15 replies to this topic

[bourney]

I've owned this mini for a couple of weeks now and whenever i get it really hot (lead foot haha) it has a nasty habbit of chucking manky coolant over my bonnet and passenger side of the windscreen.
Open the bonnet and it's soaked the washer bottle/wiper mech.
Which means it has to be spitting it out of the overflow on the radiator.

I've got a couple of ideas what it might be but wondered if there was any common problem.

Heres what i think, 1, the bottom hose has detriorated internally so will be replaced asap. 2 there is no expansion bottle, reason i mention this is because the 1380 is dropped into what used to be a 850, so it's possible whoever did the engine change didnt add an expansion bottle when maybe there should be one??
3. i can hear pressure seeping from the rad cap when it's stonking hot and it's just being turned off. So that will also be replaced.

I don't think the rad is blocked because both the top and bottom hoses are hot.


So this leaves (if it's none of the above), headgasket failiure.... -.-
Also the coolant is brown and murky....


thanks

[benb12]

Replace your coolant with the correct mix of antifreeze and water and replace your rad cap. I very highly doubt your head gasket has failed. And you don't require an expansion bottle.

[L400RAS]

Is the rad of a performance kind? Ie look down through the rad cap hole and see the cores, are they in pairs, or does it go pair then single then pair then single?

Also - fit a pipe from the overflow down to the ground somewhere - this will stop any overflowing coolant spraying all over.

[bourney]

Thanks for the replys guys.

I'll get a cap sorted asap and ive already got some coolant in the garage waiting to be put in. That reminds me, are there any bleed nipples or is the system self bleeding?


As for the rad, i really couldn't tell you mate. I'll have a look tomrrow

[Sheikh Pip]

Fit an expansion bottle, this is a known cure for this type of problem, so worth trying, but first check that whoevers fitted the engine has put the rad fan on the right way round, also check that the thermostats opening! and I'd also flush the rad and the engine block out aswell, I could go on but that's a good start....

[bourney]

I've just being reading about people fitting the fans the wrong way around, i'll check that out, cheers.

Is there a standard mini expansion bottle i could get, or will i have to improvise??

The termostat is opening, the pipe coming from the housing is hot.

[Ethel]

A decent pressure cap will raise the boiling point by about 20c. If it's not holding pressure it's a double whammy as it'll boil sooner, as well as leak. Are you also sure it has a thermostat & it's working?

[bourney]

A decent pressure cap will raise the boiling point by about 20c. If it's not holding pressure it's a double whammy as it'll boil sooner, as well as leak. Are you also sure it has a thermostat & it's working?

I'm not sure if there is actually one there but if there is it has got to be working. The pipe exiting the thermo housing gets hot, meaning coolant is flowing through.
There may not be one there at all but i dont have a gasket at the moment so don't really want to be removing the housing

[Ethel]

You ought to be able to see/feel it if you remove the top hose. Running without a thermostat messes up the water circulation in the head which can allow the water at the other end of the head to boil.

[MRA]

Get it rolling road tuned to correct for any issues such as retarded ignition or lean mix etc...

And as Ethel has pointed out you need a thermostat or a blanking sleeve or similar device.

[bmcecosse]

A 'catch bottle' on the end of the overflow pipe is useful - any water thrown out gets sucked back in when it cools. Fan on wrong way makes little odds - it still blows same way! Best bet is to fit the smaller water pump pulley from an earlier A series engine - this made a v worthwhile difference to my 1340 engine cooling when it was driven hard.

[bourney]

I've being thinking about getting it rolling road tuned but i don't know anywhere around my area (stoke-on-trent) that does it....

Would a 15psi cap be ok? i have no idea what pressure these cooling systems run at.

That water pump pulley sounds like an amazing idea, cheers i'll look into that

[asahartz]

I've being thinking about getting it rolling road tuned but i don't know anywhere around my area (stoke-on-trent) that does it....

Try here: Mike Annics
22 slik street
Congleton
Stoke on Trent
01260297115

[bourney]

I've being thinking about getting it rolling road tuned but i don't know anywhere around my area (stoke-on-trent) that does it....

Try here: Mike Annics
22 slik street
Congleton
Stoke on Trent
01260297115

i have heard of this guy but i've also heard rumours he's a bit of a bodger, putting fuel additives into cars that are running rich to seemingly lean them off, although it only last until the tank is empty then you're back to rich.


This is only hear say that i have heard off one person, i don't want to bad mouth the guy. Has anyone has had dealings with him?

[asahartz]

Good writeup from two or three respected members of Minifinity, that's all I know.