Escort van heating matrix

[Kieran James Mason-king]

I have got a escort van that is lpg converted and the heating has never worked, it blows but only cold. Under closer inspection it seemed the coolant pipe into the heating matrix has been removed and seems to go into the bottom of the engine? Any how I put a t connection on it and put a new pipe connecting to the matrix in pipe. Start the van it chudders and pours white smoke / water vapour and keeps cutting out any idea what on earth is going on here?

[Mex]

The only way for coolant to enter and exit the engine block should be via the thermostat housing and the pump.  At a guess you've connected the cooling system to the crankcase ventilation system because that's the only way I can think you'd be able to plumb it into the bottom of the engine.  Water boiling in the sump and being forced past the cylinders would explain the presence of white smoke from the exhaust and the extra volume of liquid bottom end

 

The best thing you can do is to change the oil, maybe flushing it through a few times with cheap oil before using a decent brand.  You'll also need to give the cooling system a good flush through a few times too.