Overheating in a Marina Roadster

[mark westbrookwhite]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

I had all kind of problems with my MG powered roadster i ended up with a racing spec Civic ally rad, blocking off the air coming round the rad at the top (I just used B&Q pipe lagging stuffed in the gap) and an electronic fan which keeps going after the car is switched off this seems to have solved the problem. I too don't have vents in my side panels so whether that is not helping i don't know.
PS. I do have an oil cooler I was advised by the MG people that although the Marina didn't have one fitted that it really should have as the B series is notorious for running hot.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

Hi Mark - is this the sort of rad you have? ebay item number 350568250120

[cdow]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

The problem is that without blanking the radiator surround is that the air will go the easiest route first pressurising the engine bay and reducing the flow through the radiator.

Despite my expensive cooling system, the car still got very hot when I really thrashed it and driving it as fast as it will go (about 90mph if you’re interested, private road obviously). I never dealt with the radiator gaps as I stupidly didn’t think it could make that much difference.
Well I can report that it makes a HUGE difference; I stuffed some pipe insulation top and bottom of the radiator, did some more thrashing and now the temperature remains completely stable – amazing.

Cheers all.

[Harry]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

Morning, I'm not quite sure what the overheating problem is, I cannot recall my old Marinas ever over heating, and I've not had problems with the Marlin overheating either, it's fitted with a smallish Viva radiator and an oil cooler, I had changed the temp sensor as the old one was damaged, I might suggest it could be a timing or fuel problem that causes the over heating problem, or a fouled up radiator ??

[stevejgreen]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

The overheating problem is historical. The early Marina based cars were often 1.3 and the Viva radiator barely coped with that. As more 1.8 engines were fitted the Viva radiator was undersized especially in hot weather.
the standard cure was to add an extra core to the standard viva radiator, and this solved many problems. There are many possible reasons for overheating, whether poor mixture settings, blocked rad, corroded water pump etc. all off these need to be examined, but, if you still have an original Viva radiator you will always experience some overheating.
electric fans can help, especially those that duct the air onto the radiator but these only really have a benefit when the Carr is stationary in traffic when there is no natural airflow through the engine bay.
My original article was a compilation of all the different ideas for improving cooling, including some left field ones like replacing all the coolant with antifreeze, emulating what the spitfire pilots tried back in WW2.
i am unsurprised that Chris Dow found blocking the gaps around his radiator worked well for him. His system is a real hybrid so most of the other solutions were inappropriate.

[dukelc4]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

Hi,
does anyone no the inlet and outlet diameter of the Viva radiator?
I want to fit an other radiator, and try to find one with similar dimensions.
Also i want to use my old hoses, so i need to know the diameter.

Maybe this one will fit:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152497395431

[cdow]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

TBH, if you're thinking of spending this sort of money you might as well go the whole hog, spend not that much more, and get something custom made that will be perfect.

[scott h]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

http://www.ebay.ph/usr/coolingsolutions2013

This man on Ebay was very helpful when I needed a radiator.

[David]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

I was talking to the guys at the http://www.coolexperts.co.uk/ stand Sunday and they do what they call 'transformer' radiators. Basically blanks that you tell them what size pipes you need and where. £150-180 for one suitable for a Roadster.

[velovol]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

I had some beautiful louvered side panels made for my MGB powered Roadster which pretty much did the trick but the final magic ingredient was "Stay Cool" additive from www.frost.co.uk which is a corrosion inhibitor and allows the engine to run 15 degrees cooler. It worked for me and £ 15 of concentrate makes 30 litres.

[J_Phillips]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

Hello Steve - I'm searching for solutions for my overheating roadster. I built it in 1984, and it was my daily for many years till additional family and other issues pushed it into the garage for a hibernation. I've just got it recommissioned now and it's back on the road, but with the same overheating issues it always had. It's 1800TC Marina, recently converted to unleaded with a skimmed head, newly re-cored Viva rad, new electric fan on the front of the radiator, louvred engine sides. Basically, nearly touches red on the motorway, with the heater on full blast!! I notice you mention the collated document you prepared in what looks like 2012, but Keep&Share reports this as "This Document no longer exists". If you still have this document and/or could somehow get a copy to me, I would be very grateful. I really, really want to cure this as it's the #1 reason the car is a lot less fun than it should be. Best wishes James Phillips

[stevejgreen]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

I will reply personally to J_Phillips via PM.
The document is very much still alive if you follow the link in my forum signature.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

To avoid embarrassment it’s always best to contact me by Email or PM if you have problems with Keepandshare.
James has not registered with Keepandshare. There is his problem.
Before the usual suspects bleat, registration is entirely free if you follow the instructions in the link in my forum signature.

Registering with Keepandshare gives you greater access to my archive including parts lists for both Mk1 & Mk2 Marinas and much more.

i recently changed access rights to many of my documents. You now must register with Keepandshare, and notify me by PM or email before you are able to read any of my Marlin related documents, I have not deleted any and do not intend to

I did send an email to all my Keepandshare current subscribers, if you didn’t get an email, then your access will be denied until you have registered with Keepandshare and notified me.

I am pretty sure that the MOC committee will approve of these changes.

[boustrophedon]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

Running my old Marlin (1.8 TC, Kent rally cam, custom exhaust etc etc, four row Viva rad.) without carpets and feeling the floor and the transmission tunnel showed that the hottest place by far was the transmission tunnel.
I think that the problem is not getting the air into the engine bay, but getting it out. The wings at speed tend to catch air and force it down and under the car against the air trying to get out. Consequently all the air ends up going under the car rather than out the sides.

It would be interesting to know how hot those few cars with cycle wings run.

Perhaps some mud flap type spoilers just behind the front wheels might help.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Overheating in a Marina Roadster

Running my old Marlin (1.8 TC, Kent rally cam, custom exhaust etc etc, four row Viva rad.) without carpets and feeling the floor and the transmission tunnel showed that the hottest place by far was the transmission tunnel.
I think that the problem is not getting the air into the engine bay, but getting it out. The wings at speed tend to catch air and force it down and under the car against the air trying to get out. Consequently all the air ends up going under the car rather than out the sides.

It would be interesting to know how hot those few cars with cycle wings run.

Perhaps some mud flap type spoilers just behind the front wheels might help.

Thanks, have you actually read the article that I wrote, I guess, or in reality know, from your previous reactions to my efforts on Keepandshare, no.

How do you reccomend that the excess hot air is extracted, would you like to comment on all the points that I addressed in my document and produce your own critique?

Please close the circle, for the benefit of others, but I rather think that you will not.

I am open to a broader discussion but it seems that your mind is already made up.