1.6 i.e. exhaust manifold heat sheild?

[flatfourontour]

My Prisma overheated at the mot station.

The exhaust manifold is right in front of the radiator.

I went round with thermometer and everything is good, 82 degrees C top hose, 50 degrees lower hose....except section of rad in front of the manifold...120degrees.

Should there be a heat shield on these cars?...my car has no shield.

Thanks!

[lancialulu]

EPER does not show a  heat shield and my 1600ie does not have one. I did fit the optional wider radiator though and have no problems in the heat of south of France albeit the electric fan is keen to cut in when idling or arriving home from a run out. Cant blame the radiator.....

[flatfourontour]

EPER does not show a  heat shield and my 1600ie does not have one. I did fit the optional wider radiator though and have no problems in the heat of south of France albeit the electric fan is keen to cut in when idling or arriving home from a run out. Cant blame the radiator.....

OK, thank you, that is very helpful.

Somehow the mot station had it idling and revving for 35 mins. They were trying to get it through emissions. HCs and CO were both fine, way under the pass limit.

However apparently there is a "smoke test" which the analyser either passes or fails. News to me as I thought it was a visual test, and the exhaust gases are as clean as a whistle...no sign of smoke.

If it never had a manifold heat shield, is it worth trying to wrap in heat tape? As I said, never any problems in normal driving, but there is the heat sink from the exhaust onto the section of radiator directly in front. The fan sits to the left side, so the right hand side of the radiator has no fan and sits directly in front of the exhaust...hence it gets hot there. Radiator and water pump are both quite new.

[fay66]

Always used to take my Dedras for a good thrash to get it nice and hot, and when it went in it always passed all the emission tests, much better than letting it stand  heating up.
Brian. 8227

[A1.6HPE]

I have owned two Prisma Symbols (1600ie) and a Delta GTie. None of them had a shield for the exhaust manifold. I don't recall one on my HFie either.
The radiator fan not cutting in is more likely to be the problem caused by corroded earth wiring below the headlight.

Leo

[flatfourontour]

Always used to take my Dedras for a good thrash to get it nice and hot, and when it went in it always passed all the emission tests, much better than letting it stand  heating up.
Brian. 8227

Thank you Brian. Yes today I took it 6500 revs up the bypass and back. No problem today with emissions lol. Must remember that next year.

[flatfourontour]

I have owned two Prisama Symbols (1600ie) and a Delta GTie. None of them had a shield for the exhaust manifold. I don't recall one on my HFie either.
The radiator fan not cutting in is more likely to be the problem caused by corroded earth wiring below the headlight.

Leo

Yeah, fan cuts in, everything is good. I fitted some of that corrugated aluminium ducting over the exhaust manifold today. The portion of radiator in front now only reaches 105 degrees now, rather than 120 degrees. However, I think the problem only happened because they kept it ticking over and then revving up, then ticking over for 35 mins.  I took it for a blast round the bypass today, and it passed emissions no problem after that.

[fay66]

Always used to take my Dedras for a good thrash to get it nice and hot, and when it went in it always passed all the emission tests, much better than letting it stand  heating up.
Brian. 8227

Thank you Brian. Yes today I took it 6500 revs up the bypass and back. No problem today with emissions lol. Must remember that next year.
👍

[A1.6HPE]

Yeah, fan cuts in, everything is good. I fitted some of that corrugated aluminium ducting over the exhaust manifold today. The portion of radiator in front now only reaches 105 degrees now, rather than 120 degrees. However, I think the problem only happened because they kept it ticking over and then revving up, then ticking over for 35 mins.  I took it for a blast round the bypass today, and it passed emissions no problem after that.

At one MOT session for my Montecarlo, they left the engine running for quite a while (I think the emissions test specifies that they wait until the rad fan cuts in).  I had just topped up the header tank so it was brim-full and overflowed into the pit - LOL.

Leo

[flatfourontour]

I changed the coolant today.
Prisma handbook says capacity=6.5l.

I drained by removing the bottom hose.
The system barely drained /took 4litres.

Could this be why it's getting hot on tick-over? It's got me wondering if the radiator is some kind of slim-line version, or would 2litres stay in the system with bottom hose removed?

[Kevinlincs]

The issue is that you can't fully empty the cylinder block, the coolant pipes are higher up than the level inside the engine so although the full capacity is over 6L you can't actually get it all out via the radiator hoses.  I can't recall there being a drain bolt in the side of the block either.

[flatfourontour]

The issue is that you can't fully empty the cylinder block, the coolant pipes are higher up than the level inside the engine so although the full capacity is over 6L you can't actually get it all out via the radiator hoses.  I can't recall there being a drain bolt in the side of the block either.

Ah, right, thank you. It's nice to know there is more than 4l of coolant in there.