Bongo Fury

keefysher wrote:Surely with new hoses/pipes and a flushed/refilled/bled cooling system the only likely problem with the cooling system will be when it works correctly and the water is expelled via the expansion tank breather/outlet (?) due to the design of the cooling system. This is the sympton shown on several recent 'overheating' Bongos mentioned on the forum. Having a coolant alarm that monitors level in the expansion tank will serve no useful purpose wrt to damage to the engine as the water will have gone, and engine probably seized, before the expansion tank is showing low level. You are more likely to notice coloured liquid moving up your windscreen, or a sickly odour and steam, than an alarm going off.

haydn wrote:It's true that a Bongo can overheat and incur damage without losing any coolant. i.e. blow the head gasket or warp/crack the head. The question is why does this happen ? I belive that in a good number of cases it happens because a previous "overheating" event has happened, either through coolant loss, water pump/belt failure or w.h.y. !! Having a coolant loss alarm fitted may well have prevented this. Also many cases are reported where coolant is lost overnight/on a journey caused by any number of reasons which are not down to poor maintainance. A waterpump can fail at any time, as can a radiator top plastic bit come unstuck or a metal pipe stub come adrift. A alarm will warn you of all these events and many more.
A dirty header tank normally means a overheating event has taken place in the past, undetected damage may have been done , waiting to emerge just when you need it most. No reasonable diy amount of preventitive maintainance will stop that.

Hows that Haydn?

[quote="keefysher"]Surely with new hoses/pipes and a flushed/refilled/bled cooling system the only likely problem with the cooling system will be when it works correctly and the water is expelled via the expansion tank breather/outlet (?) due to the design of the cooling system.

Not sure what you are saying there !!

Hi,

If anyone is really concerned about cost but is not concerned about doing to open heart surgery – You could do what I did

– which was to remove the header tank (actually got a second one from scrappy) and drill a large hole in it and fit a float level switch from RS and wire it into the standard beeper in place of the reversing sensor. This cost about £18 and some strained nerves when I tried it out but has been in place for about a year now and all OK.
One advantage of this is that if you use your Bongo on a regular run – like to work as I do – you can tell what the coolant level is on the move by the alarm going off as you apply inertia to the coolant by taking a right hand at a given speed or by sharp breaking. How long the alarm beeps for is determined by the ‘normal’ steady state level and the time it takes for the coolant to return after being forced away from the float.
So on mine if I get more than 2 – 3 beeps as I pull around the round about out side my house first thing the level is low; if I don’t get at least one beep when breaking very hard then it is unusually high. Normal driving it does not go off at all.

THIS IS STILL NO REPLACE MENT FOR REGULAR CHECKS UNDER THE BONNET

Just thought I’d throw that into the pot

Regards Grahame

Counting down to Poland

Thank you Major.....I think perhaps Lt Col is not going to be long in coming.

keefysher wrote:Surely with new hoses/pipes and a flushed/refilled/bled cooling system the only likely problem with the cooling system will be when it works correctly and the water is expelled via the expansion tank breather/outlet (?) due to the design of the cooling system

Don't forget the....[/quote] after the text.

Sorry, I'll butt out now.

G at work...how did you seal the unit when you fitted it?

mayk19 wrote:So has anyo one replaced any Steel pipes ?

Anyone? - I'm sure I remember someone saying they'd done it Have you checked all the usual suppliers & mazda dealers?

thanks, trying to search them down.

Here is one pipe.. This is the one that leaked a few months back, up near the Turbo.

Bell Hill Garages fit quite a few metal pipes.

Haydon,

I have the details at home of the exact type (& photos) but I think it is RS 338 9750. This range comes with a choice of seal and is an external fitting. I think I opted for the PPS seal after checking out the compatibility with temperature and coolant fluid.

It fits from the out side through a 'T' shaped seal (with hole in the middle) with the 'T' bottom on the inside which is deformed outwards when the nut is done up. Hope that makes sense

Regards Grahame

Yep !! thanks for that.

I have Haydns mk 3 alarm fitted and it is worth its weight in gold, as for changing hoses, well if its not broke dont fix it, I will wait till mine show signs of wear and need changing, having read so many tales of woe after changing hoses I dont think I will take the risk at the mo. Good luck to all have have tho. lol.