19 replies to this topic

[Sask_Mini]

Hey Guys, 

 

I want to remove the heater from my mini because it doesn't work and I only drive the car in the summer months.  I just have a question about what to do with the coolant lines that run to the heater core once I remove the heater.  I have attached a picture showing the hose connections I am talking about.  Can I just cut a small section of hose and connect the heater tap directly to the intake manifold?

 

[leyland73]

I would have thought that would work ok, bottom hose to one side of the manifold and then replace the heater tap control with a straight take off and connect to the other side of the inlet manifold. I’m sur someone else will be along and advise if there’s a better way.

[harrythehat]

If you do decide to reinstate the heater and need a new matrix

did one a short time ago, brought from a well know mini parts dealer and guess yep it doesn't fit correctly

took an hour and a bit of fettling to get it to fit right and it works ok.

 

Just a pennies worth 

in case you get the same and think it wont work

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

There are a lot of threads on the forum covering this subject.

 

No problem doing what you are proposing however the main point of contention when removing the heater seems to be where you connect the other end to after the manifold where it flows back into the engine (normally the bottom hose).

 

One school of thought is that you should plumb it into the top hose instead as otherwise you'll have uncooled coolant re-entering the engine.  The other is that it doesn't matter as it isn't cooled anyway when the heater fan is switched off and the flap is set to the "Off" position.

 

There doesn't seem to be an accepted position to take so find out as much as you can and make your decision based upon these facts.

 

My view is that you don't want uncooled coolant going into the engine but also if you plumb the old heater return into the top hose then the coolant passing through the old heater circuit bypasses the thermostat and will cause the engine to take longer to warm up although in the summer months this may not make too much difference so it is probably your best option.

[cal844]

In my experience it's better to keep the heater! Purely to be used as an additional cooling radiator

[CityEPete]

In my experience it's better to keep the heater! Purely to be used as an additional cooling radiator

Yes but you're the guy that always removes the thermostat, lol.

I'd just get a new heater core, took me twenty minutes to swap mine.

[cal844]

In my experience it's better to keep the heater! Purely to be used as an additional cooling radiator

Yes but you're the guy that always removes the thermostat, lol.

I'd just get a new heater core, took me twenty minutes to swap mine.

I know I am ? but the engines don't actually run hot without a stat, by removing the stat is eases the pressure on the system and keeps the coolant in ?

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

The OP says he doesn't require the heater so why repair when you can simplify and have less to go wrong in the future.

Edited by unburntfuelinthemorning, 13 June 2018 - 01:42 PM.

[nicklouse]

the people who have written many words and been published on paper say the return should go into the top hose so it then gets cooled.

 

I have never in the past done this I have always taken it to the bottom hose.

 

I have now plumbed it into the top hose. if this makes any difference or not I don't know yet.

 

so info I have picked up over the years.

 

1: when plumbing into the bottom hose add a restriction so not to much water goes that way. I never did that.

 

2: you don't want uncooled water going back into the engine. it is not uncooled as it is cooled by the cooled water from the rad.

 

3 plumbing into the top hose puts more water through the rad so it will not cool it as much.

 

so to sum up both ways work just as well.

 

final note

 

on the last cars they had a switch to stop the flow through the heater. this diverted the coolant straight to the bottom hose.

[CityEPete]

In my experience it's better to keep the heater! Purely to be used as an additional cooling radiator

Yes but you're the guy that always removes the thermostat, lol.

I'd just get a new heater core, took me twenty minutes to swap mine.

I know I am ? but the engines don't actually run hot without a stat, by removing the stat is eases the pressure on the system and keeps the coolant in ?

The system is designed to operate at pressure that's why it has a rad cap with a specific value, how would removing the stat reduce pressure anyway, lol.

[nicklouse]

 

 

 

In my experience it's better to keep the heater! Purely to be used as an additional cooling radiator

Yes but you're the guy that always removes the thermostat, lol.

I'd just get a new heater core, took me twenty minutes to swap mine.

I know I am but the engines don't actually run hot without a stat, by removing the stat is eases the pressure on the system and keeps the coolant in

The system is designed to operate at pressure that's why it has a rad cap with a specific value, how would removing the stat reduce pressure anyway, lol.

 

 

all it does is increase the time needed to get the engine up to temp and make the water flow round the engine worse.

[CityEPete]

The OP says he doesn't require the heater so why repair when you can simplify and have less to go wrong in the future.

I can't see why you can't just put a piece of copper tube to link the hoses where the matrix should be then, easy to put back if needed and no different to having a heater turned to cold.

I'd still want a demister, it's not just about warmth.

[CityEPete]

In my experience it's better to keep the heater! Purely to be used as an additional cooling radiator

Yes but you're the guy that always removes the thermostat, lol.

I'd just get a new heater core, took me twenty minutes to swap mine.

I know I am but the engines don't actually run hot without a stat, by removing the stat is eases the pressure on the system and keeps the coolant in

The system is designed to operate at pressure that's why it has a rad cap with a specific value, how would removing the stat reduce pressure anyway, lol.

all it does is increase the time needed to get the engine up to temp and make the water flow round the engine worse.

It's almost as if the engineers that designed it knew, lol.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

 

The OP says he doesn't require the heater so why repair when you can simplify and have less to go wrong in the future.

I can't see why you can't just put a piece of copper tube to link the hoses where the matrix should be then, easy to put back if needed and no different to having a heater turned to cold.

I'd still want a demister, it's not just about warmth.

 

That's what the OP wants to do except instead of using copper pipe he wants to use the water heated inlet manifold.

 

I too would rather have a heater for demisting purposes any time of the year in Britain.  Maybe where he is in Canada the weather is more predictable in the summer?

[cal844]

In my experience it's better to keep the heater! Purely to be used as an additional cooling radiator

Yes but you're the guy that always removes the thermostat, lol.

I'd just get a new heater core, took me twenty minutes to swap mine.

I know I am but the engines don't actually run hot without a stat, by removing the stat is eases the pressure on the system and keeps the coolant in

The system is designed to operate at pressure that's why it has a rad cap with a specific value, how would removing the stat reduce pressure anyway, lol.

all it does is increase the time needed to get the engine up to temp and make the water flow round the engine worse.

It's almost as if the engineers that designed it knew, lol.

That is somewhat incorrect, when a thermostat jams closed, the pressure has is released elsewhere. it did on my mates car anyway as it blew the dipstick out the motor, and emptied the radiator when we took the cap off.

Removed the thermostat to get the car home, has run fine ever since but yes it does take slightly longer to get to temperature