I made like Jaye, aka steam train!!!

[mep12345]

Drove home from Bristol today after SCH last week, traffic awful so got very hot by Avonmouth but soon cooled down when running free, temp went very high once then fan cut in and it cooled, then sycled nicely on fan around 90 to he white line, but when I got to my drive fan didn't seem to cut in again and this time it liftd the pressure cap and made like a steam train. As it was on my drive I stopped engine , pushed in garage and will sort tomorrow when fully cooled.

However car now cool enough to get caps off and water level is only slightly lower than normal in swirl pot i.e 2/3 full so haven't lost much. My thoughts are poor fan connection/temperature sensor causing fan to not cut in intermittently, so tomorrow I will check the connections. Any other ideas (and don't say swap the caps over Norman!!!!)

I also intend to run in an over-ride switch. How have others done this, by using the switch to bypass the sensor, or to supply the fan directly. Any advice welcomed.

Mark

[TVR-Stu]

Hi Mark, sorry to hear you've got cooling issues.

I've just fitted an over ride switch under the dash. After others had posted that it was a straight forward job. I've run the two wires from the switch directly to the otter switch itself leaving the original connections intact so it will operate normally (as normally as they do that is!) or you can 'over ride' as and when you want to. Works very well for me.

Stu.

[Gerald-TVR]

mep12345 said:

(and don't say swap the caps over Norman!!!!)

Would I ever!!!

mep12345 said:

I also intend to run in an over-ride switch. How have others done this, by using the switch to bypass the sensor, or to supply the fan directly. Any advice welcomed.
Mark

Got an autoelectrican to do mine, he connected the new switch directly to the fan relay in the fuse board - said it was the professional way to do it!!!!

[tvrgit]

Mine is wired the same as Stu's - ie in parallel with the otter switch connections.

That won't help if the fan supply connector is duff though - I had exactly the same symptoms as you once, and it was the connector to the fan - it's just behind the bottom centre of the radiator.

[ketvrin]

You are in denial Mark... you KNOW you just need to swap the caps over to the correct way round as we discussed at SCH

K

[Barkychoc]

I had steam train mode last week running the cam in (20 mins at 2000 revs - the neighbours loved it) - it was a very iffy connector on the fan, for now I've chopped it out and connected the wires permanently with crimp connectors.

Its amazing how little water makes so much steam!

[Tant]

Mark

I fitted a Revotec adjustable fan controller to mine some time ago and it works great.

It is pretty much a piece of aluminium tube that replaces a section of hose between swirl pot and radiator. It has a small in built prtentiometer and is adjustable between about 60 to 120 degrees (I think). It took a little bit of wiring in, and I had to use a second relay to the one provided, but pretty much all it does is work in parrallel with the existing fan switch. Mine is set to come on just as the needle crosses the 90 degree line, and it has worked very well for the past 2 years.

If you want a manual override switch, you could simply connect it across the existing fan switch, as all you are doing is switching the relay on and off.

If you want any pics etc just let me know

cheers

ant

[mep12345]

ketvrin said:

You are in denial Mark... you KNOW you just need to swap the caps over to the correct way round as we discussed at SCH

K

As you know kev - mine won't fit the other way round as the pressure cap won't clamp and seal on the swirl pot - I have tried (and am considering fitting a thicker rubber seal and trying again) As I've said both ways should work with advantages and dis........... Oh bugger there it goes again

Looked this morning and I reckon I have lost about 100ml of water tops over the full period including my overflow on the runway, which I now reckon was also down to the fan not cutting in when it normally does.

Ant,

Some photos of yours would be good as it seems like a good idea, also where you got it from. Please email pics to [e-mail]

Thanks

Mark

Edited by mep12345 on Saturday 29th May 09:46

[Gerald-TVR]

Seriously though originally had the pressure cap on the swirl pot and the seal on the expansion tank and it worked fine until I fitted a new pressure cap which didn’t let the water return to the swirl pot. Reverted back to the old cap and all was well for a while. Then I started to have a very small leak from the top of the swirl pot. Tries a replacement cap with no improvement and noticed the lips of the swirl pot, a stainless steel replacement, were bent up allowing a leak. Tapped them back down but they bent up again caused, i think by the spring pressure.

So I decided to swap the caps around, ie pressure cap on expansion tank and seal on the swirl pot - works perfectly. So both ways work equally well in my experience as long as the pressure cap allows two way flow.

Norman

[mep12345]

Gerald-TVR said:

Seriously though originally had the pressure cap on the swirl pot and the seal on the expansion tank and it worked fine until I fitted a new pressure cap which didn’t let the water return to the swirl pot. Reverted back to the old cap and all was well for a while. Then I started to have a very small leak from the top of the swirl pot. Tries a replacement cap with no improvement and noticed the lips of the swirl pot, a stainless steel replacement, were bent up allowing a leak. Tapped them back down but they bent up again caused, i think by the spring pressure.

So I decided to swap the caps around, ie pressure cap on expansion tank and seal on the swirl pot - works perfectly. So both ways work equally well in my experience as long as the pressure cap allows two way flow.

Norman

Same as me Norm (except the pressure cap has always been on expansion tank unless I've tried the other way around) - found problem though and will post a pic when the rain stops so can roll car out of garage - the wires have obviously rubbed on the chassis on the fan power supply to the point that they are exposed and causing an intermittent break - solution will be easy when I can get under the car easily.

Mark

[Tant]

will do Mark...tied up today, but will post tomorrow...

cheers

Ant

[mep12345]

Tant said:

will do Mark...tied up today, but will post tomorrow...

cheers

Ant

Thanks Ant,

No hurry - will fix the wire break quickly then test and think about over-ride/adjustable control slightly slower time. I've never had any cooling issues before even in major traffic jams and yesterday was definitely fan not cutting in intermittently as most of the time it cycled ok between 90 and the white line - Voltages are correct at the right places on the connectors and the wire damage is between connector and fan - so I am 99.9% confident I have found the issue, which will be an easy fix with a bit of shrink wrap and a soldering iron.

Mark

[tvrgit]

Hate to say I told you so, but...

[mep12345]

tvrgit said:

Hate to say I told you so, but...

All hail the Guru

[ketvrin]

mep12345 said:

ketvrin said:

You are in denial Mark... you KNOW you just need to swap the caps over to the correct way round as we discussed at SCH

K

As you know kev - mine won't fit the other way round as the pressure cap won't clamp and seal on the swirl pot - I have tried (and am considering fitting a thicker rubber seal and trying again) As I've said both ways should work with advantages and dis........... Oh bugger there it goes again


Mark

Edited by mep12345 on Saturday 29th May 09:46

I thought I got a nibble just then

[mep12345]

Fixed, and just for KeTVRin I am going to run with the pressure cap on the swirl pot for a while now I've got it to seal as I always say both ways work. Anyway with regards to the steam and cooling fan, it looks like it had happened before as there was a clear solder splice already in the system and the wires had worn to the extent of shorting and blowing the fuse.



Anyway new length of wire soldered in, now securely tied away from edge of radiator, which is what was cutting the wire, and tie wrapped to chassis. Cooling system refilled and cycled through full temperature range to check fan cut in and out. All works fine now.

Mark

[ketvrin]

Glad to hear its sorted Mark

K

[Tant]

Mark/all

sorry it's taken a while but here is a photo of my adjustable fan controller switch. You can set the temperature to pretty much anything....mine is set to cut in the fan just as the needle comes to the 90 degree line.....it could probably go hotter as the thermostat doesn't open till about 85 degrees.

I bought it from Europa specialist spares it is an EPC35 and cost about £57 inc postage and VAT.

The relay is pre wired which is a bit of a problem as it is used to switch a live supply. I used this switched live to switch another relay, whose N/O contacts are wired across the existing fan switch, which switches the existing fan relay. By doing it that way, I have left the existing switch operational as a back up in case the variable switch or relays ever play up.

Anyway, photo of the controller with the cover removed, showing the small potentiometer where you set the cut in temp..





Hope that helps

Ant