Project V6 Elise

[Kev]

Gutted!! I've got to wait another 24hrs before I hear it. Glad you managed to sort the wiring issue. I'm sure with the Larini Club Sport back box I've got, it's going to be ear bleeding

[OlberJ]

Geesoh, the Larini's sound good with just a 4 banger.

[Woodsport]

Post #1 updated with video

[CubanGav]

Awesome. Assuming it's now a period of testing and shakedown. Keep the vids frequent.
Again - awesome.

[r055]

As above, well done mate
Can't wait to hear it in person and on track (hopefully)

[robin]

How hot was the actual radiator when it was "struggling to keep up for prolonged idle"?

Surely your heat output on idle can only be a few KW compared to the 100's of KW that the engine produces on full throttle.

The problem with the radiator is normally flow on idle and not actual heat dissipation (assuming the fan actually works).

Fitting a more efficient radiator will only really help if the flow through the radiator is improved; and if you improve flow through rad you won't need a more efficient one.

I would think carefully about how the thermostat, heater and bypass circuits are routed on your install and check that there is nothing preventing coolant flowing through the rad when circuit pressure is low and stat is wide open.

Cheers,
Robin

[robin]

P.S. Airlocks in the radiator cause this too.

P.P.S. The tell tale on the K-series install is that when you raise revs slightly (1,500 RPM is usually enough) the temperature drops very quickly; if the rad efficiency was the issue, raising revs would make matters worse (more waste heat); if the temp drops it must be because more coolant is flowing through the rad than before.

[Woodsport]

Hi Robin, thankyou for your input, but there is no issue with the plumbing (it's set up exactly as it would be on our well tried and tested Mr2 V6's), there are no airlocks either.

It was holding 94* for hours, wouldn't actually overheat, but wouldn't switch the fan off either, not ideal. I suspect it is a lack of flow and efficiency with the stock rad, a new one is on the way which will fix that, but thankyou for your suggestions.

[robin]

It's your money but I believe your logic is flawed re: the radiator being the issue.

Other than by total coincidence I don't see how the plumbing can be the same from the point of view of pressure vs. flow. Surely the various pipes, etc., are of different diameters?

Cheers,
Robin

[Woodsport]

Robin the pipes are the exact same diameter as the Mr2, the layout is identical although different pipe shapes/routing, i have even copied the Mr2 layout for the heater circuit and done away with the single feed it had (and T back into the rad line), so everything is how it would be on an Mr2, the engine should know no difference plumbing wise being in that Elise and in an Mr2 apart from one factor that is different.... the radiator, i can guarantee if i dummy rigged an Mr2 rad onto the front of that Elise it would behave normally.

Sorry you think my logic is flawed but i do this for a living and i do know what i'm doing.

[robin]

So you've replaced all the metal pipes that run the coolant front/rear?

Fair enough then.

Although why a radiator that has worked fine all of its life would suddenly not work is a mystery to me - but then I'm just an amateur so what would I know.

Robin

[Woodsport]

No, i haven't replaced the pipes front to rear, why would i do that? They are the same diameter to the mm as the Mr2 which we know works, only the path they take is different, which doesn't matter, similar distance covered and it's the same hill and valley layout in the Mr2.

You are reading far too much into my comment, or perhaps that's the idea? To pick holes? To recap, the radiator works, of course it does, and maintains 94* for hours at idle, but at a cost of having the fan on constantly.

Now given i have plumbed it correctly (exactly as it would be in an Mr2 or a Camry, which we know works over 150 tried and tested conversions) then surely you would conceed the only difference between this setup and those is the radiator? The engine doesn't know it's in an Elise, has the SAME diameter pipes and SAME routing as it would do normally, so the only factor that IS different is the radiator.

It's not rocket surgery, or are you suggesting i have plumbed it wrongly and the other 150 swaps i've done are all plumbed wrongly too?

I'm getting a bit fed up with certain people only commenting when there's a negative or something to rip apart.

Although why a radiator that has worked fine all of its life would suddenly not work is a mystery to me - but then I'm just an amateur so what would I know.

It does work, and indeed.

Perhaps it would be more in my best interests to not highlight every little detail we find, then you would have nothing to comment on, you certainly don't comment on the positives.

[Mike Scib]

Loving your work, however you Sir are hard work.

[campbell]

Paul. Calm down. No-one picking holes, by any means.

People here are genuinely excited by your efforts and the daily reporting (look at the comments above re: "where's my update?!") Robin's observations are an attempt to help ensure you arrive at the right solution for this unique cooling issue you have uncovered. It is not an attempt to shoot you down - believe it or not he is offering some challenging questions which are of value to you to answer carefully before you go too far down a potentially incorrect solution. Robin has absolutely nothing to gain by picking holes, he is not a competitor, is not trying to steal secrets, and has offered support and expertise at what we might call a "experienced amateur" level to many many people in SE and beyond...and even to certain established motor dealers.

Please keep doing what you are doing and just take a deep breath. The answers will come, I am sure!

Campbell

[Woodsport]

I apologise, it's been a very tough 9 weeks both mentally and physically, i'm a little touchy about the project as i've had crap from people on other forums for no good reason.

Robin, i know you are only trying to help so i'm sorry.