Overheating 1.8, help?!

The small pipe I was referring to earlier goes into the header tank. If your not sure whether coolant is coming out of it or not just pull it off and start the car. There should be a steady stream going back into the header tank.

Alibro said:

The small pipe I was referring to earlier goes into the header tank. If your not sure whether coolant is coming out of it or not just pull it off and start the car. There should be a steady stream going back into the header tank.

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I'll have a look at this, I'll get up early tomorrow and try and look at it in the morning before work, if not it'll be the weekend.
I've never even heard of a jiggle valve so you've been very helpful, thank you!

Becca1605 said:

I hope your optimism is correct! What's the best way to get rid of an airlock? Because on Saturday I opened the bleed screw and ran the engine to try and get rid of it but that hasn't worked. And would the airlock prevent the water coming out from the bleed screw because nothing comes out when it's undone.

Would the air be getting in through the header tank cap? That's been suggested to me a few times.

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Remember that there should be two bleed screws.

asnitker said:

Remember that there should be two bleed screws.

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You're right! I forgot about the bleed screw on the metal pipe.

Alibro said:

You're right! I forgot about the bleed screw on the metal pipe.

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Where is the second bleed screw?

Becca1605 said:

Where is the second bleed screw?

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It's on the bottom hose link pipe. You'll find it at the end of the engine, above the bell housing to engine joint.
I, like RB think you have a fire ring that has started to let go.

Nodge68 said:

It's on the bottom hose link pipe. You'll find it at the end of the engine, above the bell housing to engine joint.
I, like RB think you have a fire ring that has started to let go.

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I'll try bleeding that one too, and find the jiggle valve.
So you reckon it's probably something to do with the gasket?

Once you locate it - it is not that hard to get to with an extension. I think its a 8mm nut. You should bleed this one first since its located lower then the other bleed screw (the plastic one on the rubber pipe).

asnitker said:

Once you locate it - it is not that hard to get to with an extension. I think its a 8mm nut. You should bleed this one first since its located lower then the other bleed screw (the plastic one on the rubber pipe).

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Thank you, I'll take a look tomorrow morning and see if I can find it. Now I've got a couple of bits to look for!

also take the small pipe of at the header tank with engine just on start up and blow into it if the jiggle valve is stuck it may release it.

teddywood1 said:

also take the small pipe of at the header tank with engine just on start up and blow into it if the jiggle valve is stuck it may release it.

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That's handy to know, thank you. I'll try that at the weekend.
I started it yesterday, which took about 10 tries. The battery is new, and although it's not been used in a couple of weeks, it ran for a long time on Saturday and I drove it up the road, but yesterday I was pumping the accelerator to get it to start, it did eventually and with the bonnet already up I had a look and the engine had a bit of smoke coming off it so I turned it off.

It's been fine since I bought it home, Saturday it struggled to start but it did. Yesterday it really struggled and took a couple of minutes of trying. Any ideas? Could it be the HG after all?

Smoke or steam? Either way rather suspicious. Where was it coming from?

rob_bell said:

Smoke or steam? Either way rather suspicious. Where was it coming from?

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I'd say possibly steam, I thought maybe condensation but I'll take another look at it on Sunday when I'm not working. I need to take a look at the jiggle valve too, so I've got a few bits to do.

I'd say it was coming from just above the exhaust manifold if that's any help?

Near the alternator? Possibly the bead on the gasket has failed - any update?

rob_bell said:

Near the alternator? Possibly the bead on the gasket has failed - any update?

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Would that cause it to overheat? I haven't touched it since, but I've got the whole weekend to look at it now so any ideas and I'll crack on. Luckily it's not my main car so I'm not in any rush to fix it, but I would like it for the summer.

Loss of pressure: the system is pressurised which raises the boiling point of the coolant. If it has a leak, the water will boil away at its more usual 100C. Then, as airlocks form, the circulation within the cooling system fails, leading to overheating...

rob_bell said:

Loss of pressure: the system is pressurised which raises the boiling point of the coolant. If it has a leak, the water will boil away at its more usual 100C. Then, as airlocks form, the circulation within the cooling system fails, leading to overheating...

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I've checked it over and it's definitely not the HG, it's got air in there somewhere. I've changed the spark plugs cos only 3 were working.
I blew in to the pipe for the jiggle valve and since doing that my heating is working and I'm getting water out of the bleed screw.

So at the weekend I'll drive it to a hill facing up and bleed it as someone else has suggested to me, and it'll be taxed and insured on Saturday.

I need to change the prop because the bearings have gone and I need to rewire the headlight cos one of them isn't working either. Apart from that, it's fine!

Anymore advice on getting the air out would be appreciated

Bleeding the coolant from the K-series cooling circuit is curiously challenging - not entirely sure why, but it is. When I did mine, I bled it with the engine running and the coolant cap off. Then went around squeezing all the hoses I could lay my hands on to shift pockets of air through. Then keep the coolant reservoir topped up, replace the cap, and get the engine right up to temperature with the cooling fan cutting in and out (really difficult to get it this warm if you have the heater on full, so you need to close the heater valve to get the coolant system this hot) and then do the same again, re-open the heater valve (on full heat) and ensure that the bleed screws just run with coolant without bubbles.

Then take it for a good drive - and when hot run it through the whole rev-range through the gears and then check the bleeding points are again running just coolant and not air.

Obviously you need to be very careful with hot coolant!!!

If anyone else has some brilliant tips, I'd love to hear them too!

Drive it, bleed it, drive it, bleed it, etc etc
Should be fine after a few heat cycles.

Thanks guys! I'll be bleeding it again tomorrow, so hopefully keep doing it I might be lucky! My dad used to be a mechanic so he said he was gonna flush the system through and that might work too.

Changed the spark plugs after work last night in the dark And it's insured and taxed now so I can take it out legally for a good run.
I'll bleed it tomorrow and run it around for a bit, I need to change the prop or at least the bearings, it sounds dreadful! And the headlight is being rewired tomorrow so I can see driving at night.

I'll let you all know how I get on tomorrow, fingers crossed for a pretty dry day!