for those who have working jets, can i pick your brains about your cooling system?

im trying to work out what is normal as far as how quick it gets up to temp,
how hot and firm your main pipes from the rad get, (does the presure build up when its at temp to make the pipes firm?)
how much water gets pushed into the expansion tank on various journeys and temps?
when you switch the engine off do you get any bubbles pushed into the expansion tank?

i never paid any attention to any of this when it was working so im not sure what to consider normal

Weather dependant a couple of miles to temp, yes the pipes go firm only ever done that when pipes are to hot to do anything other than a quick grab and let go and no bubbles unless air in the system from a top up or problem.

daisydon wrote:im trying to work out what is normal as far as how quick it gets up to temp,
how hot and firm your main pipes from the rad get, (does the presure build up when its at temp to make the pipes firm?)
how much water gets pushed into the expansion tank on various journeys and temps?
when you switch the engine off do you get any bubbles pushed into the expansion tank?

i never paid any attention to any of this when it was working so im not sure what to consider normal

Sitting idling, it roughly takes 10 minutes to get to temp, or driving on the flat and straight just a couple of miles
Pipes get quite firm but not rock hard
About 10 to 20mm max height increase in the bottle if you get them really hot with some proper back road ragging tyre squealing sort of drift antics
Zero bubbles come up on turn off, zero bubble ever.

From the sounds of your situation, it needs some proper work doing on it, that's not just take the head off it and put it back together. I mean take every hose off, clean everything out like the idle control valve, strip down the thermostat housing and water pump and replace the co, pressure test and skim the head, check the block deck too, clean all the scum that will have settled in the water jacket. If you want to solve this and not go round in circles I'd make sure it gets the full treatment. Pencil in £350 for parts and £500 for decent labour. To spend £400 on a half job and be back at square one will not get you anywhere.

ok, cheers guys, im gonna have to work my way through the pipes time and weather depending, think the ones under the seats need attention first
will see how the water in exps tank goes now ive cleared some blockages

then it looks like it may get a holiday at the local garage