xflow overheating

[brian j b]

my xflow overheating when I get in heavy traffic.

fan is working OK, I have taken out the thermostat and flused  out the rad and added rad cooler.

looking at cutting a vent in bonnet and heat wrape exhaut.

what else can I do ?

        thanks for any help brian

[Rob Navin]

What fan have you got fitted ?

I fitted a caterham fan to my original car and put it on a manual overide switch on the dash so I could puty in on as soon as I pulled up in trafic to prevent the temp going up.

[Mid life crisis]

Hi Brian I had the same problem with my xflow. I fitted exhaust wrap right up to where the pipe passes out of the body panel and opened up six vents in the bonnet. Seems to have sorted the problem.   If you pm me your email I will send you a pic of the bonnet.    

[the bear]

Maybe obvious but is the fan sucking as it should or blowing. Mine overheated until I reversed the wires and now it goes the right way round it's much better.

[stu999]

my xflow overheating when I get in heavy traffic.

fan is working OK, I have taken out the thermostat and flused  out the rad and added rad cooler.

looking at cutting a vent in bonnet and heat wrape exhaut.

what else can I do ?

        thanks for any help brian

Put the thermostat back in - that can actually cause as many problems as you are trying to sort...

My Xflow used to also overheat in traffic. I cured it by fitting an expansion tank as the highest point in the cooling system, never had a problem after that.

[DickieB]

Could be the caps are worn - they are (or should be) pressure caps.  If they get too old, then the pressure bit (the sping gubbins) will no longer do its job.

[evo-mark]

don't know allot about Westfield's

BUT i had 5 MK2 escorts and as i remember i had over heating

probs with all of them ..the fan is far too small for the engine

not sure ..it was so long ago but replaced fan with another poss pinto (can't remember) but solved the prob every time

also check what the bear has said as it is easy for the fan to be spinning the wrong way causing you your probs

hope this helps

mark

[neilwillis]

What exactly do you mean by overheating?   To the point where it boils over, or is it just that the temperature rises too high for comfort?

If it is boiling over, then yes, the pressure in the system is probably too low, so change the cap.

If it's a temperature rise, check the gauge isn't faulty, and if it's correct, then improve the cooling by using a bigger, more efficient fan, or maybe swap the rad for a new one.

The thermostat won't affect high end temperatures, it should be fully open long before that.   The stat is there to get the engine up to temperature quickly.

[Mid life crisis]

What exactly do you mean by overheating?   To the point where it boils over, or is it just that the temperature rises too high for comfort?

If it is boiling over, then yes, the pressure in the system is probably too low, so change the cap.

If it's a temperature rise, check the gauge isn't faulty, and if it's correct, then improve the cooling by using a bigger, more efficient fan, or maybe swap the rad for a new one.

The thermostat won't affect high end temperatures, it should be fully open long before that.   The stat is there to get the engine up to temperature quickly.

Hi Neil I agree with you. The overheating problem I had, I believe was due to a lack of ventilation in the engine compartment, the car did get hot in traffic, but worse if you turned it off and left the car for a short time it was impossible to start, backfired through the exhaust and the carbs. However if the bonnet was removed for 10 or 15 min all was back to normal. Since I have vented the bonnet and fitted wrap to the exhast I have had no repeat of the problem. With the exception of Croft when the fuel pump went faulty.          

[brian j b]

Thanks all

It doesn,t boil over (just my legs) cuts out and won,t restart

I remove bonnet and have to leave it for an hour or so.

I am looking at getting a bigger fan, moving the header tank

higher and venting bonnet.

             Thanks brian

[westfield_bumble]

What radiator are you using. mine was greatly improved by putting the polo rad in.

[7SE]

If the temps are fine when you are caning it, then it sounds like the problem is either airflow through the rad, or coolant flow through the block at low speeds/revs.

Fitting the biggest possible fan will help sort airflow, as will opening up the nosecone aperture as far as poss.

If you bring the revs up, after sitting in traffic, does the temp come down?  Could your water pump need looking at? or the plumbing of the inlet manifold to water pump?  Too much flow through here will send too much hot water back to the pump, bypassing the rad.

[brian j b]

rad was new when I got the car 2 years ago from westfield.

not tried rev up after sitting in traffic.

I will check water pump the weekend

     thanks