I have a 2003 Plus8. It doesn’t overheat BUT the fan does kick in regularly under lower airflow conditions. Mainly in summer. It is a Morgan aluminium rad not aftermarket ( Mulfab etc).
Using the gauge ( treated as rough estimate rather than actual temp), I get the following.
Winter
Shows 80deg but creeps up in slow traffic/on stop to 90. Very occasionally fan kicking in at about 98 if it goes up. Fan cuts out again at about 90. It cools back to normal (80).
Summer.
Shows about 88 but creeps up as in winter and fan reacts the same.
The only time I have had the gauge show more than 100 is when the fan fuse failed and the fan didn’t kick in. New fuse and ok after that.
So, no worries about cooling with glances at the gauge to spot over high readings.
Last time I changed coolant I back flushed the system.
I have rear bonnet extenders fitted for summer to help under bonnet air escape. It gets hot under there!
A test I did measured Incoming air temp.
Ambient air 15 deg. IAT went to 35 and rising slowly. The air is sucked in to the filter inlet in a non ideal way. No cool air feed but just under bonnet air. The exhaust manifold is not shielded.
I currently have a crude air feed to the lower rad area. A 63mm flexi pipe acting as a duct near the overrider to see if extra airflow can be found. No major influence, just a possible marginal one. It could be developed along with other airflow options ( reduced airflow leakage past the rad instead of through it) etc.
Last edited by sospan; 10/07/23 08:37 AM.
