Discussion
So there I am happily enjoying the new found bliss of taking my Mini out of retirement (and swerving the fuel bill of the Tiv) when I find an accident on the M4 thats slowed traffic right down.
Slow down to a stop, and crawl for 10 or so minutes, look down at the gauges and
thats looking hot.
Next thing I know theres a creaking in the pipes and steam coming from under the bonnet and wheel arches, bugger! Lift bonnet to find a small amount of water being sprayed from the back of the engine onto the bulkhead. Leave engine cool, get some water, fill it up, no leaks, all looks fine, carry on.
Then this morning, get in traffic again, temp rising, pull over, fizz, steam, water, off on my way again.
So, what do we reckon? Personally I reckon its a leaky hose or similar as the temp is stable as long as its moving. Would it be reasonable to suggest that as the pressure is coming up in the cooling system a ruptured hose could leak at a low rate initially, then as pressure builds allow the coolant to boil and come out?
I've got half day to go and sort it, so any ideas on which hoses to start looking at?
Matt.
Slow down to a stop, and crawl for 10 or so minutes, look down at the gauges and
thats looking hot. Next thing I know theres a creaking in the pipes and steam coming from under the bonnet and wheel arches, bugger! Lift bonnet to find a small amount of water being sprayed from the back of the engine onto the bulkhead. Leave engine cool, get some water, fill it up, no leaks, all looks fine, carry on.
Then this morning, get in traffic again, temp rising, pull over, fizz, steam, water, off on my way again.
So, what do we reckon? Personally I reckon its a leaky hose or similar as the temp is stable as long as its moving. Would it be reasonable to suggest that as the pressure is coming up in the cooling system a ruptured hose could leak at a low rate initially, then as pressure builds allow the coolant to boil and come out?
I've got half day to go and sort it, so any ideas on which hoses to start looking at?
Matt.
What size engine do you have?
If it’s a 998 it could be the bypass hose. Best get it up to temp and try to find that leak again.
Nearly got the engine up and running in mine last night but one of the threads for the manifold studs has been damaged so it will need to be retapped, then the thermostat housing sprang a leak in the top, looks like it was badly corroded. Now had to take all the engine steadies back off, and carb/ehaust etc, I was cursing the little thing last night!
If it’s a 998 it could be the bypass hose. Best get it up to temp and try to find that leak again.
Nearly got the engine up and running in mine last night but one of the threads for the manifold studs has been damaged so it will need to be retapped, then the thermostat housing sprang a leak in the top, looks like it was badly corroded. Now had to take all the engine steadies back off, and carb/ehaust etc, I was cursing the little thing last night!
Its a 998, but fortunately not the bypass hose, that went at the Mini Showdown in '96!
I'll have a second check though just to make sure. Oh please for the sake of my knuckles, sanity and paintwork let it not be the bypass hose.
I am desperately hoping though that its a hose rather than something metal...
I had resigned myself to running it up and checking I have to say, just thought it may have been obvious as there arent that many hoses down the back... are there?
Is this the 1275 you bought or the original 998? Whats the prognosis on the Griff?
Matt.
>> Edited by plotloss on Wednesday 14th May 11:04
I'll have a second check though just to make sure. Oh please for the sake of my knuckles, sanity and paintwork let it not be the bypass hose.
I am desperately hoping though that its a hose rather than something metal...
I had resigned myself to running it up and checking I have to say, just thought it may have been obvious as there arent that many hoses down the back... are there?
Is this the 1275 you bought or the original 998? Whats the prognosis on the Griff?
Matt.
>> Edited by plotloss on Wednesday 14th May 11:04
plotloss said: Its a 998, but fortunately not the bypass hose, that went at the Mini Showdown in '96!
I'll have a second check though just to make sure. Oh please for the sake of my knuckles, sanity and paintwork let it not be the bypass hose.
I am desperately hoping though that its a hose rather than something metal...
I had resigned myself to running it up and checking I have to say, just thought it may have been obvious as there arent that many hoses down the back... are there?
Is this the 1275 you bought or the original 998? Whats the prognosis on the Griff?
Matt.
>> Edited by plotloss on Wednesday 14th May 11:04
If you used one of the concertina (sp?) type bypass hoses to avoid taking the cylinder head off last time then I bet that's whats gone again. In my experience they are only good for a couple of years, so if yours has done 7 years........ A little tip : instead of removing the cylinder head, take off the water pump to replace the bypass hose. Very cheap gasket and much less hassle, I mean you're going to remove the radiator to check the hoses anyway right ?? Use some decent 1/2 inch heater hose and some new clips and it'll be good for ten years !!
plotloss said: Yeah good call, probably best avoiding the setup disaster of twin carbs. I was looking not long ago for a Carb airflow meter for balancing purposes, could I find one, could I bollocks!
Bleakness abounds re Griff, are you fortunate enough to have a local specialist?
Matt.
Have seen the air flow meter things for setting up the carbs, I think it was in Halfords, but a few years ago before they became even less helpful.
Phil's is a top tip about removing the water pump instead of the head if it is the by pass hose, of course you could just stick a bigger engine in
The Griff isn’t to far away at the moment but I am also considering getting TVR Power to do the work.
Well, Paul, you were spot on.
God damned bypass hose.
Got home, took the old one off - 5 mins, got the new one (after discovering that this is now a deleted part!), put the bottom bit on the water pump a la Haynes manual - 5 minutes and then spent the next 6 hours with a variety of drifts, spanners, screwdrivers, kitchen knives and anything else I could find trying to get the other bloody end on.
After much swearing, cursing, kicking, bleeding of knuckles I gave up and went to see the X Men 2 (Not bad, better than bypass hoses anyway) and brought the TVR to work today.
So, any handy hints on what shall henceforth be referred to as the 'Pig Job'?
Matt.
God damned bypass hose.
Got home, took the old one off - 5 mins, got the new one (after discovering that this is now a deleted part!), put the bottom bit on the water pump a la Haynes manual - 5 minutes and then spent the next 6 hours with a variety of drifts, spanners, screwdrivers, kitchen knives and anything else I could find trying to get the other bloody end on.
After much swearing, cursing, kicking, bleeding of knuckles I gave up and went to see the X Men 2 (Not bad, better than bypass hoses anyway) and brought the TVR to work today.
So, any handy hints on what shall henceforth be referred to as the 'Pig Job'?
Matt.
Hmmn, wanted to avoid that if possible. Annoying thing is that I have done this before, using nothing more than two screwdrivers, in a field, whilst it was raining. Can I remember the technique? Can I buggery.
To drop the water pump presumably I need to drop the rad bracket off the stat housing - does this have a gasket as well? (the housing to cylinder head rather than the bracket to the housing!)
Hmmmn, maybe a trip home via Cafco is in the offing.
Saturday? Surely Sunday? If I can get it sorted then I may have a run down there to see if there are any bargains about.
Matt.
To drop the water pump presumably I need to drop the rad bracket off the stat housing - does this have a gasket as well? (the housing to cylinder head rather than the bracket to the housing!)
Hmmmn, maybe a trip home via Cafco is in the offing.
Saturday? Surely Sunday? If I can get it sorted then I may have a run down there to see if there are any bargains about.
Matt.
Ah yes, Sunday of course.
Do you have the concertina type hose again, if so should go on rather easily.
Think you’ll need to take the rad out to get the water pump off, probably a good idea to put a new thermostat gasket on, I’d change the thermostat as well while I was there as well.
Paul
Do you have the concertina type hose again, if so should go on rather easily.
Think you’ll need to take the rad out to get the water pump off, probably a good idea to put a new thermostat gasket on, I’d change the thermostat as well while I was there as well.
Paul
Yeah its a concertina again, and still a pig.
Boiling water some have suggested to make it a little more pliable.
Perhaps I'll just bite the bullet, get a pump gasket, a stat housing gasket, a stat and a new radiator cap (as mine appears to be 16 ft/lbs but the Haynes manual suggest 15 ft/lbs) and do the lot whilst I am in there.
What has really pissed me off though is that it had a new water pump fitted during the MOT and they reused the bypass hose rather than investing the 50p and putting a new one on.
You going Sunday then?
Matt.
Boiling water some have suggested to make it a little more pliable.
Perhaps I'll just bite the bullet, get a pump gasket, a stat housing gasket, a stat and a new radiator cap (as mine appears to be 16 ft/lbs but the Haynes manual suggest 15 ft/lbs) and do the lot whilst I am in there.
What has really pissed me off though is that it had a new water pump fitted during the MOT and they reused the bypass hose rather than investing the 50p and putting a new one on.
You going Sunday then?
Matt.
Right then, after moving someone on Saturday I tried again, in vain, to fit this bloody hose yesterday. Got mightily pissed off with it so I finally took the rad off, and have dropped the water pump in anticipation of getting new gaskets, thermostat and rad cap this evening.
Now, given that I have the space to put any sort of hose on the recommendation seems to be to not use the concertina style bypass but to use a proper bit of water hose. I was thinking, and I require some assitance here, of fitting a section of silicon hose so I never have to do the damned job again. My question is, is this alright? Is the hose designed to go at a certain pressure and fitting a silicon one would knacker that? What do you think?
Now, given that I have the space to put any sort of hose on the recommendation seems to be to not use the concertina style bypass but to use a proper bit of water hose. I was thinking, and I require some assitance here, of fitting a section of silicon hose so I never have to do the damned job again. My question is, is this alright? Is the hose designed to go at a certain pressure and fitting a silicon one would knacker that? What do you think?
Brighton was good, got a place at the last minute so ended up parking on the drive, Mini made it there and back, it has blown the manifold gasket but a new one was only £1 so can’t complain to much.
Getting a little hot above 70 mph oh and the Speedo is now out a bit, “but officer it said I was doing 70 when actually doing 100”
Getting a little hot above 70 mph oh and the Speedo is now out a bit, “but officer it said I was doing 70 when actually doing 100”
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