Top Hose thermostats on K series

[Tony Martyr]

I seached without success to see if there were any reports on the use of the QED top hose thermostat system on a K series fitted to a Caterham.

Has anybody on this forum fitted one, if so with which temperature setting and expereince?

[henry21p]

Have one fitted to the 21 as a measure to stop all these failures. Works a treat. From QED... Can't remember what temperature the thermostat in it was. Speak to Paul Cottee at QED, or Clive at Aryliam as they decided the best thermostat for me.

 

Comes in a lovely blue colour as well!

[PAUL MARRIOTT]

I'm intereasted in this as well. I'm just ditching my htr and fitting the r500 water rail.

 

If a return line thermostat is fitted where are the temp probes mounted and do you need a bypas line?

 

Paul M.

 

 

[Bricol]

After reading the artivcle Nig posted up, I too took a look at QED top hose housing - very nice but looks expensive. I assume the smaller connection is fed back into the circuit somewhere so there is a flow of coolant past the bulb.

 

There are a number of older Renaults with a simple thermostate in the top hose - simply slip it in and clamp with a hose clip - thats the way they are fitted on a Renault. So I thought I had it solved - but from memory (I'm at work, the CAT is in the garage at home), the heater take off on the water rail is a long way back from the top hose connection - so no hot flow past the bulb. If it could be plumbed in just after the heater take off, the flow to the heater would pass the bulb making it operate as required. However, if the stat has a hole in (which I think some do), water would flow past anyway . . .

 

Thinking aloud - if anyone has any thought . . .?

 

 

[prs]

I ran a thread on this about a year ago as I was also considering doing exactly the same. The response was basically don't bother with it, my set up now uses a 74c stat and my temps sit on 75-80c water and about 75c oil in summer so seems ok to me.

 

Phil S7SVN

[Scuffers]

If your going to re-plumb these are the best idea,

 

cheaper version (and also technically somewhat better) is the Eliseparts remote stat, it has a much larger by-pass, thus the water in the engine jacket is far more mobile even in cold/stat shut conditions.

 

 

[Tony Martyr]

The QED unit is £125 + VAT and comes with Tee and hose of the bypass that would run into the header tank intake line.

I have the Adobe document on the item from QED but being a web incompetant have no idea how to share it but will forward it to anyone who has the knowledge.

[Paul Drawmer]

I have the QED item in a rear engined car (GTM) it's a must for that configuration.

 

If you want to try a top heater hose 'stat try using something like the BMW part for the E30 325.

It's a 'stat in a housing, and is less expensive then either Elise parts or QED. (I would have used it myself if I'd thought about it - I can't even see the pretty purple QED thing!)

 

All these 'stats will need the by-pass hose (for before the 'stat opens) linked back to water rail where the original thermostat is. Also don't forget to punch the middle out of the original, since the housing needs something in there, you can't just take it out.