AndyPen

iTrader: (24)

OK guys - time to get the diagrams out I reckon. Just changed the heater matrix on my five hundy as it was cold and I guessed it had got blocked up. Wasn't too bad one I'd removed it - some rust and gunge admittedly. Got a nice good second hand one (tested it with the hose pipe then filled it with a kettle - nice and hot so smiles at that point) Fitted it this afternoon n evening - pig of a job ain't it?

Still cold though!!

Pipes are cold at the bulkhead but warm at the pump end. Couldn't get my hand in to touch the oil cooler ones but suspect its cold there too. Out of the rear of the head seemed hot... as best as could tell with all the other hot stuff around. Do those oil cooler things beside the filter block up?

New water pump btw so shouldn't be that.

ho hum ;-(

cossie604

iTrader: (2)

Are the pipes going in and coming out of the matrix both hot?

AndyPen

iTrader: (24)

No mate - both cold!!

tabetha

There is obviously a blockage, which could be as simple as an air lock, so get up to temperature, make sure the cap is ON all the time, as it needs to create pressure so that upon cooling the natural thermo syphon action of the system will draw out any trapped air.
I have just bought a new matrix for mine, cost Ł28, due to the hassle of the job would not myself chance a s/h one.
The design of the matrix is such that the end tank is just that a area where water goees in the in pipe and out the out pipe, it fills the small tubes in the matrix but does not circulate as water follows the rule of least resistance, is it just that the water transfers it's heat across to the water in there, so could still be the matrix at fault even if both pipes were hot.
If this does not work take OFF the outlet pipe until you have water free off air coming out, do this COLD obviously, do this along the route of the pipe.
tabetha

AndyPen

iTrader: (24)

OK, done that Tab - water came through the matrix fine.
Before I fitted it I ran a kettle and filled it and the heat transfered easily throughout - unlike my old one which had cold areas... plus a lot of gunk has come out of that old one as I reverse flushed it.

(But that price sounds brilliant and wish I'd got one)

Just reverse flushed the new one from the bay and it worked fine both ways.



Reconnected and took off the front pipe that comes down into the top of the mocal oil cooler thingy and water came pouring out - this is fed from the rear passenger side of the head... so water has got there for sure. This then feeds the matrix via the mocal cooler.

It returns from the rear of the mocal thingy up to the matrix from around the back the engine. It all moves easily and is not clamped in or anything. Cant get to disconnect it unless I take off the oil filter to see it. So stopped for tonight and started scratching my head again.

Been looking at pics like this to help me - the mocal thing is my top suspect still.

tabetha

Very unlikely to the the modine oil cooler, if the matrix itself is getting hot you need to make sure air is suffeciently flowing, so that it picks up the heat as it travels through the matrix, also that the distribution flap is working correctly.
tabetha

AndyPen

iTrader: (24)

Hi Tab - no the Matrix and everything pipe wise is pretty cold. By free I meant that they are not jammed in.

Got water pumping out of the Head pipe OK when I checked last night (See above). Will check the other pipes as soon as I get a chance. Think I'll do an oil change and get the filter off so that I can get the other side off what I've been calling the Mocal... so its Modine right? then I can test all the darned sections of pipe independently. What a pain!

AndyPen

iTrader: (24)

Solved!!

It wasn't the matrix - pain of a job!!





It wasn't a blockage in the head...



It wasn't the Modine...




It wasn't any of the new pipes...




IT WAS THE NEW GEN FORD PUMP!!

The return pipe was the last place to check... it hadn't been drilled all the way through and only had the tiniest of holes to accept the water!! Minute at the tip of drill I guess!



So I pilot holed drilled it very carefully before opening it up... this is the pilot hole.



All back together (but not the dash yet) and I have a hot hot cabin at last!!!

PHEW! Watch out when you buy a new pump, even Fords ones from reputable dealers, HAVE THEY HAD THE HOLES DRILLED THROUGH!!

tabetha

Odd, but not unheard of, I found this with loads of Pierburg 2E3 carbs on vauxhalls, where the choke would not come off properly as it warmed up, the stub which fed a vacuum to the choke pull downs were not drilled all the way through, so simple fix.
It's terrible, doesn't say a lot for quality control does it, glad you found it anyway, knew you would when following route.
I haven't done a matrix in ages does the upper dash have to come out ?
tabetha

AndyPen

iTrader: (24)

No tab only the bottom but it was difficult to spot the 2 mounting bolts from the car floor as it were. To be fair it only took me about 45 mins to reassemble today so that was a pleasant surprise considering the centre console came out as well.

The shot above was just after I'd swapped matrixes mate - I didn't remove the heater casing in its entirety but just shifted it enough to get the matrix out past the clutch pedal - preferred that to taking the pedal off myself.

Just can't believe it was the last bloomin thing in the trail, and then to spot that it was a crap pump!!

tabetha

Thanks for that, I was fairly sure I never took dashes out either but so long since I did one wanted to check.
Well at least you have a working heater now, you can have a rest!!
Thanks again,
tabetha