General Silver tube on exhaust manifold purpose

[bugsymike]

Looks like a new stat is on the cards then as my next attempt to resolve this. Annoyingly I had the exact same issue with my last car, a 1995 Jaguar XJ6. It was a slight adjustment switching to a Panda after that! Replaced the Jag's thermostat to tackle cool running and poor MPG, it only made it run colder. Perhaps new thermostats and I just don't get on.

In the old days when it was Smiths thermostats you could get various temps. so if 82 degrees was standard I would fit a 88 degree one as it warmed up the heater quicker and with the benefit as you say of better fuel consumption and quieter engine as all the metal had expanded to it's correct normal working temp.
I ran a Vauxhall Victor 101 and a 1965 Singer Gazelle with now fan at all without any over heating issues (just bolted pulley back on without the fan blades) and I never held back in my driving
I recall working at a Mazda Franchise at the customers request we fitted a Kenlowe fan to his brand new Mazda 323 (RWD in those days) we had to blank off the whole radiator to get the fan to cut in to test it.

 

[tobywood13]

Fitted another new thermostat from a different supplier, temperature problem now resolved. Gauge stays right in the middle once warmed up. Still seems to take a little longer to warm up than it used to before I fiddled with the thermostat, but at least it gets hot and holds its temp now.
Heater also seems a little weaker than I recall, but miles better than it was with the first new thermostat. Perhaps there's a small airlock still, or perhaps the heater used to be hotter as the stat was stuck closed, causing a generally higher water temp.

Lower hose also replaced with the correct part this time, I now no longer have a coolant consumption problem. Job done, besides a bit of bleeding and checking levels perhaps.

 

[Didge3]

I've found it can take ages to bleed these engines, historically I've jacked the front of the car way up and kept adding coolant, letting it dribble out of the bleed screws (are there 2 or 3, cant remember now) and then add some more. If its running right though it might be worth leaving it depends how much you're concerned about the heater, I don't think mine was ever spectacular

 

[tobywood13]

I've found it can take ages to bleed these engines, historically I've jacked the front of the car way up and kept adding coolant, letting it dribble out of the bleed screws (are there 2 or 3, cant remember now) and then add some more. If its running right though it might be worth leaving it depends how much you're concerned about the heater, I don't think mine was ever spectacular

It's not too bad, just at this time of year you appreciate every extra degree of heat you can squeeze out of it!
Currently, it feels hotter with the vent open but fan off. When the fan comes on it feels a bit chillier due to the 'breeze'. It used to not be noticeably different fan on or off, that's why I think it's a little cooler in the heater core than it should be still.

 

[bugsymike]

It's not too bad, just at this time of year you appreciate every extra degree of heat you can squeeze out of it!
Currently, it feels hotter with the vent open but fan off. When the fan comes on it feels a bit chillier due to the 'breeze'. It used to not be noticeably different fan on or off, that's why I think it's a little cooler in the heater core than it should be still.

Does it feel any warmer if you set the controls to "in car air " recirculating, instead of drawing the icy blast from outside?

 

[tobywood13]

Does it feel any warmer if you set the controls to "in car air " recirculating, instead of drawing the icy blast from outside?

Doesn't seem to make a difference, you just get less air blowing at you with the lever set to recirculate.

 

[bugsymike]

Doesn't seem to make a difference, you just get less air blowing at you with the lever set to recirculate.

Is there a good flow of water through the heater matrix/radiator?
You can check this with both pipes off the heater under the bonnet at bulkhead and put a garden hose on one pipe and see how fast the flow of water is from the other heater matrix pipe.
Note do not do this with high pressure or try to block the outlet or you will be buying and fitting a new heater matrix/radiator!!!
Have any of the heater air pipes come off under the dash?
A suggestion at your own risk!!! Try blanking a portion of the cars normal radiator, but keep a good eye on the engine temp. and see if heater improves.
Note this can be very risky, so entirely at your discretion.
Around 1978 four of us drove a nearly new Mk3 Ford Cortina down to the South of France over Christmas, around 3000 miles in two weeks , on the way back it was really cold snow and ice in Belgium on way back to the Channel Ferry, so future brother in law put cardboard across radiator which warmed things up, we got back to England cold and tired and continued down the Motorway at speed not noticing the warmer climate and damaged the engine, I recall us stopping at the bottom of a steep hill and topping up the engine oil, turning the key and the oil filler cap blew right off, so it was now on three cylinders, but still got us home.
The new genuine Ford engine cost £177 fitted by the Dealers at the time, imagine the cost these days. Luckily it was not down to me.