contaminated
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| posted on 5/3/08 at 11:38 AM |
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zetec/raceline cooling
All
I would really appreciate your opinion on the attached – forgive the long post. I’ve looked around previous threads, but nobody seems to have my exact
setup. In a nutshell I have a Raceline water rail on a Zetec but I don’t think it’s being used to it’s full advantage. Ideally I’d like to remove the
header tank (or replace with a cheap and better looking alternative) and heater matrix.
The Word document represents my current cooling system. I have the Raceline rail, but obviously not the optional Raceline thermostat housing. Mine has
a Ford housing mounted on the rail with a blanking plate i.e. no pressure cap. A header tank (plastic VW job) is fitted and connected to the bottom of
the rad.
My first question is how is the system currently working, or rather is the following correct? I thought coolant was drawn into the water jacket at the
front of the engine by the water pump, then travels round the jacket and into the water rail at the rear of the engine. It then enters the water rail
and sits there until either I open the heater valve or the thermostat opens (in which case, with the heater shut, is there a water rail by-pass during
the filling stage? – I don’t see my gauge rise and fall like I would expect with no by-pass). When the thermostat opens (assuming one is in there) the
coolant returns to the rad and the cycle starts again. If I open the heater, the coolant travels from the rail into the matrix and re-joins the
cooling system just before the water pump (i.e. water from the heater does not return directly to the rad).
So, does the above make sense and is it correct!
Second question is what do I need to do to remove the heather system? Is it as simple as blocking off the take-off from the water rail and
disconnecting from the feed from the bottom of the rad? In other words can I take it all out without affecting anything else?
Third question is can I/should I bother removing the header tank? Can I get away with putting in an in-line pressure cap and just remove the header
and disconnect pipe from the rad? If I did this I would like to connect up a cheap expansion tank (e.g. drinks bottle), so where would this connect?
Beyond that, what can I use as a better looking/lighter header tank without paying loads for an alloy one. Given that some alloy headers have no
pressure cap, will any screw cap container do if I put in an in-line pressure cap?
Thanks all – hope it makes sense!
Dan
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Tiger Super Six
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| posted on 5/3/08 at 01:45 PM |
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The only thing it looks like you don't need is the header tank, I never used this and not sure if it is really required?
Mark.
[Edited on 5/3/08 by Tiger Super Six]
[Edited on 5/3/08 by Tiger Super Six]
Mark
Tiger Avon
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Tiger Super Six
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| posted on 5/3/08 at 01:51 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by contaminated
Second question is what do I need to do to remove the heather system? Is it as simple as blocking off the take-off from the water rail and
disconnecting from the feed from the bottom of the rad? In other words can I take it all out without affecting anything else?
Yes you can - raceline do a plug for the water rail.
Third question is can I/should I bother removing the header tank? Can I get away with putting in an in-line pressure cap and just remove the header
and disconnect pipe from the rad? If I did this I would like to connect up a cheap expansion tank (e.g. drinks bottle), so where would this connect?
Beyond that, what can I use as a better looking/lighter header tank without paying loads for an alloy one. Given that some alloy headers have no
pressure cap, will any screw cap container do if I put in an in-line pressure cap?
Yes you can - on the thermostat housing from raceline there is an overflow outlet that you can attach a pipe too. This can then go to a plastic bottle
that Raceline also sell.
Thanks all – hope it makes sense!
Dan
Mark
Tiger Avon
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procomp
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| posted on 5/3/08 at 02:08 PM |
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Hi although raceline and many will say you do not need a header tank. You will find that many have also found that the raceline setup as they suggest
leaves not enough room for expansion and causes all sorts of problems.
This has been discussed many times on the WSCC ( LINK
TO DISCUSSION ) forum. And many different ways of doing the plumbing.
Personally i have found the raceline water rail to give nothing but problems and would not even entertain trying to use one.
I will add a link to the wscc forum discussions.
Cheers Matt
[Edited on 5/3/08 by procomp]
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contaminated
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| posted on 6/3/08 at 10:57 AM |
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Thanks all, very useful, particularly the linky.
I think I will proceed as follows:
1. Remove thermostat housing and check whether the stat has been drilled to create an internal by-pass;
2. If it has I'll remove all pipework associated with the heater and plug the take-off on the water rail;
3. If the stat has not been drilled I'll either drill it myself and remove heater as above, or more likely turn the heating system into a small
bore external by-pass, being mindful of over-cooling;
4. I think I'll keep the header tank, but I might make a new one and fit with the current VW pressure cap.
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