GENERALLY

Heat is normally a symptom of some engine or combustion malaise. Any discussion on cooling must start with the premise that the reader has ruled out poor timing, too lean an air/fuel mixture, bad coolant, a radiator or cooling system blockage, a faulty water pump, bad combustion, poor lubrication, a lousy rad fan, a malfunctioning sensor, a bad thermostat, an imprudent camshaft selection or "badge" blockage.

Cooling a car generally is about coolant temperatures. It is not about oil temperatures.

Coolant heat is dissipated by its passage through the radiator and its fins, which in turn cools the coolant passages and the coolant flowing through them. This flow of air greatly increases with the car's speed which will offset the extra heat a harder working car produces speed. Idling produces less heat but the lack flow can make it hotter tan a moving engine. Systems must be perfected to deal with both stationary/slow moving and these must compliment the systems used to cool a cruising car.

WHEN CRUISING

Morgan cowls restrict the possibility of large radiators. The louvres do not improve the airflow much and must be considered decorative. The flow of air is funneled through the grill or from under the car. This being the case, the following aids may help when moving.

1. Especially for 4/4s and Plus 4s the areas between the radiator and the cowl sides should be closed off to close the escape route of the needed airflow and force it through the radiator.

2. Install an air "dam" or rubber mat deflector underneath the car to force the cool low air (the lower the air from the ground the cooler it will be) up into and around the radiator.

3. Even better than 2. install an air scoop that will funnel large amounts of cool low air into the front of the radiator. A scoop can double the air flow into the rad. There is a Morganesque version designed by Maurice Owen and Bill Fink that replaces the original scuttle (the piece at the bottom of the grill cowl attached to the wings) with a new scuttle shaped "S" funnel that forces the air up from under the car and into the rad. It is remarkable how well these scoops can work. They are available from Isis Imports in San Francisco, the Morgan Factory or in polished stainless from Heart of England Morgans.

4. Avoid "badge blockage" which occurs when our affection for badges on a badge bar and badges on the grill create a significant blockage of the free flow of air through the grill to the rad.

5. Be careful of your placement of your license plate...if you are  unfortunate enough to live in a jurisdiction where front license plates are required try to place it to the side rather than the center of the car if possible. A central placement of the license plate blocks the flow of air under the radiator and makes an air scoop impossible and prejudices even a simple air deflector.

WHEN MOVING SLOWLY OR STATIONARY

When moving slowly or when stationary the radiator does not have enough speed induced air flow to cool well. If these conditions continue, the car will overheat.

1. The solution is to artificially create an airflow when needed with a fan. Obviously, the higher the power of the fan the more the airflow and the greater the cooling ability you will have when needed. Morgan fans are not famous for power by many good replacements are available. Switch to a later Morgan fan such as a big SPAL fan. A 12" SPAL 1850 cfm SPAL will cure all your stationary cooling problems.

2. Do not install a fan mounted in front of the radiator. They are an easy install and inexpensive but they create the problem they are supposed to resolve. They block the airflow to the rad which contributes to the overheating and then they come on in effort to cool the rad to the point where they can stop and block the airflow again.

3. Install an manual bypass switch that forces the fan on regardless of coolant temperature to deal with a heating situation BEFORE it develops fully. Note: Check with your supplier if you require a larger relay switch for the fan you purchase. For instructions click here

4. Remember that all rear mounted rad fans PULL air through the radiator. If you see your fan pushing the air back towards the radiator then simply reverse the wire leads to the fan and recheck the rotation.

IN ALL CONDITIONS

A BETTER RADIATOR.

Morgans are sporting old radiators, some as old as forty years. Their engines do not function as they once did, greater friction than originally is the rule and their radiators are no longer up to the original state of the engine let alone today's state. A better radiator improves cooling whether stationary or moving, but what is a better radiator? Here are some answers;

1. You have had your original radiator re-cored or you have had the coolant flow system of the radiator and the cooling facade and fins renewed. The rad returns (hopefully) to its original cooling abilities. The drawback here is whether the original cooling capacity of the radiator is sufficient for the present state of the engine. You have ignored the benefits of technological progress in the last forty years and you have used the old rad as a base which may be less than a solid foundation.

2. You have purchased a radiator larger capacity than the original though it is conventionally designed. The only drawback here is the technological one noted above and any loss of space considerations.

3. You have had an technologically advanced core installed to replace the original. A good option..but at this point why not go all the way?

4. The ultimate...a high tech aluminum radiator.  See An Aluminum Radiator for Your Morgan.

COATING YOUR MANIFOLDS

For some time, there has been an option increasingly offered of coating your manifolds or headers with a ceramic based compound that very much lowers the heat of this part of your exhaust system..a prime radiator of heat. Essentially the compound..in a choice of colors or effects,  is sprayed on your clean sandblasted manifolds and then baked. It is inexpensive and aesthetically very good looking, replacing the rust that all Morgan manifolds arrive with even when new. It does not discolor as does stainless steel (which doesn't lower heat).

Make sure that the INSIDE of the manifold is coated..this is more important than the aesthetics of the outside. There are a number of companies in the field and some can be found in the GoMoG General Parts Directory . Be careful of some of the better known firms which coat their products in bulk lots of many customers at a time, leaving a orange-peel effect to the finish.

Curiously, I have only found one coating service in the UK or Europe..though they are common now in North America, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.

N.B. Please ignore the claims of massive horsepower increases. These are largely pipe-dreaming fancies...though a cooler engine can produce more power and leaves more room for "tweaking"  than one which is already running hot.

Wrapping your Headers

Many people still use heat wraps to lower their engine bay temperatures. Essentially, these are a wrap insulation which must be tediously wrapped around each exhaust branch. It is considered by many to be unsightly and will very much accelerate the rusting of the manifolds. They also, of course, do not improve the inner surface of the manifolds and thusly do not speed the flow of gases. They can, however, block the heat from the wrapped section.