Jensen said:
Thanks JohnW,
So can i bolt the R10 switch onto the 1.4 head (I assume both motors run at similar sort of temps) and hook it up to the Warning light. And then hook up the 1.4 sender unit in the back of the head to the VDO Temp gauge i am going to put in?
At the moment i have the Sender unit connected to the the Warning light and occasionally, maybe 3 times in the 2 weeks that the 1.4 has been in the car, the warning light has had a slight glow (very dim). The car seems to be running slightly warm but im hoping its just in need of a new thermostat and the radiator flushed out The motor is pretty hi-comp with a cam so maybe that is the cause of it seeming warmer in the engine compartment? An eletric fan on the outside of the radiator might add extra cooling?
Jensen
Jensen,
Mixture of yes and no and don't know! I presume we're talking a warmed 1.4 in an R10 or R8 here.
The temp switch for the R10 warning light can be bolted onto the head and connected to the wiring for the light.
The sender unit may (or may not, probably not) be appropriate for the VDO temp gauge. If it is a Virage temp gauge and a Virage sender unit, you may be OK. If not, heaven knows.
These cars control temperature pretty well provided (and I mean PROVIDED) that a few things are right:
1. undertrays are correctly in place
2. the seal between the radiator panel and the engine compartment lid is in good condition
3. radiator, water pump, thermostat etc are all in good nick.
I'd expect an electric fan (presumably blowing forwards through the radiator from the chamber behind it) to be of limited use except for driving in heavy traffic. When the car is being driven at reasonable speed, i.e. 40 kph +, there is a good airflow forwards through the radiator, this air then reversing and going out the back underneath the radiator mounting panel. The only time in 30 years that we have ever had even the beginning of an overheating issue with our R8, regardless of ambient temperature, was carrying large loads on a roof rack and disturbing the airflow at the rear of the car, where it goes down through the grill at the back of the engine compartment lid.
Normally, despite the thermostat, our R8 runs cool.
Hope that helps.
JohnW