cooling system mod

[superls]

i have a little problem now its turned cold.

ever since i fitted my cold air intake my car takes approximately 3 miles futher to get up to temperature on the way to work in the morning, and as we are having real cold mornings and its only gunna get colder, i decided i needed a way of getting my engine warmer quicker, plus i dont like 'giving it some' when the engines cold.

so i came up with the following method:

plumb a couple of electronic water valves like so,

when its cold open valve 2 and close valve 1, below.

therefore there is less water in the system thus warming up quicker.

when it is getting up to temperature say half the way up the gauge valve 1 opens and valve 2 closes,

circulating all of the water again, hopefully warming the engine and inside of the car faster.

what do you guys reckon?

or am i just being stupid?

 

[whipit]

wont say stupid but thats what basicly a thermostat does. Get a colder thermostat, basicly opens at hotter temperatures or check to make sure yours is work properly.


Edit: that is what a thermostat does, but it lets just a little bit through.

 

[superls]

fair point, i thought that they all came in the same temp setting though?

 

[Phil_the_Chill]

Would it be possible to fit a copper reservoir into the system with a heating element and a thermostat? I have always fancied one of those scandinavian systems that heat the car for you in the mornings. I'd love to be able to plug the car in the night before and have the coolant pre-heated to a nice temperature. The Canadians tend to use wireless remote engine starters.. but then they generally drive automatics.. it would be rough if you left your micra in 1st.

 

[whipit]

Nope, ones for you specific model will more than likely do. There are however quite a few variations of of the ma12 and ma10 engines turbos, st's and n/a. Nissan would choose the most appropriate for the conditions (this is written on the thermostat) or nissan was really really cheap and made them all the same.

 

[Fordy]

what you could do is get a bit of cardboard and cut holes in it with a apple corer and place the cardboard in front of the bottom half of the rad so it restricts the air flow to a point where it warms up quicker but the air can still flow through it

 

[whipit]

Yeah the black cabs do that a lot in the winter, basic idea but it works! Although the use of cardboard on a long journey could be considered a fire hazard.

 

[James]

I'm not so sure about the fire hazard? How hot does a radiator get compared to the burning point of cardboard?

Plus there will always be air cooling the cardboard down

 

[whipit]

Don't know just mean you should be careful. Rad suppose gets to 80+ difficult to say the water goes to 90 plus so suppose the rad will be 70 or so..........for extended period in the traffic, just saying be careful and use of another material might be better.




In slightly fewer words.

 

[Speedle]

just get a different thermostat mate hayes will prob have the temp of the differnet ones in it im sure there are 2 variations for the k10

 

[whipit]

just get a different thermostat mate hayes will prob have the temp of the differnet ones in it im sure there are 2 variations for the k10

Should be a few more than just 2.

 

[superls]

haynes only gives one variant, the one thats fitted, 88 degrees C, can you buy non car specific ones?

 

[whipit]

more than likely, sizes have to be correct. Remember though the turbo models may have slightly different variants.

 

[Micra 110]

They've had a similar system in place on Reliants for years.....

Does what superls said it does, it heats up the Water faster.

In Reliants this is needed to demist the Windscreen and due to the vehicle being made of Fibreglass would take longer without the Bypass Valve fitted. This particular Bypass valve is controlled by a solid push/pull Cable, one end being connected to the oblong plate (right-hand side of Black box) the other end in the cab with a Knob on. So when the Knob was pulled out the Water would be forced to take a detour and recycle and heat up quicker....

Regarding Thermostats maybe you could try a lower setting, maybe 82 degs?

 

[Speedle]

haynes only gives one variant, the one thats fitted, 88 degrees C, can you buy non car specific ones?

i would have thought some other nissan ones will fit, sunny n13 ones will most likely fit

 

[RTLkyuubi54]

like most people have said, whats your thinking of doing it roughly the same as the thermostat. Check if its working properly.

But an easier idea is to bodge a standard airbox in there so hot air coming off the exhaust manifold going to the airfilter.

Ryan.

 

[ollyc98]

On the oil coolers on planes (just little ones) we use aluminum ducting tape to cover part/ all of them up. Use that on your radiator.

 

[superls]

They've had a similar system in place on Reliants for years.....

Does what superls said it does, it heats up the Water faster.

In Reliants this is needed to demist the Windscreen and due to the vehicle being made of Fibreglass would take longer without the Bypass Valve fitted. This particular Bypass valve is controlled by a solid push/pull Cable, one end being connected to the oblong plate (right-hand side of Black box) the other end in the cab with a Knob on. So when the Knob was pulled out the Water would be forced to take a detour and recycle and heat up quicker....

Regarding Thermostats maybe you could try a lower setting, maybe 82 degs?

hi are you the person on ebay that has this item forsale?

 

[Micra 110]

hi are you the person on ebay that has this item forsale?

no, not me....