My 1980 Transit ci Motorhome is Overheating

[rodders]

It's got the "pinto" engine.
Fitted new Rad' & Cleaned and flushed the system. Removed the thermostat. Played around with Adjusting timing (distributor). Using unleaded fuel ( with in line " prozone " fuel conversion thingy) ?
It's got a twin choke carb' conversion.Could it be something to do with that. Would the carbs need re-setting for unleaded ?
Hope someone can help.
Rodders

[bortaf]

first off are you sure it's deffinatly over heating? after the first boil up the temp sender is usualy fried and may read high.
If it's deffinatly overheating is there any mayo on the oil filler cap or dipstick (head gasket)
i run a 2.0 pinto autosleeper with a twin choke on unleaded and just adjusted the timming till it stopped pinking and left it at that
Never found a gizmo in line fuel thingy that worked at all
the exhuast valve seats will take a good few thousand miles to receed with just straight unleaded any way.
have you checked for air locks if it's boiling over? i usualy half fill the rad then run the engine and fill slowly and never had an airlock yet, mind you i've never had an air lock in a pinto to be honist.

[rodders]

Thanks for the reply bortaf;
I have fitted a new heater sender ,cos it was getting really hot but not registering. Now it does go into the red on the gauge and start's pinking. Like you I've adjusted the timing to get get a happy medium between pinking and loss of performance. No sludge around the oil cap. Engine's done 46,000 (original). I have had air locks when re-filling the water. The (Haynes) manual told me how;refers to heater hose tap (and I found not to face it uphill).
It runs really well untill temperature (gauge) gets up to the red. But it's not boiling over.
Oh Well, Thanks Again

[madmark]

is the engine running a viscous fan???????? if it is the fan clutch could be no good,but this normaly would make it get hot when in trafic or ticking over for a wile!

[rodders]

No it's not got the viscous fan, got the belt driven type. Perhaps I should put an eletric fan on as well ?

[bortaf]

Mine runs cold if anything but it's poptop not a coachbuilt so not as stressed.
what colour sender did you fit? should be a white one same as a cortina.
You may find the water pump blades have rusted away or if it's an aftermarket one i have known the blades to come away from the shaft and spin very slowly.

[FredTransit]

Thanks for the reply bortaf;
I have fitted a new heater sender ,cos it was getting really hot but not registering. Now it does go into the red on the gauge and start's pinking. Like you I've adjusted the timing to get get a happy medium between pinking and loss of performance. No sludge around the oil cap. Engine's done 46,000 (original). I have had air locks when re-filling the water. The (Haynes) manual told me how;refers to heater hose tap (and I found not to face it uphill).
It runs really well untill temperature (gauge) gets up to the red. But it's not boiling over.
Oh Well, Thanks Again

it sounds like to me that the gauge is overeading, not the engine oveheating, if it's not boiling over. Take not of what speed/revs you are doing when the 'overheating' happens. Does the fuel gauge go up too? When it goes up, try knocking on the dash above the gauge (yes I know it sounds a bit steam engine, but I will explain), as you would when knocking on a door to make somebody hear, ie quite firmly. It could be that the regulator behind the dash is on it's way out. I don't know if you can get them new any more, ususally I try a second hand one.

[Bob S.]

the only sure way to test the water temperature is to check it with a thermometer directly into rad when you think it might be at its hottest.. BE CAREFULL DOING IT THIS WAY. I had same problem and after all the worry found out it was the guage..

[rodders]

Thanks all for your help;
bortaf; The heater sender was brass colour, not white ! Got a view of the blades when removing thermostat last (summer/winter thing-now I just leave it out) they seemed ok.
Bob: When the gauge is near the red the engine, rad' & hoses are extremely hot. Much hotter than other petrol engines at running temp'. Although my old 2 litre Cortina wasn't pulling 2 ton of camper van. ! !
Fred; Fuel Gauge is stable, doesn't seem to be rev' related.

Maybe it is the heater sender but if I could cool it down I'd cure the pinking problem (I can't adjust the timing anymore)
Cheers All

[bortaf]

Near the end of the sender (where the contact bit sticks out) the will be a colour polast ring, thats the bit thats colourd.

[ci motorhome man]

hi sorry about your over heating it's abitch when you cannot sort it out yeh?.anyway i have a ci motorhome 2ltr with a 4 speed pinto in it and i have driven for 2 yrs now on about a pint of water if that on top up's.i dont think there's a difference between pop up's or our coachbuilts is it overheating to the point that you cannot carry on driving?i had a 405 turbo diesel and it would run all day anywhere with the temp guage normal but as soon as hooked up my trailor to it bang up in the red on the gauge. the garage guy said hairline cracks in the head maybe yous is playing games with you i hope not anyway.you take care mate let me know how you sorted it out yeh?.andy south wales...[ [/b]

[madmark]

is the engine in good condtion? is it lumpy atall????? it could have a burnt out valve this could be a problem! i had a 2ltr a wile back and had the same sort of problem ,on removeing the head i had a burnt out valve,

[bortaf]

Theres a big difference with all the wind drag the engine is working harder to pull the vehical along not to mention the weight
When you fitted the new thermostat did you notice if it had a small bypass hole in it? had the same problem over on a cortina site and the owner drilled a small hole in the stat and it seems to have cured the problem.
Failing that if it is overheating and not just over reading i'd start to susspect the pump blade may have rusted away or come away from the shaft, only had it once (with an aftermarket pump) but it had me going for ages, including a head and gasket swap

[rodders]

Thanks all for Suggestions and Advice. Just been in for M.O.T. Needed new exhaust and and crack in the exhaust manifold had to be welded. Casting so poor had to be brazed. Told to do a proper job requires heating up in an oven. Steel or stainless rods no good. Went to a scrappy and the manifold on offer had a crack in the same place; must be a common problem. Not blowing now and a bit more power I fancy. Wondered wether I could fit a bigger fan to cool her. At present it's a belt driven yellow one (not viscuous). Can you get larger sizes.? I've taken the thermostat out. Going to do another rad-flush. Runs great until I reach that first hill ! Then the gauge goes in the red and she starts pinking. I dread these hot summers !

[rodders]

Thanks all for Suggestions and Advice. Just been in for M.O.T. Needed new exhaust and and crack in the exhaust manifold had to be welded. Casting so poor had to be brazed. Told to do a proper job requires heating up in an oven. Steel or stainless rods no good. Went to a scrappy and the manifold on offer had a crack in the same place; must be a common problem. Not blowing now and a bit more power I fancy. Wondered wether I could fit a bigger fan to cool her. At present it's a belt driven yellow one (not viscuous). Can you get larger sizes.? I've taken the thermostat out. Going to do another rad-flush. Runs great until I reach that first hill ! Then the gauge goes in the red and she starts pinking. I dread these hot summers !