Jaguar E-Type - 1966 OTS Roadster - Episode 8 - Cooling System Flush

The adventure continues! In this episode, it was time to dig into the most worrisome part of the project - the cooling system. This work all took place during the month of October - which was very fitting, because it was some scary stuff...
Cleaning out the cooling system and repairing and replacing the pieces that just could not be saved was ALOT of work. The cooling system has always been my biggest worry with this project, and there were times during this process that I really wondered if I was going to be able to pull this off...
I hope this helps some other people out there who might be facing the same thing after the car sits idle for a LONG time - the biggest thing is to learn that is a BAD idea - keep them on the road and drive them as often as you can!
This is just the first of several videos showing what had to be done - we'll get the next one up soon! Enjoy! :-)
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[@stuwallack9783]

Aerokroil is the magic elixir for rust frozen parts.

[@gordonblank6845]

I hear the SW Pennsylvania accent. “Wooder” I left Lancaster 43 years ago.

[@ToddDunning]

Will follow the same steps for the 3-core in my 1962 mini with the only difference being holding it up in my palm while rinsing

[@johndavey72]

Hi Chuck. Absolutely love your passion . So what's with the reverse lamp with the radiator fittings ? 😆😆 l haven't reached this point yet but it looks in better fettle ....we'll see ! Just realised mines a '66 too , a UK car ....like l said we'll see . Thanks Chuck

[@tomgraham6833]

I own a 67 OTS and have done quite a bit of work with the cooling system. My comment has to do with the Otter Switch that is installed on the front sice of the header tank. I did not see this on your tank but assume there must be one as I believe all these cars used that switch. The Otter Switch not only goes there the front face of the tank but also into the large diameter metal pipe that goes from one side of the tank to the other on the way from thermostat housing to the radiator connection on the other side of the car. Seems they wanted to sense the temperature of the water exiting the engine on the way to the Radiator as you might expect. What is interesting about all of this is that I have found that the hole in the large pipe may vary. One reproduction tank I have has a hole quite a bit larger than needed. A second dreproduction tank I bought from Welsh (stainless steel) has a smaller hole just large enough to do the job. Unfortunately I threw my original tank away before I realized how this was made. I rather suspect that the hole should be as small as possible, otherwise the flow may be shortcircuited and bypass the radiator. I would be much interested in your comments on this subject. Tom G.

[@monocoquemetalworks88]

Tom - stay tuned for Episode 9 - it is ALL about the header tank! :-). But yes - based oin what I see inside the tank and how it is designed to work, the hole SHOULD be as small as possible.

[@chrisjohnson4165]

Preemptive like from England (25 minutes from Coventry).

[@paulmarriner5906]

I wonder what would come out of me with a flush

[@jagvette1]

OK I appreciate you are an E Type expert, AND appreciate keeping as much original as possible BUT throw the hoses away flush the block by removing the drain cock (although I would remove all core plugs especially the rear one) , that engine really need a good flush through or you will regret it, obviously the blockages in the radiator are also in the block. As for the draught excluder (yes that's what it is in the UK)on the fan shroud it's probably so delicate it serves no purpose. FYI, not that you probably need it but I sell rebuilt water pumps.

[@monocoquemetalworks88]

Thank you for the advice, and keep watching - the system is all back together now and it all worked out pretty well. It is a tough balance between originality, preservation, and drivability, but I think I struck a good balance with the cooling system overall. ALSO - if you watch the whole video, you'll see that I DID pull the drain cock at the back of the block, and flushed LOTS of water out of it, back into it, and out again - over and over... My son and I worked on flushing out the block one afternoon for about 2-3 hours, and that was all pretty "wet and wild", so there are not really any videos of that. What worked best was to flush through the block for a few minutes with water, then fill the block up with as much water as possible with things all apart - probably about halfway. THEN, we put a rubber squirt thing on the end of an air hose, and blasted compressed air into the half full block, creating a MAJOR agitation in there of water and air, and then flushed again for a few minutes. Every time we did this, alot more brown and black "stuff" came out - all very fine particles, though. After about 50 cycles of this, things were flowing pretty clear and fast. Also - after this was all done, we didn't find any water in the oil pan, cylinders, or exhaust ports, etc. - so I have high hopes at the moment that the cooling system is free and clear - and intact - there is no water ending up where it isn't supposed to be. It's all back together now and drained and dry - we'll fill it up with the typical 50/50 mix of coolant when we go to start it up, but after it's running, I suspect there will be several more flushes to just get everything clear. Stay tuned! :-)