Normal Operating Temp

[shymoggie]

Does anyone have a temperature guage with degrees rather than C N H ?

I wondered what the normal running temp for a '69 1098 mog should be ?

I've had nowt but trouble with the heater today, so have bypassed it completley I think the rotted heater hoses are filling the matrix up with cr*p, as the heater goes cold after a few mins driving and the engine temp shoots up

So, what temp should we be running at ? Does somewhere between 60 & 70 deg sound okay ????

[rayofleamington]

The thermostat is something like 82 degrees.
Something sounds very dodgy - maybe the waterpump isn't working well? That would explain why the heater goes cold when the thermostat opens.
Would be worth checking the thermostat and the waterpump, and the heater hoses...

Crumbs you're having some bad luck!!!!

[Willie]

Is your fan belt slipping?? With a Dynamo you should just be
able to turn the fan by hand. With an Alternator you should
NOT be able to turn the fan by hand. As RAYO says the stat
should be 82 degrees and the hotter an engine is the more
efficient it is (within certain limits) so your figures are too
low.

[racer]

While I'm running in my eng I have removed the thermostat. My temp guage is reading about 60 deg normal running temp

[shymoggie]

Gents,

With what I've had to sort out in the last 2 months, a water pump, fan belt, thermostat and replacing the heater (with the spare) are absolutely piffling in comparison !!!!!!!!

Anyway, WHAT ARE WEEKENDS FOR ?????????

Looking on the bright side, running too cool is less lightly to hurt than running too hot (as I found out with a cooked and heat siezed 1300 )

[les]

While I'm running in my eng I have removed the thermostat.

Racer, there is a special sleeve that should be fitted if you want to run without a thermostat, just removing the stat reduces the water circulation around the valve seats.

[racer]

So how does this special sleeve work? and can I make one?

[racer]

Or would it be better to put stat back,going on what Willie says??

[Cam]

Putting the stat back is easier (I ran my 1380 in with the standard stat), but the sleeves are available from most Mini specialists. Don't bother trying to make one it's much easier to buy the proper one.

Your 1098 should really have a stat though in it's current state of tune.

[Chris Morley]

"I think the rotted heater hoses are filling the matrix up with cr*p, as the heater goes cold after a few mins driving and the engine temp shoots up"

Jim, if the matrix was blocked the heater wouldn't get warm in the first place. Perhaps your Minor's engine isn't getting warm enough (they are over-endowed in the radiator department). I had similar problems recently on the M4 cruising at 60mph when the temperature was just above freezing. Assuming you don't have a radiator muff, place a piece of hardboard between the radiator and grill, covering say 50-60 % of the cooling area. Drive around for a few minutes and then see whether the fan pumps out hot air.

Another clue might be finding yellow mayonnaise in the oil cap.

[Alec]

Hello SM,
a heater that is warm then goes cold is often a sign of low water level, especially if the car then overheats. If you think there is crap in the heater, remove the hoses and flush out with a garden hose.

Alec

[racer]

So Whats the yellow mayonnaise signify?

[shymoggie]

So Whats the yellow mayonnaise signify?

This would be around the oil filler cap.... this would signify a head gasket fault, ie oil & water mixing. This leaves a lovely thick creamy yellow / white scum around the oil filler. Which I ain't got so I'll relax on that one !

[Alec]

Hello all,
mayonnaise can develop in a car that runs cool or does a lot of short journeys. It doesn't necessarily mean a defect.

Alec

[shymoggie]

Hello SM,
a heater that is warm then goes cold is often a sign of low water level, especially if the car then overheats. If you think there is oops I typed a naughty word in the heater, remove the hoses and flush out with a garden hose.

Alec

Hi Alec,

This is what we did when it first happened. Flushed everything, backwards, forwads and inside out !

Having put it all back together, I idled the car fo 10-15 mins and the heater got warm, engine warmish, then drove off. Half a mile down the road the heater got cooler & cooler... but the pipe from the head to the matrix was still red hot ! Could this be air ? How do you bleed the matrix to be sure of no air ?

Temporarily the heater has been bypassed and we have a little 30mile jaunt planned for today, so we'll see how it goes.

[Willie]

CAUTION...........The Minor engine is well known to have a
tendency to produce mayonnaise(yellowish sludge in the
oil filler cap) and is is NOT always a sign of a sick engine.
It is usually produced when the engine is not used for long
enough trips to heat everything up properly and fast long
trips will usually clear out a great deal of this sludge. If the
engine is performing well then do not paranoid about this
mayonnaise.

[racer]

Don't get paranoid ! I was absolutely gutted until I read your post WILLIE !!!! I have got the mayonnaise on my recent re-con eng. ,and have been doing short journeys without a thermostat . Phew -Ithought it was another engine out job ! Have just put thermostat back .

[Willie]

Well I'm glad you've replaced the stat, at least it showed that
your engine was running too cool without it.

[Chris Morley]

Every winter since 1999 I've found the Mayo in the oil cap because of short trips to work. Touch wood, no problems yet and still able to do 0-60 in 23 seconds...

[Alec]

Hello Shymoggie,
to bleed, disconnect the other hose with the engine running, until water flows.
I didn't think, though, that air locks are a problem with minors. Could the return line be partially blocked?

Alec