jcaswell Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Hello all, first off my car is a bit of a hybrid. Its a post 1996 chassis, 2 litre zetec on jenvey 45 throttle bodies.There is a fresh air heater. When driving my car early spring and summer monthes it hardly gets to 80 degrees and hardly any heat just barely warm air from heater not worth anything. I started out removing the 82 degree thermostat and installed an 88 degree hardly any improvement in heat. I do not have any air locks in cooling system .My heater take offs are from the nylon thermostat housing on the rear of the motor. I am using a newer aluminum radiator with electric cooling fan. When having the car idle in driveway and bring up to operating temperature it heats up to about 95 degrees the electric fan kicks in cools down to 90 degrees and cuts out.When I drive It never gets above 80 degrees and still hardly any heat. Any zetec owners have any hints on how high a temperature thermostat I could use or do I have a plumbing problem. All seems right the way everything is plumbed. I could send pictures off all my connections in the cooling system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Could be airflow through radiator overcooling the coolant. In winter I block off 1/3 or 2/3 of the nosecone opening with closed cell black foam slipped between the 7 grille and mesh grille. Makes quite a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR400D Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 I appreciate my car’s different but it runs between about 77 and 82, generally sitting at 80. I have no issues with the heater, 75 up should be plenty to heat the air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garybee Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 That doesn't sound like an overcooling issue to me. At those temperatures there should be plenty of heat available for the cabin. I would be suspecting poor flow through the heater matrix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcaswell Posted March 3, 2019 Author Share Posted March 3, 2019 Hi thanks for your response. What degree thermostat do you run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garybee Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 82 I think but my car is not much use a comparison. It's a K-series and it doesn't even have a heater.edit: when it's cold out you can warm your left leg on the transmission tunnel after you've been going a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garybee Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 To confirm a cheap non contact thermometer or maybe a thermocouple would answer the question quickly. Your engine will have a thermostat housing with two outlets, one to the top hose and one to the heater matrix. If you compare the heat at each of them and also the heater inlet and outlet you will have your answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 You can gauge a lot by simply feeling the heater hoses ... are they both at the same temperature once the engine is warmed up. Is the bypass valve operating through its full travel. If one hose is cooler .... could be partial airlock in the heater or sludged up as suggested above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaterBram Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 I run a 1.8 zetec on Webber DCOE 45's in a 1990 chassis with the flat style heater, she was originally a XFlow Live Axle.No problem with heat on Zetec's as they like running warm, normally 80+ on water & Oil.I use the standard Zetec 92 Deg thermostat. (Yes 92) none of this nambi pambi K Series malarki....If you are using the Zetec standard housing as I am, it sounds like you have the radiator bypass hose and heater hose reversed.The zetec therostat has the extra plate on the bottom so when the thermostat opens it closes the bypass loop off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcaswell Posted March 3, 2019 Author Share Posted March 3, 2019 Thanks for your reply. Could you send me any pictures of your set up. Mine is how I received the car and I'm not sure its correct, it seems to be correct. There is a noticeable different in the temp of each heater hose when car is fully warm. The one hose comes from thermostat side of housing and is the lower hose an the heater valve. The top hose on the heater valve goes to the back side of the thermostat housing on the engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garybee Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Just to clarify...are you saying that the inlet and outlet of the heater are both connected to the thermostat housing? If so you've found the reason for your low flow. Edit: never mind, just seen you were replying to caterbram. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcaswell Posted March 3, 2019 Author Share Posted March 3, 2019 yes one from front thermostat, on the motor and the other to the rear of the thermostat on the engine motor both go to the heater valve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garybee Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 That sounds different to your previous description of the system. I think this is going to need pictures of how the components in your system are connected to clarify. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcaswell Posted March 3, 2019 Author Share Posted March 3, 2019 Here's a couple of pictures of my setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonym Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 I hate to ask, but the heater open/close valve is open isn't it? That bit that looks like a choke cable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Control knob pushed fully home ... valve closed. Knob pulled out .. opens valve. Both the inlet and outlet hoses getting equally hot tells you the heater will work. If one stays cold, you won't get heat into the cockpit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p.mole1 Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Have you got the heater plumbed into the correct places on the engine?, I'm sorry I can't help you there as I have a K series, but even with an 82 degree stat and a new large radiator my heater puts out lots of heat. On my heater there is no noticeable difference between the inlet and outlet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p.mole1 Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Normally you have the flow to the heater from the cylinder head or top hose going to the radiator before the thermostat and the return from the heater going to the bottom hose or a fitting where the water is returning into the block from the radiator. I think you are not getting any flow through the heater matrix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garybee Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 OK, looking at those pictures it appears that the small (16mm) outlet from the left hand side of the thermostat housing goes through the heater control valve to the heater inlet. It looks like the heater outlet then goes straight to the 16mm connection on the right hand side of the thermostat housing. I can't quite see that part in the pictures though so can you confirm that there is nothing else in the system and I've got this correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcaswell Posted March 3, 2019 Author Share Posted March 3, 2019 yes that is how it is plumbed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garybee Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 In which case you've got no flow through the heater (as per my 1st post) due to a plumbing error. Both of the connections on the thermostat housing [that you're using] are outlets. You need to make a couple of changes to your cooling system to allow the warm-up circuit and heater circuit to work as intended. I'll draw a diagram and get back to you later.I'm surprised you haven't had other issues with the way it's currently plumbed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 My SV(Zetec) would not normally go above 45C. I switched to a warmer thermostat which helped some. The final solution was to place a piece of aluminum 1/3 of the way up the radiator. This gets the temperature up to about 80C. Now there is enough heat in the winter and I haven't had to remove the piece in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elie boone Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 The lower connection on the heater should go underneath the exhaust and connect to the outlet on the block of the lower radiator connection, there should be a connection or a blanking plug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molecular--Bob Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 I will try and describe how mine was set up,1.32mm large hose out of thermostat housing, to top of radiator, no other connections2. 15mm Small hose below this one (bypass connection open during warm up only), goes to 15mm T-joint in lower radiator hose, no other connection3. 15mm outlet opposite the 32mm outlet on thermostat housing goes to heater, then from heater to second 15mm T-joint in lower radiator hose. This 15mm hose has a 15mm T-joint in it to allow connection to expansion tank.4. small (10mm?) hose at top of thetmostat housing goes to to small connector at top of header tank T into this if you also have a bleed conection on your radiator.I used a Caterham rover 2 outlet "submarine" to give the 15mm outlets in the bottom hose.http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/gallery/a316003-cooling-system-r2.jpegthe above is pretty close except that the hose going to the bottom of the rad was T-ed of the 15mm heater hose as caterhams do not have this option. The heater hose must be connected or the water pump can suck open the stat as it has a fairly feeble spring, giving an overcooling effect as the radiator is always in the coolant circuit if this happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcaswell Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 OK thanks every one who responded. I now see its a plumbing issue. Now have diagram to go by. Will let everyone know how goes when I re-plumb. I have an aluminum piece for my lower rad hose . It only has two take offs. I will try and get a third welded in place or I will need a metal T pice to work this out. Any one know where I can get 15MM x15mm x15 mm stainless or T 5/8"x 5/8"x5/8" will work as well. Thanks Jamie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now