Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Are heaters 'tech'? Could not pick another category far as I could see...

Anyways freindo-s...Spike has a warm blooded personality and needs its heater reinstalled.

I will reach out to Dean for nipples, hoses, and heater box kit. The big concern is that although I have the heater box (fan works perfect) and center console, it is sans the 3 levers for mixing the air.

Calling out for wisdom!

Thoughts?

Are you saying Spike runs hot? If so, try a new thermostat. If you are trying to install the heater because you are cold, that is another story. I have the levers and cables somewhere. The question is, does the heater core leak or not?

Will

The only thing you need in SoCal is a defroster. They make electric defroster. LOL, you can also just force the heater air to go into the passengers compartment and the defroster.

If spike is running hot, first check with a infrared thermometer as the gauge ground and or gauge voltmeter can cause the gauge to read incorrectly.
Some ideas I have use/seen for additional cooling.
Extend the factory scoop to meet you BRE scoop.
Put aluminum plate on the side of radiator to force the air to flow through the radiator.
Put a rubber plate across the engine compartment at the top of the radiator to keep the air from flowing over the radiator/core support.

Phil,

Do you have any photos of these mods? I am having some over heating issues on highway driving and would love to get some ideas.

If you are having over heating issues at speed, I'd look at the thermostat first. The cooling system works really really well when everything is happy. That setup is about as solid as it gets. There must be a blockage, and the most obvious one is the thermostat. Perhaps its stuck closed or something. I know my cooling system runs cold and I don't have the extension over the radiator or down to the air dam (although its pretty close as is.) I'm running a stock radiator, stock water pump, stock hoses, no heater, no circulation through the intake. I've rolled off track at Thunderhill in July with 110 degree track temps and my gauge was reading 190-200.

You might also check your caps, perhaps one isn't sealing well?

Will

A lean carb can raise engine temps. Try a plug read at a rest stop. Or as Phil suggested, infared.

Infrared the radiator, if you don't have one, get one for the wife. Great tool for checking the temperature of the griddle for frying pan......
You can use you hand on the front of the radiator, no need to touch, you should be able to tell if the temperature is different a cross the radiator.

I mostly suggested those ideas because Spike is a high HP U20 and has a spoiler.
As for the metal plate, there is a big hole on the left side the can be plugged.
Also an electric fan is a good idea, I use a thin pusher outside the radiator.

A stock 1600 should not have that much trouble, unless your lean....In Denver, the air is a thin, so the compression should be OK
!600s can also have an air pocket problem. When the engine is cold, try squeezing the lower hose with two hands. if you hear bubbling in the expansion take, then you have an air pocket. Jack up the front and squeeze until you don't hear the air.

All this assumes you have a stock system. Thermostat controls the minimum temperature.

Oh goodness!

Thanks for the replies. There are really good and thoughtful ideas for managing engine temps here. I did not mean to mislead with my description of Spikes warm personality. I did not mean that the car runs hot, operating temps are spot on. What I meant is that Spike makes you feel good (to me that's warm) when driving it and other who see Spike, feel.the same.
Driving top down in winter to the beach (which will happen) temps in Paso will be cold in the morning.

I have lived in California long enough to go soft, just like the poem 'wear sunscreen' says...so we are going to want a heater eventually.

There are a couple comments about the BRE scoop on Spike. The spoiler is off the car now. We held it up to the chin in the garage to decide about reinstalling it or leaving it off.

I did not have a strong feeling one way or another, Heather said it looked very 240Z mod. So it's in the rafters for the time being.

Thoughts on that?

Regarding the heater core...just going to get a new one. And Will, thanks for the offer on the levers, lemme know if you dig them up. I think there is a mounting plate for those which is missing too.

PeaceLoveAndHappiness from Paso

K+H

Ah, got it. I lived in SLO for 9 years, yeah a heater could be nice for top down driving in the winter. As for the air dam, it does help with engine cooling (It creates a low pressure area behind it so air will flow through the engine bay to pull the hot air down and under the car.) The roadster was the first car to use an airdam in racing. BRE protested against themselves to figure out if it was legal or not. It can't be very 240Z if it came first

I'll dig around and see if I can find the levers. I pulled them out of my car years ago, I thought I brought them with me when I moved last year, but I might have tossed them.

Will

My suggestion is to drive the car for a while and then reattach the spoiler. It does work on my cars, but they are a little higher stance.

Good thought Phil,

The attentiveness required to not kill the spoiler will go a long way to safeguarding the 8qt pan under the car too. !Ay ten cuidado!

K

For early morning or late night runs when it is a little chilly, try the 12 volt blanket with or without your heater. Passengers love it and it makes that midnight run to watch the full moon even better!
Linda

fj20spl311 wrote:My suggestion is to drive the car for a while and then reattach the spoiler. It does work on my cars, but they are a little higher stance.

Does a spoiler slow the air passing under the car, reducing the back draft?

pebbles wrote:

fj20spl311 wrote:My suggestion is to drive the car for a while and then reattach the spoiler. It does work on my cars, but they are a little higher stance.

Does a spoiler slow the air passing under the car, reducing the back draft?

I think that's the theory. I blocked the brake vents on the side and extended the radiator air scoop to direct the air from the center opening.
I could tell the difference before that. It used to "float" at 70+

MrGuts wrote:Good thought Phil,

The attentiveness required to not kill the spoiler will go a long way to safeguarding the 8qt pan under the car too. !Ay ten cuidado!

K

spriso wrote: Here is a shot of an earlier sump guard that I built (this one was 1.5" square tubing which was not quite deep enough-- the later versions use 2" square tubing!)

The frame is upside down.