'76 Dolomite 1850HL

[captain_70s]

Fitchetts is my first port of call when buying parts anyway, I've got everything I need ordered (hopefully!) I'm just waiting on delivery. I think this is the first time something hasn't arrived the very next day, but I did place the order past 4pm!

It's going to fun doing this at the side of the road but hopefully I'll be able to pull it off!

[sprint95m]

Any progress to report?









Ian.

[captain_70s]

Inlet manifold just came off this afternoon, pulled out the bypass tube to find the O Rings were very much dead.

Hoping to get the new stuff fitted and the manifold back on before it's dark, but I'm awaiting a shipment of air/water hoses and fuel lines from Fitchetts to replace the ones that fell apart as I removed them! So it won't be running tonight, although with any luck the car will be back together by tomorrow evening.

Whether or not it works or not is another matter! If the coolant loss contines I'll have to take the whole lot off again to get at the water pump, but it's probably only taken 2-3 hours to get this far at most, even with me working at a very leisurely pace at the side of the road, so It's a risk I'm willing to take.


In happier news here are a few pictures of the thing from this summer!

Parked next to a restored 1850HL Auto, with £8000 worth of receipts! (I'd rather have mine. )


Visiting the PO to collect some bits he found in the garage and see his new motor.


Rocking my set of NOS pre-1976 hubcaps I won on eBay for £8.


An attempt at an artsy shot:

[sprint95m]

Thanks for the update.

It does sound like the PO reused the bypass tube O rings
so hopefully that is all that is wrong with it.





Ian.

[captain_70s]

Well, it tool three weeks but I changed all the seals, O-rings and gaskets and put it all back together and it still has the exact same problem. Engine gets hot, everything else stays cold and coolant pours out of the bypass tube slot.

To say I've lost motivation at this point is an understatement... I'm just bloody tired...

[matt of the vivas]

Is it 100% coming out of the bypass tube holes?

If so, is it coming out of the top (bypass tube to manifold) or bottom (bypass tube to waterpump cover)?

Drain the water again, and remove the thermostat housing and thermostat (2 bolts)

If its leaking from the bottom of the tube, trying tapping the tube down a little with a drift from inside the thermostat recess in the manifold - it might not be completely home in the waterpump cover and not sealing.

If its leaking from the top of the tube, it might be the manifold is corroded where the tube fits, and allowing water to pass the O rings. You can smear chemical metal around the top inside of the recess with the tube and manifold in place - its a bodge, but it works - i did one the same way and its not leaked since.

Before you refit the thermostat fill the block up with coolant through the bypass hose until water is clearly visible coming out of the manifold where it meets the head - this will ensure the block is full of water. Then refit the thermostat and housing, and refill the rest of the system as usual through the plug in the top of the housing. It might be that you have an air lock in the system, so the thermostat is not seeing any coolant and hence wont open. The engine overheats and will push coolant out of any weak spots - possibly why your bypass tube o rings are leaking. Filling the engine with coolant the way i have described will minimise this.

Dont loose heart with it - chances are another hours work will have it cured.

Matt.

[sprint95m]

Engine gets hot, everything else stays cold and coolant pours out of the bypass tube slot.

Sorry to hear this.


I am thinking you need to investigate the water pump? It may be stripped drive gears or the impeller not turning (ie slipping on the shaft).
The slot you refer to, is this in the block?


Hopefully Jon Tilson will be along shortly as this is an area of his expertise......




Ian.

[Jon Tilson]

What Matt said,...

Do this first then come back to us if its coming out of the slot behind the alternator.
If it is you need to repair the water pump.

Quite doable....

Guide here...

https://www.dollywiki.co.uk/wiki/Water_Pump_Overhaul

Jonners

[captain_70s]

Water is bubbling upwards out of this gap, not the slot in the side of the block:



It really does seem the water simply isn't getting past the thermostat, it may be the case the bypass tube isn't seated very well. I'll give your suggestion a shot and see where I get, Matt. Thankfully last night I remembered I had some bottles of Belgian pale ale in a cupboard that made the situation slightly less bleak.

Of course I left work today and found my Corsa's rear light had been smashed in somehow. Seems it's not my week when it comes to cars!

[captain_70s]

Well, I knocked the tube further into the hole with a pair of pliers and a rubber mallet, took a while but eventually I got to a stage where it wasn't leaking.

Engine was still heating up and cooling system still cold though, cut off the engine before it overheated this time! Whipped out the thermostat and dumped it in some boiling water, it's a dud! Grabbed the old one and tested that too, just to make sure I'd not mixed them up and sure enough they are both utterly non-functional. Looks like I'll be ordering another thermostat tomorrow and then seeing if any of this stuff holds together under pressure, assuming the next thermostat bloody works!

[Jon Tilson]

Be sure you get a stat with the foot that seals off the bypass tube....

Stats with no lower foot are often fitted to slants in error.

It has to have the disc (foot) at the bottom to seal off that tube that you have just sorted.

Jonners

[captain_70s]

New stat fitted and working, all three are the correct type with the foot. The system seems to be holding coolant under pressure aside from small leak from the radiator top hose which is perished. I've got a replacement on the way...

Just bought a set of winter tyres for the thing. Hopefully it works long enough to make use of them.

[matt of the vivas]

Excellent! Well done you.

[Jon Tilson]

Agreed....that is a result.
Hope you get to enjoy the superior 1850 heater to the 1300...the centre vent is the business.

Jonners

[captain_70s]

Agreed....that is a result.
Hope you get to enjoy the superior 1850 heater to the 1300...the centre vent is the business.

Jonners

The 1300's heater is bloody useless, you have to choose between warm feet or a demisted windscreen, you'll not be getting both. Although to it's credit the heated rear screen works far better and the headlights are practically up to modern(ish) standards.