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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - One for Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

Andy,
just out of interest did you measure the top and bottom hoses temperatures, and difference between the two?

Cheers, Nigel
Nigel Atkins

Hi Nigel, no i didnt.
Once frog is off the axle stands i'll try and take some measurements, will be interesting.

My engine runs at about 85-90 degs and my temp switch makes at 87 deg and opens at 82 deg.
Fan dosent come on whist moving, but does in traffic and when 'rapidly decelerating from high speed'.
With the temp switch in the top hose the fan would run for much longer periods than with it in bottom hose.

My stat is claimed to open at 76.5 degs, though i have drilled 3 x 3mm holes in it.
Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

Hi Andy,
thanks for the reply.

I was hoping a couple of years back to check things with a borrowed infra-red thermometer but it gave unreliable readings.

The hot weather stat we get over here is 74C (165F).

On mine I don't know the cut in and cut out temperature difference of the fan stat but it seems a little too wide on mine, cuts out later than it needs to.

I've got a 'C' 'N' 'H' gauge, in the summer, car moving the temp needle on the dial would be about the equivalent of 70-75C, fan cuts in showing at about equivalent of 83/84C and IIRC cuts out showing somewhere in the equivalent of 70-75C.

My fan will cut in whilst moving but only usually if working hard and/or going below say 35mph.

My water stat is 82C, giggle-pin hole.
Nigel Atkins

I have found this to be a very interesting thread, thanks everyone. My car has the C, N, H gauge with an 88degree 'stat. Does anybody know the actual temperature that is represented by the "C", "N" and "H". In 20 years of ownership I can only remember a handful of times when the reading reached N let alone H although I know it goes up quite a lot when turning the engine off on a hot day.
Ray Rowsell

I think there are dots near the letters for calibration. No idea what the temps are for each dot. No idea how they would be calibrated. Maybe it's just a quality check on a sample basis.

Rob
MG Moneypit

If you can easily remove the bulb sensor from the radiator ( they don't always cooperate) you can place it in a container of hot water. A thermometer can check the temp, adding hot water as needed. A check of the gauge as the water gets hotter will give you accurate indications.
J Bubela

Ray,
do allowing for calibrations differences of gauges but this photo might help you.


Nigel Atkins

Nigel,

Thanks for that. If I imagine my normal needle position transposed onto the centigrade gauge then my engine runs at about 70C - that seems cool. I guess there are too many variables for this to be anything more than a guestimate!

I may have a look to see if sender removes easily, as suggested, to do something a bit more scientific
Ray Rowsell

Ray,
70 is same as mine and others, dials on mine show 'five past seven' normally.

If you mean the pipe/tube, bulb, sender of the water temp dial (with its adapter) then I'd leave it be to avoid possible weeps/leaks from removal and refitting.
Nigel Atkins

70 degs seems very low.
I read somewhere that oil generally runs at 20 deg hotter than the coolant and that oil needs to be at around 100 degs to work properly and burn off contaminants.
Also read somewhere that the thermostats in colder countries are set at a higher temp to provide the heater with a better supply if hot water.
Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

Hi Andy,
yes it always looks low and it winter shows even lower but even in winter my heater is hot, plus the water stat opens at 82c yet it's only just before the water temp bulb so it doesn't seem right.

I suppose it all depends where you take the measurement from.

When I had a car with an oil temp gauge I wished I hadn't because it never seemed to get warm especially in winter.

Water stats are 74C for hot weather, 82C medium and 88 cold weather.
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 10/03/2017 and 14/03/2017

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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