Kenlowe Engine Pre-Heater

[Nambo]

A marvelous thing, my neighbour used to comment on how I wouldnt start the Stag for 6 months, yet just turn the key, and instantly it was running, pre-heater you see, marvelous, dont even need to use the choke which must save me ten bob in petrol every time I start it.

Now Iam about to refit it and wonder if anybody else has one fitted that could remind me of the water pipe connection as I cannot find the instructions, on my Mark 2 Stag, I think it goes in series in the pipe from the lower of the two pipes from the interior heater matrix,

Even if you havnt got one of these marvelous devices, it would be of great assistance to me to be informed of the direction of water travel through the heater matrix, is the top pipe entry or exit?

Cheers
Pete

[Staggard]

A marvelous thing, my neighbour used to comment on how I wouldnt start the Stag for 6 months, yet just turn the key, and instantly it was running, pre-heater you see, marvelous, dont even need to use the choke which must save me ten bob in petrol every time I start it.

Now Iam about to refit it and wonder if anybody else has one fitted that could remind me of the water pipe connection as I cannot find the instructions, on my Mark 2 Stag, I think it goes in series in the pipe from the lower of the two pipes from the interior heater matrix,

Even if you havnt got one of these marvelous devices, it would be of great assistance to me to be informed of the direction of water travel through the heater matrix, is the top pipe entry or exit?

Cheers
Pete

Out of the back of the left hand head in to the bottom of the matrix out of the top via the metal pipe in to the pump Graham

[Nambo]

Out of the back of the left hand head in to the bottom of the matrix out of the top via the metal pipe in to the pump Graham

Let me ensure I got this right as Iam a bit dim, the water flow comes from the left hand head, and enters the matrix by the bottom pipe, then comes out the top pipe to return to the water pump?

Cheers

[StagnJag]

I think the coolant flows from the thermostat housing on the inlet manifold into the top of the radiator, out of the bottom of the radiator and up the steel pipe and into the water pump housing.

Rgds

Dave

[Staggard]

Let me ensure I got this right as Iam a bit dim, the water flow comes from the left hand head, and enters the matrix by the bottom pipe, then comes out the top pipe to return to the water pump?

Cheers

Well that's how mine is plummed up

[Rubce]

Hi Pete

Interesting to read that you have a pre-heater successfully installed. I tried one in our GT6 a few winters back but couldn't keep the system air bled consistently for it to work effectively. I might have another go once the car is rebuilt as the system should be water tight this time!

Regards

Bruce

[Stagsongas]

A marvelous thing, my neighbour used to comment on how I wouldnt start the Stag for 6 months, yet just turn the key, and instantly it was running, pre-heater you see, marvelous, dont even need to use the choke which must save me ten bob in petrol every time I start it.

Now Iam about to refit it and wonder if anybody else has one fitted that could remind me of the water pipe connection as I cannot find the instructions, on my Mark 2 Stag, I think it goes in series in the pipe from the lower of the two pipes from the interior heater matrix,

Even if you havnt got one of these marvelous devices, it would be of great assistance to me to be informed of the direction of water travel through the heater matrix, is the top pipe entry or exit?

Cheers
Pete

Pete,

Car heater matrices are always (should always be) connected so that the hot supply goes in at the bottom.

This is to;

(a) provide a (negiligble) thermal current

(b) make the heater matrix easier to bleed, because air always rises to the top.

Any radiator (say one in your house) will not work if air is trapped at the top, because circulation of the liquid is effectively stopped by the trapped air.

If you are ever in any doubt in the future, just look at a house radiator. Air is always bled off at the top. If the bleed valve were placed at the bottom of the radiator, you would never get the air out.

Regards

Steve

[Nambo]

Eek!
Two conflicting replies!
The PreHeater has directional arrows so it has to follow the flow of the engine, you think they would put information like this in the manual.

Hi Bruce, yes I love my preheater, never had any problems with it, takes about 30 or 40 minutes to get the Stag hot, mine maybe an earlier model than your round one which looks a bit cumbersome to mount, in fact I will take a picture of it now:-

[Nambo]

Picture 154.jpg

[Staggard]

Hot water rises, the flow is from the cylinder head through the matrix and is drawn back to the block by the pump, as is the flow from the top hose into the rad cooled as it passes from left to right and is drawn back to the block by the pump. as in a domestic central system the pump is fitted in the return to the boiler, hot water expanding takes care of the flow.

[Staggard]

Pete,

Car heater matrices are always (should always be) connected so that the hot supply goes in at the bottom.

This is to;

(a) provide a (negiligble) thermal current

(b) make the heater matrix easier to bleed, because air always rises to the top.

Any radiator (say one in your house) will not work if air is trapped at the top, because circulation of the liquid is effectively stopped by the trapped air.

If you are ever in any doubt in the future, just look at a house radiator. Air is always bled off at the top. If the bleed valve were placed at the bottom of the radiator, you would never get the air out.

Regards

Steve

I hate to disagree with you Steve, hot water will still flow through a rad even if there's air trapped in the top it just does not get hot at the top, this can also happed in a car rad.

[StagnJag]

Here is a post on this topic from a few years ago:

http://www.stag.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?1157-Stag-engine-coolant-flow-diagrams&highlight=coolant+direction

(Steve in post 6 above says "Car heater matrices are always (should always be) connected so that the hot supply goes in at the bottom." and Russ/Kryten in post 6 on my link says the exact opposite! "I was a skilled mechanic for many years, and water pumps always drew from the lowest radiator connection.")

lol.

Rgds

Dave

[Stagsongas]

I hate to disagree with you Steve, hot water will still flow through a rad even if there's air trapped in the top it just does not get hot at the top, this can also happed in a car rad.

That depends on the amount of air. Seen it too many times to be convinced otherwise, but the overall point is not to get it trapped at the top of the rad. at all. That is avoided by the exit flow being connected at the top, not the bottom. The same goes for the heater matrix, it is just another radiator.

Regards

Steve

[Stagsongas]

Here is a post on this topic from a few years ago:

http://www.stag.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?1157-Stag-engine-coolant-flow-diagrams&highlight=coolant+direction

(Steve in post 6 above says "Car heater matrices are always (should always be) connected so that the hot supply goes in at the bottom." and Russ/Kryten in post 6 on my link says the exact opposite! "I was a skilled mechanic for many years, and water pumps always drew from the lowest radiator connection.")

lol.

Rgds

Dave

I think you have confused the function of a water pump with the entirely different task a heater matrix performs.

Give it a think.

Regards

Steve

[StagnJag]

Ah, yes I thought you were talking about the main radiator! Doh!

Sorry!

Time I went to bed!

Dave