Type R Plumbing
 

I had a test fit of the engine to sort out bracketry, and I'm now looking at the plumbing. It seems straight forward enough:

two large diameter pipes from radiator connect to two large diameter pipes on engine.

Two small diameter pipes from heater unit connect to two smaller diameter pipes on engine.

However, I also have a header tank (Rover) with a small pipe and a very small pipe - how does this plumb in?

Also does it matter which way round the two heater and two radiator pipes connect to the engine?

Thanks for any help!
Tim

The common way to install the auto-bleed to the header tank, is to remove the thermostatic valve located in the vertical, near the head outlet, and install a fitting to allow you to connect a pipe between it and the header tank.

The bigger pipe from the header needs to be connected to a t-piece in the return to the water pump.

As for the radiator. Top rad pipe, to head outlet on engine, bottom radiator pipe to water pump connection (plastic).

Heater matrix upper pipe to the outlet (bright zinc galv) on the rear of the head, and the lower pipe on the heater matrix to the steel pipe painted black on the rear of the engine, near the heater outlet from the head.

Thanks - I think that all makes sense.

Did you use particular parts for the T pieces?

Thanks again
Tim

I welded up a t-piece using some 316 stainless I had kicking around the garage. I didn't try to find an off the shelf item. I did ditch the marlin H20 hose, and fit some full bore hose to minimise pressure drops, and fitted reducing elbows to connect to the rad.

I used a 38mm x 22mm copper solder-ring reducing Tee with a 22 x 15 reducer to fit the large pipe from the header which worked very nicely (the solder ring flare helps with hose retention). I stuck with the H20 piping from Marlin (to save money really) and haven't had any overheating issues due to flow rate, even hammering it in hot weather.

If you search on the site you will find the trouble I had with airlocking in my radiator though, which did lead to some dramatic overheating! I found it was due to air being drawn back into the engine head from my expansion bottle (through the small pipe). I added a dip pipe in the bottle and have solved the problem, but never did work out why mine suffered from this and John's (alackofspeed) didn't.

I got me tee pieces made by a local company http://www.spec-r.co.uk/ out of ally
I have no pipes from marlin i have used samco tube for all me Cooling and heater pipes

Different auto-bleed connection, and different expansion tank (mine's a VW item, which is baffled). Which aspect is accountable.... who knows.

Jerry - is your car finished??!?

Ditto, mine was made up aswell lots of places do it including cbs

Craig

Jerry, is your car finished yet??

Nope not been near it in 6 months
Other priority's at the moment
Will be back to it soon