Which Thermostat for 1380 Hill climber?

[tomkidd]

How do gents

I'll be running a 1380 in the mini with a minispares 2 core rad and wondered what suggestions you might have for a thermostat?
The car is a hill climb car so not sure if that adds to considerations?

Ta

Tom

[Vegard]

I've fitted a 74degree one on my racecar. Fit the coolest you can.

BTW: I've NEVER understood the people running without a thermostat.

[LMM76C]

BTW: I've NEVER understood the people running without a thermostat.

I have - and ran with no thermostat and the ST blanking sleeve like everyone else I knew in period when rallying a Mini.
I have not used a Mini in hillclimbing but in other cars, running without a thermostat was the norm (and without a fan on front radiator models).
Hillclimbing on many courses is very low speed (but equally high revs) compared to most other disciplines and every bit of cooling you can get is vital when you also limit or eliminate the other forms of cooling to get the last bhp. You can, within reason, warm the car up to an exact timescale so that you come to the line with the temperature rising and just on the optimum for best power. Anything that keeps it there, rather than rising further, for the 40 seconds or whatever of your run is important.

[Vegard]

If you can heat it on beforehand great, but if you cannot?

I'm not so interested in what "the norm" does...

[LMM76C]

If you can heat it on beforehand great, but if you cannot?
I'm not so interested in what "the norm" does...

Sorry cannot decipher post. Appreciate English may not be first language. In UK hillclimbing, you are effectively in control of when you start (within reason, as previously posted) and are not forced to go at a particular moment (when you may not be fully up to running temperature).

[Vegard]

If you can heat it on beforehand great, but if you cannot?
I'm not so interested in what "the norm" does...

Sorry cannot decipher post. Appreciate English may not be first language. In UK hillclimbing, you are effectively in control of when you start (within reason, as previously posted) and are not forced to go at a particular moment (when you may not be fully up to running temperature).

Sorry for the confusion. What I mean is that running without a thermostat might be OK if you're able to pre heat the engine. Even so, if you can, why not run a thermostat?
There are no downsides to running a thermostat as far as I can see.

[LMM76C]

Flow rate.
On cars like Escorts (where no one makes a blanking sleeve like the one for the Mini - and on which, for all I know, one might not work) taking the middle part out of the t/stat to improve flow is favoured. Removing t/stat completely without relacing with the sleeve screws up flow.

[Vegard]

Why on earth would you need more flow? Sufficient cooling is what you need, and unless racing in Arizona this is not a problem.

[LMM76C]

Please tell us how to get sufficient cooling on a very highly modified S that cannot use an external auxilliary radiator (like the works Gp6 cars) and is only being driven uphill at peak revs at comparatively low road speeds in the lower gears.
That was a problem back in the day and it is a problem now - on most cars that the regs demand keep their standard body profile.
I think the specific nature and demands of UK hillclimbing has already been explained sufficiently.

[Vegard]

You fit a Minispares 2-core radiator.

[COOPERCO]

Have been hillclimbing for the last two years in two cars both with thermostats. No problem with either car (one of them being an 8 port with Lucas injection), even when kept waiting & the engine is fully up to temp before the start. Once under way if the cooling system is working correctly there is sufficient air flow & speed on the waterpump to find the temp has dropped by the time you reach the end of the run.

Suck it & see as they say, if you find you have a problem at an event you can always pull the 'stat out between runs! (& fit a sleeve to maintain correct flow around the clyinder head).

Mike.