment would be that unless you are going for a strongly original look, I would have used an alternate fan type. I believe the steel 16 pushed the least amount of air.
Terry

Hello.
Just an update as to the over heating issue. 

I considered buying a new super efficient radiator but I didn't.  I pulled the existing radiator out of my Mini and sent it to a radiator shop for inspection.  He pulled the top tank off and found 8 tubes plugged completely and 16 tubes that allowed a few drops of water thru.  He said the radiator was basically plugged beyond repair.  He could not get a rod thru the radiator tubes to clear them.  So, I could either buy a new complete radiator or rebuild the existing one.  I chose to have the existing radiator rebuilt using the factory tanks and hardware.  The new core is supposed to be a high efficiency one. 

I added radiator cleaner chemical and used a special tool to clean the block, with out the radiator.  The tool had a cone nozzle to push into the lower radiator hose and an air line connection.  I added an air regulator, set at 15psi, turned the water on and pulsed the air and water mixture.  A lot of brown liquid came out and I hope the block is now clean.  I reinstalled the rebuilt radiator and factory steel 16 blade fan.  I added the standard coolant with Water Wetter.

I have driven the Mini about 40 miles with the new radiator.  The gauge reads normal or a little  hotter, past normal.  I am hoping the over heating issue is taken care of.  Now onto the gas gauge not working problem.
Thanks again every one for your input and help.  Much appreciated.

... or you just switch to a capillary gauge instead of electric...

Temperature Transmitters:

TT-3800/00 (Green) for gauge TC-4303/06

TT-3802/00 (Red) for gauge BT-2204/04 (positive ground)

TT-3803/00 (Black) for Gauge BT-2204/04 (negative ground)

TT-4800/00 (Green) for gauge TC-4308/05

TT-6811/00 (Red) For gauge TSE/F or TSE/C 

Hopefully someone here can clue you in...or I will have to go back and figure it out.
Mini City (716)-223-0840  Fairport, NY.  Haven't talked to them for years, hopefully the number is still good.  

I had the same problem w/ my 1071.  Would always run on the second half of the gauge, and it would overheat on the freeway??  Don't remember how I figured this out but I do remember breaking a friend's foot long thermometer in the process (verifying temperature).  I think it needed a black and had a red which makes sence as a previous owner changed it from positive to negative ground and didn't change the temperature transmitter.  May also make sence that on MM you found a red and black one.  As I remember it is stripped around the head...so you can just look and see it without even a wrench.  

 Thank you for the offer.  Unfortunately I don't know how to receive a fax.  Too funny right?  Technology.  I have a computer and printer and looked for Fax but found nothing.  So, how about a scan of the document and then send the scan?  I did go to Mini City but did not find an online catalog.

I also looked on our host site and did not find water temperature sensor for 1965 Austin Cooper S.  There is a red and a black sensor, I thought this was strange.

BTW, I know of the test for boiling the sensor and using it to hook to the gauge to verify etc.  I seem to recall a test for sensor electrical output.  Boil the sensor get an electrical reading compared to spec.  Not sure where I saw this but....maybe someone on here can enlighten us.

Thanks
Tim
[email protected]

After reading your other post and this one again I am going to go with the wrong sending unit.  Mini City use to, in their catalog, list the correct sending unit. They call it a "temperature transmitter"...it's under instruments. Don't know if it was off the gauge or what...looks like it's by grounding (pos. vs. Neg) with a few others.    ie...starts on "C" and overheats.  Still check the reliability of the water temp and the compression check.  I now know you rebuilt this recently with new head gasket and thermostat.  If you have a fax I can probably send the mini city page to you

Good Luck
TO THE FLOOR IN A 64

If one applied pressurized water or air to one connection of a rad with the other open and the displaced dirt restricted or clogged the rad, then the rad will become pressurized and quite possibly result in rad failure. I have seen it done with no more than tap-water pressure. You were lucky. 

The advice was to blow the radiator from the opening and the pressurized air and water together with all the dirt will go out from the outlet below, i didn't say that you have to cover the other end. IF you cover the other end ,THEN there is a big chance that rad will blow out.(remember what the 50/50 stands for?), i did this procedure, i didn't blow out my radiator, and my mini does not overheat even when confronted with 128F AZ heat. i ask you, did it work or not? IT DID!!!

This is another best example of coming out of the box,experiment, explore,discover,learn and BENEFIT from it. i dare you all to drive your mini at 128F and let's see what happens. That's the very reason why i use very thick motor oil, thicker than 20w/50, because if my engine heat up, the 20w/50 thins out and becomes 10w/40 and the oil pressure goes down. NOW, there is a guy here,mr. Coxon, who uses 10w/40 oil, if he drives his mini here in arizona, gosh for sure his 10w/40 oil becomes just a canola cooking oil consistency when his engine heats up.

This post has so many instances of poor-to-bad advice. It implies he pressurized the rad with "pressurized water" and then "120psi pressurized air." Either one is a good way to blow a rad apart.

I love Europas - every once in a blue moon there's a pretty rough Europa and sometimes a really nice Elan +2 parked outside the chocolate shop on the corner.

This is the thread in which I tried to graphically illustrate to Tony (currently mini4ever until his next banning).  Tony, aka Velocity, began this thread in which he was asking for radiator recommendations and refused to accept that his fan was on backwards.  The 'underwear guy' & 'underwear girl' were posted to illustrate that even though the clothing was applied correctly (fx. underwear covering grunions, not worn as a hat), the installation was nonetheless incorrect.

https://www.minimania.com/msgThread/116886/1/101/RADIATOR 

This thread is a must-read for anyone interested in ensuring that their fan is installed correctly.  It's also entertaining. 

Hello Jeg and others.

Yes the post can sure get derailed in a hurry. 

I am a member here as there are individuals with very good valuable knowledge on ALL Mini topics.  I for one am very thankful for this.  People have helped me a number of times.  Sure sometimes  the answers are non exact but most replies at least get me thinking and moving towards a solution.  The many times I posted with questions resulted in solutions and Mini Yoda thanks you all.  Yoda, small, green and powerful same as my mini.  Pretty good yes; )

I also belong to yahoo lotuseuropa group.  Fantastic group, unbelievable knowledge most of the time.  They have helped me rebuild two Europa basket cases.  Unfortunately there are members here and there that believe to have answers but fall inadequately so very short if not to the point of blatantly wrong.  For the people looking for GOOD correct answers, this is so counter to this very forum.  This bad info usually comes from some self imposed expert.  I wish they would just keep their incorrect hair brain info out of all the forums.

As for the underwear guy; I think it's funny and is meant as a funny, took it as a funny and my reply was meant as a funny.  I myself would rather see a sweet young lady in underwear but I think the stated point would have been missed.

My car is at a place in Oshkosh, WI and this weekend I will gather and check "stuff" out and hopefully have a direction.  In the mean time I ordered 7# rad cap per factory spec, 180 thermostat per article and water wetter from our host and hope to have soon.
Thanks again.
Tim

Listen up, retread - you don't speak for me.  Ever.  With respect to 65AMCS's post, I have nothing to apologize for.  

My post, Tony, quoted below, was clearly directed at you, as you have touted your backwards mounted fan as the means of keeping engine temperatures down.  A backwards mounted fan is woefully inefficient, and your lack of knowledge and incapacity to learn is not only shocking, but I suspect embarrassing for you.  



Remember this, Tony, many people come here for useful advice.  You've effectively derailed another thread, given misinformation and promoted yourself as some sort of omnipotent mini guru.  Well, you're not.  

Nobody gives a gnats gonad what your mini was like when you first bought it - in fact, nobody gives a flying fart what sort of bailing-twine solutions you've employed. 


Do not ever attempt to speak for me or on my behalf again.

To the original poster, 65AMCS, terribly sorry that our resident ignorant f*cktard (Tony, who has been banned many times and returns like a bad rash; currently posting as mini4ever) has dragged your legitimate issue down.  I hope that the qualified help given by the others who contributed to this thread have helped you address your overheating issue.

Sorry to come in late so ignore what may not apply:

Get a Temp reading you can rely on.
Get a compression reading

If your going to start throwing money at it, a super-two core rad. would be a great option. But wow look at that price...I got one from Don scratch and dent for $100.  And by the time I got it in it was scratched and dented.  Definately still worth it but...  Buy a new cap with the rad. I can't remember long neck vs short neck but it should be 13#.  An overflow is nice (do as I say not as I d0) Probablly can't get the fan out without taking out the radiator.  I would recommend a 6 blade tropical fan since you will have everything out anyway (you can always paint it black to pass as original).  Save old parts for posterity. Maybe a new thermostat and gasket...$6.00. I think it's 180 degrees.    

Redline...I can't find it locally anymore but can be ordered off the internet.  Buy a few. I have used Redline for a bunch of years.  I still run a cap full or two of antifreeze...maybe a splash.  Redline only calls for a few cap fulls... 

However, I don't think that is the problem.  A symptom maybe.  I'd go back to getting a compression reading.  Maybe a torn head gasket??

One other thought, the interior gauge and the water temp sending unit are matched.  Gauge may be off, because of sending unit, and throwing the water may just be overflow.  I had this happen on my 1071. New sending unit cleared it up. Get a reliable reading. 

in behalf of sir jeg, please accept my apology sir 65AMCS, jeg didn't mean to compare you to that man who wears inverted undies. maybe he is just joking.

btw, when i first bought my mini, the water in the radiator was milky brown, it's like the coolant has been there for 39 years. what i did was to remove the old milky water, i ran pressurized water inside the radiator continuous for 5minutes, and did same on the engine coolant channels and heater core, i also put some water inside radiator and flush it with 120psi pressurized air, i saw chunks of brown rust got flushed out., i did that 5 times, then for the final cleaning procedure, i put all the hose back and put some cheap coolant plus Prestone radiator flush, i drive my mini for 5 days,with my usual driving hours with that coolant+prestone flush thing, then on the fourth day, i drained the mixture and replaced with fresh 50/50 red coolant. my mini never overheated ever since.

now the Prestone radiator flush thing says on the bottle to run your car for 10 minutes and drain...don't believe it!!!!,you waste your money if you do that, let it sit there 5 days to thoroughly clean the cooling system. That is how you suppose to clean old rusty radiators. 50% common sense and 50% Prestone radiator Flush ,, Hence it's called 50/50

Hello.
Thank you all for the reply.  I have a 1965 Austin Cooper S.  It is pretty much original and I would like to keep it that way if possible.  It has run hot since I got it a few years ago.  I did have the radiator out and I cleaned it best I could.  Flushed the complete system with Prestone Flush.  It may be time to check the radiator more in depth.

 This weekend
-I will try to get a temp reading I can rely on.
-check the radiator cap to see if it is the correct one.
-What did the original Austin Cooper have for a pressure radiator cap?  Seems either a 7 or 13 lb?
-Sounds like a 13 lb would raise the boiling point of the rad fluid but seems to me to be pretty high pressure for the old Mini?
-I fill the radiator to the stamped plate in the radiator that states, "Water Level".
-I will have to recheck the timing.
-I think I will get a bottle of Redline Supercool and use that alone as coolant.
-Fan orientation: What way is the correct way?  It would appear the fan blade rivets face the radiator.  Does this hold true for an original steel 1965 fan also?  If I remember correctly, there isn't much room between fan and radiator.  Is it even possible for the fan be mounted backwards on a 1965 Austin?
-I will have to check: 30 and 32° BTDC at 3500 or 4000 rpm.  I have the original distributor and don't have vacuum advance.
-As a last item, buy and install a "super two core radiator" and new rad cap.
-I really didn't need to see the underwear guy.  Uhmm thanks for that; x
Thanks again
Tim

Tony/Robster/Velocity/AzBob/Coolsterr/Boison/ et al - your 6-blade 'tropical' fan is on backwards.  

Turn it around and it'll work much better.  

An example given to you before - This guy is wearing underwear, but if he wore it correctly, it'd work better.  

+1

Noooooooo. You can't "just invert the blades". To do that, you'd have to cut them off the hub and glue them on at a different angle.
In Jeg's picture, one fan IS INVERTED. The angle of the blades remains the same. It is a right-handed pitch, like a threaded rod. Just stop texting, go out and start your Mini and see which way the air flows.

And yes, the engine runs in one direction, you just need to invert the blades if you want it to push or pull air.  Plain and simple