Cooling System

17th April 2009 - I got the right angle hose today from PSH. Its a VERY tight squeeze to get the heater offered into position with the hose on but I just managed it. There is no way you could fit the hose after the heater is in position. I then removed the heater and made a cardboard template to mark the positions of the RivNuts. Next job is to re-fit the heater into position and fix the cardboard template over the heater outlets on the foot well side. Once that is done I can mark the positions of the RivNuts and drill through. You can just see where I had to re-position the RivNut on the picture below. As mentioned earlier It won't be seen once fitted so I would sooner "play safe than sorry" and move it.

3rd May 2009 - Went to Stoneleigh today so came back inspired and spent an hour or so in the garage fitting the heater. It's a real sod to fit because the right angle hose need to be fitted before the heater gets bolted in, as you can't get to it afterwards. The problem is that its a really tight fit in a confined space!! Anyway got it in and the template for the bolt holes worked well. So, as you see below, one less job to do before the body goes on!

While I was at it, I painted the battery tray which will go at the bottom of the heater cavity, when I am ready to Battery in.

All that remains now is to fit it. I can't do that just yet as I am waiting from some right angle hose to fit through into the engine bay. Due to space this can't be done afterwards. There was a right angle hose supplied but the ID is 15mm. My heater hoses are 16mm and I what to match them so I've sent to PSH for a replacement.

Once you have it in bits, you need to grind off the fitting brackets from the end plates, they will get in the way in the tight confines of the inner wing. You then need to drill four holes to accept some M6 Rivnuts in the main heater case. Be careful when drilling for the Rivnuts that they are high enough up so that the bolts when fitted, don't interfere with the Matrix. I did one to low down (bottom right on the picture below) and had to fit another one slightly higher to be safe. A bit annoying but then again no one will see it!!

12th April 2009 - Time to look at the heater prior to fitting it into the body. Due to the space in the inner wing, you need to make some modifications to the heater case. Firstly you need to dismantle the heater, taking off the end plates, removing the motor and carefully taking out the matrix.

28th July 2008 - Final bit of the jigsaw that is the plumbing was put in place tonight. I received the last bit of hose I required from PSH, so that I could connect the heater hose and heater return hose together ( heater not fitted till body arrives) which will enable me to fill the system with water ready for the first start. You can just see the temporary dash to the right with all my warning indicators ready for engine start. (worried.......................nah!!!!).

27th June 2008 - Took my radiator into Lincolnshire Radiators in Lincoln and fortunately it was easily repairable. They sealed the damaged bar off and pressure tested the radiator to 25lb, so I know its sound. Got it all back together and eventually fitted the rad plus fan to the chassis. That mistake cost me £25 but I guess its better than a new radiator. Pictures of the damage, repair and the fan bracket and fittings below.

25th June 2008 - Received my Pacet electric fan today from Demon Tweeks. I needed to make a bracket to fit the fan to the radiator because the standard method of fitting, where a tie wrap type fitting is passed through the rad to hold the fan on, is infamously bad for the rad and has been know to split or damage the matrix. I decided to follow the example of Simon (fellow Cobra builder) by fitting a bracket, attached at the top and bottom of the radiator by rivets, to secure the fan to. The bracket is riveted at the top and bottom but drilling the holes was a bit scary!! Simon assured me there was plenty of space, and he was right, thankfully!! The vertical bars (20mm by 3mm mild steel) were drilled, and 5mm Rivnuts fitted. The fan would then be bolted to these, making for a secure fixing.

Now this all sound fairly straight forward, until the drill bit snapped when drilling the holes for the rivets!! As it snapped, the drill veered across and dug into the radiator matrix damaging one horizontal bar and puncturing another!! Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I should have covered the rad but I didn't.

27th Jan 2008 - Not a lot of garage time this weekend. I did manage to sneak in for an hour though and fit the radiator!! I will measure up now for hoses and send away for them this week. Hopefully have something to play with next weekend!!!

You will notice on the pictures below, I still need to remove the threaded extension on the water pump pulley that was used for the fan and viscous coupling on the original Rover engine. Its not really in the way but it would look better without it. Obviously I don't need it now as I am going to use an electric fan. It should come off with a grinder OK and then just polish the end up similar to the one in the last picture below, which is a Rover engine prepared by Jim Robinson from JRV8 expert on all things Rover!!).

28th-30th Mar 2008 - Got a delivery of hoses and associated bits today from PSH (Performance Silicon Hoses). They are very good quality and a lot cheaper than Samco. Also got them the day after ordering! I'm using the polished aluminium tubes for connecting the hoses (see below). It's an expensive option but since when has that stopped a Cobra builder?!!! The bottle of wine at the top of the picture is ready for the ritual Friday night wind down!!! Hic!!!

Saturday, and I started to fit the hoses. First to go on was the water pump to bottom of Radiator hoses. Looks very nice even though I do say so myself!! Then I fitted the Header Tank. Some people fit these off set so the radiator hoses line up. I wanted mine in the middle (I like symmetry!!) so I am having to fit some 45 degree pipes to get it to fit properly. Extra expense again!! Once the Header tank was on (held on by 8mm Rivnuts into the cross member) I fitted the overflow pipe. I held it to the cross member with stainless steel cable ties.

I have fitted an electronic fan controller unit in the top hose. Not sure how to wire it up yet, but I'll worry about that a bit later.

I fitted a 90 degree elbow to finish of the heater pipe where it comes out of the water pump and joins the pipe towards the heater (goes under the inlet manifold and then through the wing to the heater), that is the cooling pipework just about finished. Need to get a fan and block off the heater pipes before I start it up!!

10th Feb 2010 - I knocked up a couple of pipe unions tonight for the heating\ducting pipes. The two pipes that come from the heater need routing into four to accommodate the demisters and foot well outlets. I manufactured two splitters form plastic plumbing pipe, sticking them together with solvent glue and then for double measure sealing round the joints with Silkaflex. I got the idea from Steve (fellow builder) and it seems to be the perfect solution. Why did I paint them?........................no idea!!!

I also got back the demister vent from the welder. The job is neat enough, especially after I painted it. Hopefully this will cure the fitting problem of the glove box.

31st Jan 2010 - With the windscreen nearly fitted and the dashboard waiting, I need to sort out the demister and heater vents. Firstly, I have an immediate problem!! Because I have chosen to have a glove compartment in the dash, the nearside demister gets in the way. So, I needed to bend it backwards out of the way. What I have done is cut an 8mm piece out of the demister. I then bent it to a near right angle and have given it to a local engineer to weld it up for me. Once I get it back I will see if this drastic action achieves the desired space to fit the dash with glove box in. ~ Watch this space.................!!

25th July 2009 - I have been struggling to find a neat way off routing and fixing the heater hoses. On the Rover engine they feed backwards from the front of the engine, under the manifold. Eventually, with a bit of help from looking at Simon Rudman's car (again),

I came up with a solution that I was happy with. I used the Aeroquip fittings (as Simon had done) from ThinkAuto, to give me the right angle I needed through into the heater compartment, and some right angle hoses to route neatly round the bulkhead area. I don't think these will cause an issue as there isn't much pressure in this hose.

You will notice also, on the second picture, I have nicked one of Simons idea's and crafted a cover for the engine bay and main body loom joins. This serves two purposes for me. Firstly it tidy's up that corner where the cables are, and secondly, give me somewhere to secure a clip for the heater hoses.............thanks Simon!!