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 Posted: Aug 14, 2019 07:36PM
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Quote:

1....the plastic blade fan is typically very effective in application...


2....Run less "antifreeze in your mix, More water, add water wetter too!

3.....Keep your heater plumbed up (more water capacity)

4......A heater core (aftermarket)  added in system is an easy extra rad too to consider = run it for the hot months,. remove for the cooler.


1.  Don’t forget there are (at least) 3 variations on the plastic fan..... I would characterise the ones I have as small medium and wide bladed...

2.  Most (if not everyone) can do without antifreeze for most ..and in many cases ..all of the year.   It snowed here the other day but I haven’t used antifreeze for years.

3.  I don’t ever stop the water flow through the heater.  With the fan off and the windows open you won’t notice the small extra heat sink...

4.  The core from a Mini heater makes an excellent additional radiator..

And I deleted the comment about alloy radiators .... But there are (at least) 4 different radiators made especially for Minis (ignoring the later front mounted versions).

5.  An electric fan can be useful if you spend a lot of time stuck in traffic but can reduce air flow in normal driving conditions..

Cheers, Ian

 Posted: Aug 14, 2019 12:13PM
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From your original question - picture of the holes drilled in the thermostat
picture of various thermostats right to left - blanking plate, 165 degree, 180 degree, and 190 degree.  Also shown are two experimental ones next to the blanking plate ( from an article by Keith Calver in Mini Magazine ) You will also note a "Mr. Gasket 180 degree thermostat" available at AutoZone. Believe it is for a Chevy.

 Posted: Aug 13, 2019 10:01AM
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CA
I found it much easier to make a 1/4" aluminum plate spacer between the pulley hub and fan. It moved the fan out into the opening of the shroud, making the fan even more effective. Now I can use the Mini to blow leaves out of the garage.

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Aug 13, 2019 09:10AM
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Kind of hard to get a good shot but here you go. There are other ways to make the conversion, but I used silver solder paste, you can buy on line from jewelry supply site, and a mapps gas torch, all in about $50.00 Cut as close to the nipple as you can.

I am running a 1989 A+ 1275, in a 62 Cooper. Using a 160 Deg. thermostat with 3, 1/8th inch holes, six was too many and it could not maintain temp on cool days. Standard copper radiator, plastic fan, a new water pump and by the way there are two impeller types, and a electric fan relayed to a dash switch. The electric fan only gets used creeping around on a hot day, like Woodward dream cruise driving around for hours at 5 mph and under. At any normal speed the temp gauge shows 160, and up to 190 on a blistering hot day.

There is supposed to be a big rubber band around the radiator and body, as well as a seal at the back edge of the hood, but I don't have them on mine.

The concept on the mini when moving 25 mph or better is the entire under hood area becomes pressurized forcing air out the left wheel well that has a radiator, anything that interferes with that, like a flip front or a vented hood, will hurt it's cooling ability at speed.

 Posted: Aug 13, 2019 05:34AM
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Which fan are you using?... the Tropical fans are a bugger to fit

the plastic blade fan is typically very effective in application...

   Consider a Aluminum radiator upgrade too ( more capacity) better heat efficiency,...  (ebay radiators are just fine)  (but very hard to fit in a Mk1 with a fender shroud == also prepare to modify.


What temps are you seeing? = have you verified these tempeartures with a seperate 'temp gun'  or such when running.  200 - 210 are Ok
  
Run less "antifreeze in your mix, More water, add water wetter too!

Keep your heater plumbed up (more water capacity)

A heater core (aftermarket)  added in system is an easy extra rad too to consider = run it for the hot months,. remove for the cooler.


 Posted: Aug 13, 2019 04:34AM
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Originally Posted by trevor94
New to the forum. I did find that I had the fan backwards, & turned it around. There is no clearance due to the breather canister on the timing cover. I can't space it due to no room forward.  I did get an idea to crush the canister to get clearance. Another idea was to go to electric fan but how would i mount the radiator since the electric fan mounts to the radiator & current cowl mounts to the frame
I will get a picture of the cut canister I posted about on your other thread

 Posted: Aug 12, 2019 01:09PM
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New to the forum. I did find that I had the fan backwards, & turned it around. There is no clearance due to the breather canister on the timing cover. I can't space it due to no room forward.  I did get an idea to crush the canister to get clearance. Another idea was to go to electric fan but how would i mount the radiator since the electric fan mounts to the radiator & current cowl mounts to the frame

 Posted: Aug 11, 2019 02:54PM
 Edited:  Aug 11, 2019 04:39PM
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Originally Posted by trevor94
can you run without a thermostat, 1275 with dual SU, i was told about drilling holes in the stat also.  Can that be explained a bit more. Thanks
Just answering your question, YES you can.  Explaining a bit more you can run without a thermostat for say 15 min. before the engine will overheat.  There was a thermostat blanking sleeve (11G0176) available to restrict the flow as well as three different thermostats 165, 180, and 195 degrees.  But the question for you is what are you trying to do.  Is it the heat in Texas?  There are several different water pumps, radiators, pulleys, fan blades, as well as auxiliary radiators to help you keep your cool.

 Posted: Aug 11, 2019 11:25AM
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CA
What people forget is that a thermostat's first job is to bring an engine up to optimum running temperature quickly by preventing flow to the radiator until the engine is hot. At the intended temperature, the t'stat opens, but if you run into cold weather it should also modulate the temperature by closing partially or fully to keep the engine from getting cooler than optimum. The early Mini engines had a bypass hose at the water pump to allow SOME circulation through the head until the t'stat opens. It also helped circulate coolant through the heater core as the car warmed up. Later engines did away with the bypass and did things differently as in the Metros. The theory then became that you needed several small holes in the t'stat (5 or 6 1/8" holes) in a Mini to compensate for the lack of bypass. They work only until the t'stat opens, so don't improve cooling appreciably.

Applying that theory to my 1275 Metro engine with a standard Mini t'stat housing, I found the engine took far longer to warm up and in cold weather the heater wasn't a heater. In other words, the engine could not maintain proper operating temperature. I replaced the holey t'stat with a new unmolested one. Now my engine warms quickly, the t'stat opens on cue, and I get heat out of the heater.

If you are experiencing genuine overheating (not just relying on the Mini gauge), check that your t'stat is opening properly, (the upper rad hose should stay cool until the head gets hot, then when the t'stat opens, the hose should warm up quickly), that your fan belt is properly tightened, that your fan is on the right way round, that your rad and coolant are in good condition (properly filled but with about 1" of air space in the top of the rad at cold), and that our engine is properly tuned.

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Aug 11, 2019 08:44AM
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You  can NOT without thermo. as the water will flow too quickly and NOT cool properly.. but you can drill about 6 small holes. and will work just  fine.. later bc

 Posted: Aug 11, 2019 08:10AM
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can you run without a thermostat, 1275 with dual SU, i was told about drilling holes in the stat also.  Can that be explained a bit more. Thanks