Getting hot between the knees

[haybaggerman]

Evening all

 

I'm not used to the delicacies of driving a 10 ton machine with the engine just in front of my knees so I need an oppinion here please.

 

I have been taking my new saracen out for short trips to check for leaks of any kind as it has been parked up in a museum for some years prior to my purchase. Tonight, I took it for a longer burn, only 10 minutes across the fields, using all gears and lovin it!! However, I'm wondering wether it should get SO hot in such a short amount of time.

 

Water seems to have pushed out past the filler cap (I'm presuming the overflow is blocked by paint and dirt, have yet to check that). This has resulted in some steam coming into the drivers position. I have checked over the engine on idle and found that hot air is being blown through the radiator so thermosat seems to be working. The water in the rad was making lots of hot water sounds if you know what I mean. The water level was okay before takeoff and the fan belts are just fitted and seem to be correctly adjusted.

 

There is water on the engine compartment floor, although she was left out over night in the rain 2 nights ago and we had 8mm, so, if its anything like the ferret this could be rainwater.

 

Also, the wing above the silencer was too hot to rest my hand on for more than a few seconds.

 

Seems like alot of heat for 10 mins?

 

Thanks

 

Paul

 

EDIT temp gauge not working btw

Edited June 30, 2010 by haybaggerman

[LoggyDriver]

You haven't got a head gasket gone have you? Is there pressure in the header tank that's causing the coolant to be ejected? What's the oil like?

[haybaggerman]

Hmmm... don't like the sound of that.

 

The oil has no water in it, and the level is constant. It does smell is bit petrolly though, but not not thinned out at all.

[saracenstump]

mine throws out water until it finds its own level,just keep an eye on it.the exhaust gets very hot very quickly and if you go for a long drive your left foot cooks!!!!!!!!!

[haybaggerman]

Do you get the sauna effect too?

[Tony B]

My experience with this type of problem: When you light your piipe and throw the match away,

OPEN the dammed widow first!:nut:

[saracenstump]

Do you get the sauna effect too?

oh yes!!!!!!

[haybaggerman]

My experience with this type of problem: When you light your piipe and throw the match away,

OPEN the dammed widow first!:nut:

 

Open the widow first? thats no way to treat a lady

[Tony B]

Open the widow first? thats no way to treat a lady

Damm near went out the widow! Horrible hot sensation and smell of smoke.:shocked: Was driving a Landy at the time, that got left to it's own devices and ended half up and half in the stable muck heap before stalling. My delightful ex and the rest of the people about were some help. when they'd stop laughing. Not one of best moments.

[Richard Farrant]

 

I have checked over the engine on idle and found that hot air is being blown through the radiator so thermosat seems to be working.

 

 

Hi Paul,

 

You mention that hot air is being blown through the radiator...............so...is this Reverse Flow Cooling on your Saracen? If it is, then air from engine compartment is being drawn through the "beehives" on the top of the engine deck and blown out the front. Now, if it is like this, then have you got the sheetmetal and rubber shroud on the front of the vehicle? If not, then this is why it is getting hot. Forward motion is keeping the hot air in the engine compartment with out a shroud on. Have come across this several times.

 

Forgive me if I have prejudged your vehicle and got it wrong, but this sound like the problem.

 

Richard

[haybaggerman]

Hi Paul,

 

You mention that hot air is being blown through the radiator...............so...is this Reverse Flow Cooling on your Saracen? If it is, then air from engine compartment is being drawn through the "beehives" on the top of the engine deck and blown out the front. Now, if it is like this, then have you got the sheetmetal and rubber shroud on the front of the vehicle? If not, then this is why it is getting hot. Forward motion is keeping the hot air in the engine compartment with out a shroud on. Have come across this several times.

 

Forgive me if I have prejudged your vehicle and got it wrong, but this sound like the problem.

 

Richard

 

Hi Richard

 

No, its me not making myself clear. It is non RFC. Air is being drawn in through the rad, and the air is very warm when it has passed through the rad and fans and is entering the engine compartment, so some cooling of the water is going on. I was just surprised at how warm things got so quickly, but I suppose its a big engine.

 

Dont know really, I will check water level and oil in the morning and see if anything has changed.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Richard

 

No, its me not making myself clear. It is non RFC. Air is being drawn in through the rad, and the air is very warm when it has passed through the rad and fans and is entering the engine compartment, so some cooling of the water is going on. I was just surprised at how warm things got so quickly, but I suppose its a big engine.

 

Dont know really, I will check water level and oil in the morning and see if anything has changed.

 

 

 

 

OK Paul, I misunderstood about the air blowing through the rad.

 

They do get hot as you can imagine, especially on the left side with exhaust manifold close by. Without a working temp guage, it is difficult to tell if it is too hot.

[AlienFTM]

Open the widow first? thats no way to treat a lady

 

Funny you should say that (but apologies for going completely off-topic). I have owned a copy of Bob Calvert's Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters for a number of years (having seen it in the record shop in 1974 and unfortunately refrained).

 

The track list does not agree with the actual contents: a track is missing, entitled "The Widow's Song":

 

I had a man he had wings on his suit

he had short hair he was tall he was straight

I had a man with a scar on his face

he was a starfighting man

a starfighting man

and he's never coming tack

 

I had a man his name was Kurt

he never bit his nails he was good to me

I had a man who wore jackboots

he was a starfighting man

a starfighting man

and he's never coming back

 

I had a man who was arrogant and proud

he had a riding crop he was fearless he was sly

I had a man who was a Luftwaffe star

he was a starfighting man

a starfighting man

and he's never coming back.

 

Something on TV the other night reminded me of a track I wanted to buy from iTunes (Streets of London - Ralph McTell) so I logged on and did the deed. Then I remembered a couple of others (Eve of Destruction - Barry McGuire and The Widow's Song) that I could get while I was there. Now I knew that The Widow's Song wasn't actually on the album: that's why I was looking for it. So I had to search quite hard to find it. Nothing of that title on iTunes, so instead I had to look at Bob Calvert's discography and find the album it was off. There I find that iTunes had listed The Widow's Song as The Windows Song. No wonder I'd been unable to find it! Grr. How can I soar like an eagle when I am surrounded by turkeys?

 

My apologies again for going so far off-topic.

[haybaggerman]

Thats okay, its a welcome aside.

 

I just had a thought, I am naturally carefull with these old engines and think I am guilty of unreving sometimes. I think I took it up to just over 2000 revs last night.

 

I imagine underreving might well undercool too?

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[ArtistsRifles]

mine throws out water until it finds its own level,just keep an eye on it.the exhaust gets very hot very quickly and if you go for a long drive your left foot cooks!!!!!!!!!

 

Stu forgot to mention - when driving a long way in one of these make sure when you stop there is a large puddle of water to cool the left foot in!! :laugh::laugh::laugh:

[oily]

already been said.... but yes the panel/wing adjacent to the exhaust do get very hot, fairly quickly... start worrying more though if the floor around the flywheel area starts getting very hot, hot enough to be uncomfortable..... cos it's probably the fluid flywheel oil boiling if it's low, or leaking...... very runny oil on base of engine bay can also be a sign too..... as I've just found.....

[oily]

they'll rev safely up to the rev limiter....4000rpm, cruising speed, on the road, 30-45mph it'll probably be doing around 3500rpm anyway....:-\

[haybaggerman]

already been said.... but yes the panel/wing adjacent to the exhaust do get very hot, fairly quickly... start worrying more though if the floor around the flywheel area starts getting very hot, hot enough to be uncomfortable..... cos it's probably the fluid flywheel oil boiling if it's low, or leaking...... very runny oil on base of engine bay can also be a sign too..... as I've just found.....

 

Its the one thing I havn't checked yet for oil level, next job I think, although all seems to be driving well.

 

She certainly responds well when you do put the pedal down, faster than I thought she'd be.

[oily]

and the rough stuff won't slow it down much either... I'll try and find the video clip I have of a Saladin running at full speed over some railway sleepers!:cool2:

[haybaggerman]

Hi Guys

 

Took her out again this evening and this time the mist really did start pumping out. I stopped the engine and got my camera. This is a video of her after cooling for a while and then ticking over.

 

It is coming up past the fuel filter. At least some of it is exhaust fumes as there is a small break in the manifold, but the rest? and why is it coming up through there?

 

 

Any thoughts saraceniers??

 

EDIT not all coming from there, some out of top engine covers when she is stopped with engine running

 

Thanks

 

Paul

Edited July 8, 2010 by haybaggerman

[saracenstump]

i would say its probably coming through the holes in the floor where the fuel pipes run.have you got the hull drain plugs out?

either you've got something seized or trying to seize or water in the bottom of the hull,can't really say other than that.

[haybaggerman]

Good point, drain plugs are in, I'll take them out tomorrow and see what comes out.

 

See what I mean by the sauna effect? One of my priorities is to get the temp gauge working so I know what I'm dealing with.

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Guys

 

Took her out again this evening and this time the mist really did start pumping out. I stopped the engine and got my camera. This is a video of her after cooling for a while and then ticking over.

 

It is coming up past the fuel filter. At least some of it is exhaust fumes as there is a small break in the manifold, but the rest? and why is it coming up through there?

 

 

 

Any thoughts saraceniers??

 

EDIT not all coming from there, some out of top engine covers when she is stopped with engine running

 

 

 

 

Paul,

 

Are you losing water out of the radiator?

 

That actually looks like a leaking flywheel seal, might be worth checking the fluid level, to eliminate. The fluid is clear and very thin, so does tend to "mist".

 

regards, Richard

[haybaggerman]

Hi Richard

 

Good news!!!

 

The radiator is NOT losing water.

 

Bad News!!

 

Got thin oil in the hull bottom. Got to get a tool to open up the fluid flywheel but thats looking like the culprit, Richard looks like you are right. Going to open up the cover and look for weeping on the flywheel tonight.

 

Oily, why don't you practise doing my flywheel before attempting your own, sound like a plan????

 

Paul

[MiketheBike]

Hi Richard

 

Good news!!!

 

The radiator is NOT losing water.

 

Bad News!!

 

Got thin oil in the hull bottom. Got to get a tool to open up the fluid flywheel but thats looking like the culprit, Richard looks like you are right. Going to open up the cover and look for weeping on the flywheel tonight.

 

Oily, why don't you practise doing my flywheel before attempting your own, sound like a plan????

 

Paul

 

 

Paul...you are so right. I always like to practice on someone elses stuff first, if it screws up, you walk away and get yours done right!!!

[oily]

Depends how close you are....I'd willingly lend a hand, from what I can see it's not a quick or easy job...... lots of heavy lifting.....:-|