In a message dated 97-03-01 15:57:02 EST, kinderlehrer@mindspring.com
(Kinderlehrer's) writes:
<< Any thoughts on the next steps? There was mention in the thread of
missing
shrouds. I probably am missing this since there is nothing in front of the
radiator except the grille and nothing behind but the fan. Since my problem
is at idle and it seems the shroud would be for channeling air at speed,
this probably won't provide the biggest return, right?
I was thinking about adding the overflow bottle that is in the Moss and VB
catalogs for the TR4 to help keep the radiator topped off. Now I am
thinking that the auxillary electric fan is also a good investment.
Bob K. >>
Bob,
(I'm assuming here that you know that the thermostat is actually working
properly, if not boil water, use thermometer, watch for TStat to open, record
temperature at opening)
1. You ought to know what that engine temp actually is. Check your Temp.
gauge for accuracy. You can unscrew the bulb from the engine and dangle it
into a container of very hot water along with a thermometer. I have a
kitchen type candy thermometer which works for this. Compare the two
readings. I almost passed up buying my 59 TR3 because it ran REAL HOT, until
I discovered the Temp gauge ran 30 degrees too high !
2. Check your fan belt. If it is too loose the pump won't turn fast enough
to circulate coolant. If it is glazed it might slip too. Put on a new one
if any questions at all. I'd replace all the hoses if they show any signs of
deterioration. Failure or either of these components can be disasterous on
the road.
3. Replace the Radiator cap. If it is old with a weakened spring it will
feed the overflow too soon. The overflow bottle, set up as a sealed system
is a very good idea. An aftermarket setup from your parts store will work
too. Just make sure the radiator cap has the extra seal required to make it
all work right.
4. If there is not a thin piece of hard cardboard attached to the inner
wings and then back to the sides of the radiator on each side you don't have
a shroud. This is critical to air flow, inexpensive and relatively easy to
install. Get one.
5. Flush out the cooling system with one of the over the counter flushes
from your auto parts store. If what comes out is crud, do it until it looks
clean. You might see some improvement. Do not refill with 100% antifreeze,
it does not transmit heat as efficiently as a mix. Add Redline Water Wetter
when you refill after you fix the problem. If crud comes out, with no
improvement go to step 6.
If you do steps 1 through 5 you might get a little improvement from each
step enough to make a difference. Remember your overheating may result from
several little problems , not one big one.
6. Have your radiator flow checked. If it is blocked by 30+ years of
scale and crud it just cannot get rid of enough heat. A good radiator shop
can backflush the radiator with more powerful stuff than the over the counter
stuff. If the radiator is still blocked you have no choice but to replace
the entire core of the radiator. There is a modern Modine core, identified by
Bob Schaller, which works very well. You can even keep the crank hole !
If steps 1 - 5 don't show improvement step 6 will fix the problem, unless the
water jacket in your head and block is occluded with crud. I would not go to
an electric fan until I'd gone throught at leat the first 5 steps. If I
ended up at 6, I'd do the fan, plus an oil cooler too.
Having said all that I probably missed a possible step or two. It can be
very frustrating. I went through the entire process with the 59, including
an electic fan and still had overheating problems. I then discovered that
when I had reversed the polarity of the electrical system the fan reversed
direction. When the Temp got a little high and the fan kicked on to help,
it blew backwards and the temp gauge went through the roof !!
COOL RUNNING !!
Bob Paul
TS45738L"O" (With an electric fan turning in the correct direction)
TS7280L (With a fan sitting on the shelf)
|