Evans Coolant?

[Al N.]

Anyone familiar with this stuff?

 

I'm switiching to the Raceline Water Rail, and my mechanic suggested swtiching over to this high boiling point stuff and a lower pressure radiator cap.

 

I did a little research and it seems as though there is some concern that the added viscosity may not work well with stock water pumps and radiators (something about flow)...though I couldn't find anything directly related to Zetecs.

 

FWIW, to those considering the Raceline Water Rail...here's what my mechanic wrote to me earlier today:" The coolant rail looks and fits beautifully and will eliminate a lot of hose."

[stevet]

before and after pics Al, if you get chance...

 

Thanks.

[Al N.]

I won't have a good apples to apples "Before" pic, Steve...car went into the shop before I remembered that. My blog has some pix of the before action...here you go to save the click:

 

This one shows the hose clamp that went recently (probably because of lack of slack of sufficient slack as the motor turns in its mounts, we think), as well as a smaller one below the clamp and the large tube that runs perpendicular below them both (it eventually turns 90 degrees toward the front of car).

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1606870116_Hosed.jpg

 

 

This one, while a little too wide an angle, shows the mess of tubes that occupy the engine bay (and which somewhat inexplicably go right over the headers!).

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1652834179_McGyver2.jpg

 

 

After it's installed, I'll definitely have pix. And of course, you'll see it in the metal soon.

 

-A

[stevet]

And the trailer!

[slomove]

The Raceline water rail is quite common with Zetec Se7en owners in the UK and also many here in the US. Obviously it is a neat way of routing the coolant line to the front of the engine but after all, it is just a glorified tube.

 

I have it in my car and AFAIK the only difference to a stock Zetec coolant system is the position of the thermostat (up front closer to the radiator). To allow the thermostat to operate smoothly that far away it is required to drill 2 or 3 small bypass holes (1/8" ) into the the thermostat flange to allow for minimal circulation all the time (or the sensing element will never see the hot coolant). I had that when I got my car and the temperature fluctuated wildly between 70C and 120C.

 

Otherwise I just run any off-the-shelf coolant with rock solid temperature. Thermostat is 195 F, radiator cap is 16 psi, ECU controlled fan is 90 degrees C on and 85 degrees C off.

 

Gert

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/226932208_WaterRail.JPG

[Al N.]

Gert-

 

I see that your upper radiator tube seems to go into a piece of billet with various and sundry tubes coming out of it...are you running some sort of alternative radiator set up?

 

I'm probably going to use the Caterham BDR silicone upper tube to minimize the number of joints. FWIW, I think Birkins with Zetecs have to use the Raceline water rail because there is no room at the back of the engine for the standard thermostat housing.

 

Off to a client meeting.

 

-Al

[slomove]

Al, the "billet aluminum piece" is a Laminova oil/coolant heat exchanger. But this just replaces a straight piece of aluminum tubing that used to be there.

I know not all Birkins use the Raceline rail but I am not sure if they are using the stock thermostat setup.

 

Gert

[Al N.]

For Steve T...

 

I found this shot of my engine bay where you can see the cooling hoses...the shiny black pipe that runs near the side as well as all the hoses are part of the system.

 

I'm pretty sure all of those will be replaced by the water rail. Also, because I don't have a heater, it eliminates the need for another hose.

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/777025402_OrangeEngineBay.jpg

[Al N.]

For Steve T:

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1163920800_RacelineRail.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1296669947_backorail.jpg

[stevet]

Thanks Al. Very tidy.

 

And timely, I've just moved a hose that was rubbing on the steering column...

[Al N.]

I know exactly what hose that is, Steve. The solution is cutting back the water pump housing just a bit and angling th rack to allow just a little more clearance.

[Kitcat]

What lovely engine bays! You should go to Plexiglas bonnets in the future. Makes my Crossflow look distinctly agricultural, or industrial.

 

Al-no heater? You mean no auxiliary cooling system? (As I found out at a recent track day, running the heater full blast really drops the water temp). And, thanks to the brilliant design of the car, it actually is no hotter in the cockpit with the heater on than off:).

[Al N.]

Nope, no heater. That would be against the "Superlight" theme...