Gday Everyone,

 

For a while now my Brumby has had a cooling issue. I've fixed leaks, fitted an overflow bottle, replaced the thermostat etc etc. This made the car a whole lot better but it would still climb right up the temp gauge when working hard at lower speeds.The only thing left to replace was the radiator.

 

For 130 shipped I couldnt go past an unbranded ebay special. Its an ally unit that has been vacuum brazed and tig welded.

 

I know EA81s are marginal anyway cooling system wise so I got creative and orded a rad for an auto (mine's a manual). I hooked up the heater circuit bypass that cools the manifold to one side and the intake manifold coolant inlet to the other. I had to make up new hoses around 1.3m long to do this.

 

Why? Well.... I noticed that whenever the temp gauge started climbing over 1/2 way I get pinging issues around 3000rpm and its definitely thermally related. I figured that blocking off the coolant inlet to the manifold like everyone does is not necessarily a good thing and lets the coolant already in there get too hot. This in turn makes the inlet charge too hot and presto.. ping city.

 

I havnt had time to road test the car yet but here's some install pix.

 

Old Vs New

 

Metal fan bolted right up and had to drill 2 mounting holes for the plastic one (lower mounts).

 

Installed a new thermoswitch, this one is listed for an alpha romeo and kicks in 10C earlier.

 

Mounted the trans cooler fittings to take my inlet manifold mod.

 

Here it is installed in the car.

 

I'll report back here with my analysis on how the mod is working. I let the car Idle in my driveway to check for leaks (none) and it reached operating temp. Thermofans kick in just under 1/2 way on the temp gauge and keep temp stable at a little under 1/2 way.

 

Cheers, Knucklehead.

Good thinking 99 !

 

Add on a V8 heavy duty trans cooler up front if it works,  for summer

 

If its anything like the 160 dollar alloy unit i got - 30% more cooling they claimed ...first, get rid of their cap and replace it with a local market recovery style. Keep your purchase detail of who you bought from, who the sellers name was on email receipt from ebay/paypal, your purchase date, warranty details and how you paid. Mine started to weep before a year was up. After 18 months I should have just got another as i developed buttermilk in the catch can, no oil in water, no water in oil but rad level started to decline. Engine needs tear down after 120,000km

Thanks Jono. The cap with the rad is bypass already but I can up the psi rating with another cap if it doesn't cope.

 

Just nicked down the shops and noticed the car now taking longer to warm up. Good sign. I'll give it a 30 minute flog at highway speeds on the way to work tomorrow night. I'll let you know how it goes.

That's a great looking radiator! I'll have to see if it's available in the states.

 

The small coolant hoses going to the intake are for heating it, not cooling. It's to prevent carb icing in the winter.

 

Probably not something you have to worry about.

 

Just disconnect all that and plug it off.

Oooo!   Could you give the ebay linky?

Here's the one I got.

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com.au%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F172672533280

Subaru Scott: Cheers for the info mate. Those little hoses will be doing some cooling too. Where I live it often hits 108F (or higher) ambient in the middle of summer.

 

Keeping cars cool is a bit of an artform out here !

claim to be the manufacturer not just an on seller. 3 year warranty.

 

I am gonna ask them what their coolant mix recommendation is not to void warranty.

Be nice if my fans still fit between it and my EA82

Man they look well made hey. Took Skoob out for a 20 minute flog in the hills just now and good news (its a cool 27C day here).

 

Temps rock stable at a shade under 1/2 way and the light throttle 3000rpm ping almost gone. I'm on the right track there I think. I'll try a higher octane fuel next (currently running 94ron).

You're lucky you can still hear pinging. That's how I used to tune everything.

 

Too many years playing in rock & roll bands, now I have to use a timing light!

 

108 is still way cooler than 190. Cut the hoses off the intake. Trust me. 

I'm hearing ya Scott !!

 

I did my fair share standing in front of a 100watt Marshall amp too haha.

 

I'm kinda reluctant to cut the hoses and here's why:

 

I've run with the hoses cut for the last 10k miles and light throttle ping has been an issue since day 1.

 

Ambient intake charge temp plays a big part in controlling pinging (I'm sure you know this already).

 

The manifold gets hot coolant from both heads before heading through the thermostat and back to the radiator. Logic dictates that the manifold therefore runs at hot coolant temps.

 

The only cool coolant from the rad that can enter the manifold is from the waterpump bypass hose, hence my reason for reconnecting the hoses (sans perished thermovalve) and sending it in there.

 

Since doing this mod the car pings a great deal less and I'm gonna go with that for the next 10k miles and evaluate the results.

 

As you know pinging is a result of many factors but the main 3 are fuel grade, ignition timing and intake charge temp (itself a function of ambient air temp + manifold heat soak).

 

So in short... call it an experiment with the best logic my brain can come up with.

 

Please feel free to poke any holes in my thinking that you see.

 

Cheers, Knucklehead.

What's your compression look like?

 

And when was your PCV changed last?

 

Cheers

 

Bennie

Coolant to suit car satisfies their warranty needs.

 

Rich, try brazing up a mm or so of outer slot end of advance weights. Did it once with my ea81

El_freddo: compression is stock afaik and seems fine (havnt put my gauge on it yet though). Plugs come out dry and a good brown color on the electrodes. PCV is deleted.

 

Jono: I was thinking that too. Its got a reco cardmone dizzy from 2wd leone in it and centrifugal advance was something I was pondering. My initial thoughts were to limit max advance as well. Do you think it would be possible to drill and tap the dizzy body from the side to take a bolt that will act as an advance limiter or do the stopper slots spin as well (meaning brazing is the only option) ? Having an adjustable stopper means fine tuning max advance and makes alot of sense to me. How many mm of braze did you use ?

PCV or EGR deleted? all these acronyms !

El_freddo: compression is stock afaik and seems fine (havnt put my gauge on it yet though). Plugs come out dry and a good brown color on the electrodes. PCV is deleted.

 

Jono: I was thinking that too. Its got a reco cardmone dizzy from 2wd leone in it and centrifugal advance was something I was pondering. My initial thoughts were to limit max advance as well. Do you think it would be possible to drill and tap the dizzy body from the side to take a bolt that will act as an advance limiter or do the stopper slots spin as well (meaning brazing is the only option) ? Having an adjustable stopper means fine tuning max advance and makes alot of sense to me. How many mm of braze did you use ?

mate, you canna just screw a stopper in the side. Might just sieze up.

 

If you were good maybe drill and tap an M2 eye glass screw thread in each end and had a pluggable hole in the side of the dizzy to access the adjuster screw, but you'd need Swiss blood in you to do that!

 

I bought a spare dizzy today to do just this job - in case I stuff things up, and can take my time.

 

I know how difficult it is rebuilding carburettor with one badly cut finger wrapped up. Needed to finish carb to drive self to surgery and nearly pass out as was modifying stuff on carby when hacksaw V;s Finger happened

Yikes!! I cut the end of my pinky off (1/4" on a diagonal through the nail) last yr chopping spuds pissed haha... damn thing grew back too !

 

Hospital schmoslital.. I hit with isopropyl alcohol instead. Hurt like a mofo but zero infection and stuff.

 

I gotta bit of Swiss in me too but it'll have to wait till I get my mill/drill/lathe later this yr. Good info though and thanks. Hope your fingers bounce back like mine did Bro.

Yeah finger healed. That was thirty years ago! I should sell you my e-dizzy already brazed up if I can find it

Cool. If you can find it I'll take it!