Wards Header Tank - LHD installation

[cjp]

I don't think we have enough header tank threads active at the moment, so here's YAHTT (Yet Another Header Tank Thread).

My car is a Federal car - therefore LHD. After much research and following of all the great header tank threads on here, I opted for the Wards solution, as the VMad solution would have interfered with my non-standard AC setup, the "high-mount" options all landed right where the brake master cylinder booster is on a LHD car, and the other strut-mounted solutions did not seem big enough to me to add enough value.

Maybe I should have gone for something else as this is what happens when you mount the Wards tank (which is a work of welding art to behold, it has to be said) on a LHD car - Oops! :

Wards LHD 1.jpg Wards LHD 2.jpg

However, all is not lost... A few frantic phone calls, a little bit of additional metalwork (the welding is not quite so neat as Mick's it has to be admitted but not too bad) and you can end up with this:

Wards LHD 4.jpg

And it can be made good to fit like this:

Wards LHD 3.jpg

I've yet to get the car running with this setup on it as I've been waiting for some refurbished strut tubes to add the HRS lowering kit, but hopefully it should all be good.

Thought I would share so other LHD owners are better prepared if they opt for this solution.

Cheers,

Chris

[milothedog]

Nice work, well done Chris.

I was interested to see photo No 4 as the master cylinder looks the same as a RHD car (connections) but I'm sure someone on here bought one cheaply and didn't / couldn't because it was for a LHD


Ian

[wilf]

How are you arranging the hoses Chris?

[NickA]

Nice work, well done Chris.

I was interested to see photo No 4 as the master cylinder looks the same as a RHD car (connections) but I'm sure someone on here bought one cheaply and didn't / couldn't because it was for a LHD


Ian

Cylinder has the same part number; guess it was easier to bend the pipes than alter the design!

[Stagsongas]

Looks very tidy to me Chris, well done.

The Ward tank is certainly impressive. TIG (if that's what you used) is the only type of welding I've not gotten around too. Maybe one day

Regards

Steve

[cjp]

How are you arranging the hoses Chris?

Wilf,
Still figuring that out! The challenge on that end is that I opted for the silicone hose set from Wards, that seem to be a bit less "flexible" than the rubber ones, and the same AC installation that prevented use of the VMad tank option is going to require a little bit of inventive routing.

Once the head-scratching is done, and I've got that installed, will post pics for completeness' sake.

Cheers,

Chris

[cjp]

I finally got the old girl back from the shop late last week. Here's the promised pictures of the header tank pipe routing, with it all bolted/plumbed together:

IMG_0311.jpgIMG_0312.jpgIMG_0313.jpg

It's been in the 90's here all this week, so although she's running a bit warmer than I recall, I do need to let things settle down before letting paranoia take a hold once more.

The shop not only did this setup for me, but also replaced the leaking rack, installed my poly bushes, the HRS lowering kit, the Spax shocks, and fixed a huge fluid leak from the BW35 box that I finally admitted defeat on, which was apparently simply a loose fitting somewhere from the box rebuild (which cost a fortune 2 years ago). Apparently it was fixed with a turn of a spanner. Wish the rest of that little lot cost the same!

That said, I've been using her as my daily driver this week, as the XJ8 is in for its work up, and everything feels so much more planted. I'm very happy.

She's off to the detailers tomorrow. I've decided that my patience no longer extends to cleaning spokes on wire-wheels with toothbrushes!

I'll take some beauty shots once she comes back.

If you look closely at picture 2, you can see one of the fire suppression system nozzles pointing in the general direction of the Strommies. I'll do a separate post on that if anyone is interested.

Cheers,

cjp

[iani]

Looks good, I'd certainly be interested in hearing about the fire suppression system.

Ian

[malc4d]

How did you adapt your A/c ? I'm trying to get mine repaired and working.

[cjp]

How did you adapt your A/c ? I'm trying to get mine repaired and working.

The compressor is off a Mazda Miata (MX5, I think in the UK?). It's got the original heat exchanger and fans, and uses most of the original wiring and plumbing. As initially installed, it worked fine, but, TBH, I'm not sure I would recommend this approach, as one of the exchanger fans quickly seized and caused a major blow-out in the fuse-box (hence the insurance of the fire suppression system). That's my winter project to get it all fixed up and working again. I'll probably start by swapping out the old fans for some small modern fans, then replace the wiring, and if it still is not reliable, then swap out the heat exchanger. If you are willing to compromise originality for new kit, I have found that you can find a lot more choice on the motorsport sites, who typically deal with much more variety, higher temperatures in smaller spaces, than you can at the usual suppliers.

I'd be interested to know what you are thinking and comparing notes.

Cheers,

Chris

[stag72]

Hi i'm Mike. I have a LHD Mk1 Stag to which I would like to fit a header tank. Yours appears to be LHD so Q understand main feed to top of rad, breather feed looks to be fitted to old overflow outlet by pressure cap? does this really vent the system as it is not the highest point in the cooling system? 2nd Q please is the PSI on the header tank less than the old Rad pressure cap which is 13psi. Most forum items refer to mk2 cooling systems so mk1 needs a differing solution.
Any advice would be helpful to get it right first time
Regards Mie Newman

I finally got the old girl back from the shop late last week. Here's the promised pictures of the header tank pipe routing, with it all bolted/plumbed together:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]24344[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]24345[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]24346[/ATTACH]

It's been in the 90's here all this week, so although she's running a bit warmer than I recall, I do need to let things settle down before letting paranoia take a hold once more.

The shop not only did this setup for me, but also replaced the leaking rack, installed my poly bushes, the HRS lowering kit, the Spax shocks, and fixed a huge fluid leak from the BW35 box that I finally admitted defeat on, which was apparently simply a loose fitting somewhere from the box rebuild (which cost a fortune 2 years ago). Apparently it was fixed with a turn of a spanner. Wish the rest of that little lot cost the same!

That said, I've been using her as my daily driver this week, as the XJ8 is in for its work up, and everything feels so much more planted. I'm very happy.

She's off to the detailers tomorrow. I've decided that my patience no longer extends to cleaning spokes on wire-wheels with toothbrushes!

I'll take some beauty shots once she comes back.

If you look closely at picture 2, you can see one of the fire suppression system nozzles pointing in the general direction of the Strommies. I'll do a separate post on that if anyone is interested.

Cheers,

cjp

[Marco Polo]

Hi Chris,
Is your aircon compressor mounted on the original bracket? I retrofitted an original aircon unit to my car and used the oem bracket and an adapter from Vintage Air to use a Sanden pump, similar to yours. If you look in the technical section there is a write up of my installation and modification to the original set up.

regards,
Raoul