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Zetec Raceline Thermostat

coozer - 3/11/08 at 10:00 PM

Done a track day today and despite flogging it to death couldn't get the temp over 72 degrees. On the A19 on the way down and back home a chilly 58 degree. Needless to say ran lumpy on the road and wouldn't rev out on the track.

ATM there is no thermostat in it as the one that came with it wouldn't open until the engine was 110 and I thought that the water had cooled down along the rail and the stat was being fooled.

Anybody successfully using the rail with a stat? If so which one and how hot does the water get?

Steve

contaminated - 3/11/08 at 11:31 PM

Use a hollowed out stat on mine to provide some flow restriction. If you must have a stat drill a 3mm to 5mm hole opposite the ball bearing (if it has one).

procomp - 4/11/08 at 08:26 AM

Hi.

To be quite frank with a water system in good working order i would not expect the temperature to be able to get up to 72 degrees with the cold weather we have at the moment especially on track. On days like we have had just i would be running the race cars with half the nose grill taped up. I would only expect the temp to get hot if left stationary for a long period.

Cheers Matt

coozer - 4/11/08 at 10:28 AM

I'm under the stand that the zetec needs to run at 92 degree's to be efficient?

Coming in from the track the temp did go up but once out on the track again back down to 66~72.

Driving home at 58 it was running real rough like it needed the choke on!

I'm thinking of taking it off and putting the Ford thermostat housign back on.

Steve

MikeRJ - 4/11/08 at 01:54 PM

quote:
Originally posted by procomp
Hi.

To be quite frank with a water system in good working order i would not expect the temperature to be able to get up to 72 degrees with the cold weather we have at the moment especially on track.

Certainly not without a thermostat!

cliftyhanger - 4/11/08 at 06:51 PM

had no problems with my water rail. 92degree thermostat and a 5mm hole drilled. The hole lets enough water through to let the thermostat operate, I guess.
I would use the std thermostat housing if I had the space. Better/proper design.
Clive

britishtrident - 4/11/08 at 06:53 PM

Fit a BMW or Rover or LandRover in line thermostat -
for example
ebay item 280233715267 Ł12.93
LAND ROVER DISCOVERY II TD5 THERMOSTAT - PEM100990
Rescued attachment thermo.JPG

britishtrident - 4/11/08 at 06:58 PM

Or Ebay tem number: 280206957406
RANGE ROVER P38 PETROL THERMOSTAT 4.0 & 4.6
Rescued attachment thermo2.JPG

britishtrident - 4/11/08 at 07:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by coozer

ATM there is no thermostat in it as the one that came with it wouldn't open until the engine was 110 and I thought that the water had cooled down along the rail and the stat was being fooled.
Steve

Reason why the thermostat didn't open was a lack of by-pass flow around the engine side of the thermostat.

Think of it this way the hot tap in your kitchen dosen't get slightly warm until you have run hot water down from the tank in the loft --- same goes for the thermostat.

The Raceline housing was obviously designed by someone who didn't really understand cooling systems -- with performance parts bling sometimes is not a good thing.

You can do a kludge and drill holes in the thermostats valve plate (if you do do this a few small holes of say 2mm to 2.5mm are better than one larger hole) but it is better to plumb in a proper by-pass connection which will keep the bottom half of the cylinders at a much more even warm temperture.
The easy way to do this is use a Land-Rover external thermostat as ishown in my previous post -- the by-pass hose will also allow easy fitting of a heater if you so desire.

[Edited on 4/11/08 by britishtrident]

[Edited on 4/11/08 by britishtrident]