Hello, recently purchased a coupe after a visit to the Malvern mini show. Now we`ve mastered the gear change it is a pleasure to drive.However, we could do with a bit of advice regarding the heater.The feed to the matrix sits across the flow and return pipework to the rad and only gets hot when its been run down the M1 for about 10 miles or so. The rev counter does not function at this time so we don`t know at what revs it becomes effective.
Its running an A series and she does heat up quickly.Will any of the following be effective.
Smaller water pump pulley?
High volume water pump?
Bigger header tank?

Colin

How about fitting a small electric pump for the heater circuit?
Like this small Bosch one.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BOSCH-WATER-P ... 0984307440

Hi
The heater should have it's own feed direct from the cylinder head.
Either from the valve at the flywheel end(Mini set up) or from
the sandwich plate below the themostat(Metro set up).
Hot water flows to heater before the thermostat opens.

Many thanks for the info.With everything running quite nicely at the moment we think we might try the electric water pump option. However,with another coupe to build we will adopt the proper set up with the heater fed from the cylinder head.
Thanks again
Colin
PS we need a fuel tank . Does anybody have one or know where there might be one.

I could have an alloy fuel tank made using mine as a template if you like?

Connecting up the heater as Alan states, i.e like intended you will get hot water very quickly and a more efficient heater. Leaving it connected to the pipework with for the radiator it will still take along time to gain any heat.

Neil

Many thanks for the offer re the fuel tank.Any chance of an approx price plse.We`re on a pretty tight budget and with quite a way to go yet have got to watch the pennies as best we can.
With regards to the heater feed i understand that the correct set up would be more effective its just the grief of piping it up thru the tunnel. I`m off over christmas so will give it some more thought.
I`ll try to post some pics over the next couple of days, including a diagram of the cooling system.
Colin

I'm having similar problems to this on my Libra. Since i've had the car the heater has not worked at all. The pipes to the heater are taken from the radiator top & bottom hoses. Had it apart today just to verify that the heater matrix wasn't blocked. That was all OK. But it appears to be getting no flow to the actual heater unit. Both the flow & return pipes are just getting warm at the start but not near the heater. I think its trying to push the flow from both ends & thus cancelling each other out.
So i'm wondering if a pump as suggested in an earlier post would sort my problem. My other thought is to put non-return valves at either end to try and get the flow in one direction. Any thoughts on this or any other ideas would be most welcome.
I know the best way is to run the heater pipes back to the engine, but thats not really possible for me at the moment!

In my view sven the pumped system is the only one that will work for you.

You need a pressure differance for flow to be achieved. the pressure drop across just the radiator will not be enough to overcome the presure drop across the heater matrix so it is taking the line of least resistance the main radiator.

For the system to work without an aux pump you need to tap from a high pressure area, i.e from the block after the pump and before the thermostat. Then return to a low pressure area i.e the bottom hose just before the pump.

If you pump your current system it will work but as the hot feed is post thermostat you will not see any warm water until the engine has warmed up and will not be as efficient heat wise as above.

Neil

At work few weeks ago i did head on 1400 rover 25 k-sieries heats blow cold unless it was thrashed they went lute warm done many before and always change pump and stat etc, did head and it remained the same had changed matric control valve was tight the boss decided it must have hair line fracture in a liner unconviced by his diagnoses i fited engine and yes still the same! So one last thing to try the (saab valve) as known by rover main dealer parts this is a saab part and has a saab part number on it go to saab main dealer for it 2day wait from sweeden and £18cheaper than rover. It is pressure reilf bypass for when the matrics valve is shut it has alittle plastic disc with a spring behind it the disc wears down and get forced into the stat housing and blocks it pessurising cooling system hope this helps ill get part number off old unit on monday . It should be able to be adopted with the a-sieries engine so it heats matrics before rad. laters alex.