Got a BOA'd XR4x4 a month or so back, after a run I if I lift the bonnet just to have a quick scan over everything it seems insanely hot, I mean I know obviously engines do get very hot but this just seems extreme, like you don't want to put your face near it to have a look around in the small gaps here and there.

Is it fair to say that the long nose bonnet of the XR4x4 is too enclosed, would I be helping it by putting a short nosed Saff bonnet on and a Saff grill? Or even a vented bonnet also? I dont want it to look like a Saff but better than it overheating, will it add to the chances of it overheating if the heat cannot escape, surely I'd be doing it a favour by letting it out.

I have yet to get shut of the Air con crap that is on there, it's already disconnected, I know more cool air will get to the radiator if I remove the air con rad- to me it's looks like an obstruction and I don't need it so I'll take that out.

I just don't want the engine to get too hot..?

Am I being paranoid??

Edit to say it still has the viscous fan on it and the needle settles in the middle of the temperature gauge and seems to work fine. I also have the electric fan from the air con wired to a manual switch just in case.

 

what fans are you running?
and what rad?

you need twin leccy fans at the very least and a good air flow

also, try to wrap the exhaust manifolds as in some cases these can produce loads of heat

if all else fails, make sure it's not getting hot because it's got a blocked waterway or an air lock, the granada's had a bleed nipple in the top hose so give it a good once over

 

I aren't certain on the radiator.

The header tank is a little strange to me, was up and down, did think I might have had an air lock going back a few weeks, but then the coolant level went up so thought no more of it, never thought that might have had anything to do with the extra heat

I did ponder over the manifolds, but that's kinda why i'm asking - too see if it's normal?

If you wrap exhaust manifolds does that push the heat further down the exhaust? i.e under the car ?

Cheers dojj

 

Half way sounds fine really is the heater inside very hot? As Dojj said twin fans will really help and the heat wrap too. The granny would have had all the other gubbins in front anyway. Have you got a laser type thermometer to see how hot it really is, no ford gauge is really that accurate.

 

my engine bay was always hot, but not "OMFG" type hot.

airlocks are common so check that and DEFFO ditch the condensor. also check the viscous actually works! it should sound like an airplane when it gets hot.

most people get along fine with the hatchback bonnet so dont worry about it too much

 

Well I'm having trouble finding twin fans that will fit in my Saff, I removed the viscous fan on that one used the Granada 24v rad and tried to fit the DOHC 8v Sierra electric fans - they wont go in. I have some Ken lowe fans that I have yet to see if they will go on.

As you say about the granada - they have all the bits and bobs there but they have a grill, not sure about the long nose sierra bonnet helping really?

And no, I dont have any other means of testing the true temperature of the coolant, I wanted to get some decent gauges in for the Saff.

I only got this as a run around as my daily wanted loads of cash throwing at it to keep it going.

Oh and yes there is plenty of heat from the vents, which made me think the coolant was flowing around okay.

 

An airplne, maybe?? It's deffinately spinning very fast!

I'm going to get rid of all the air con related stuff as soon as, the belt was never on it! Been waiting for the rain to stop and now it has I haven't had the time.

I can't get it in the garage due to the Saff in there

 

the viscous coupling in the fan locks up and not only makes it sound like an areoplane as you rev it up (the voscous bit locks it up as it gets hotter and unlcoks as it gets cooler, the same sort of way as say an lsd locks up the faster on side starts to spin) it will also use more fuel

the only real way to test if it's failed to lock up is to see if you can jam a wooden pole in the fan to stop it, but it's a risky thing to attempt if you've not see it done before so i'd personally not go that route

the V6 fans were bigger than the pinto fans so you can't just swap them over

as for the twin fans, the dohc ones are a bit hit and miss when it comes to fitting them, but you can always try and move the rad forward in the chassis holes underneath, fit them to the air con condesor holes and see if there is enough space then

 

Yeah, someone once told me you should be able to stop the viscous fan with your hand

I tried all holes on the Saff trying to get the fans to fit, like I said I have some ken lowe slimline fans so fingers crossed.

As for this one, i'll just see how it goes then, bound to be some hot days (if we are lucky) and traffic to test it.

 

BOB 24v fans fit mate.

 

I have heard this, I'll bear that in mind if the ken lowe ones are no good.

Cheers

 

I got rid of all that air con crap







I wasgoing to remove the tow bar but was fed up of the rain