triumphs
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: radiators

To: dbji@whidbey.net
Subject: Re: radiators
From: triumph@shiseis.com (Shane F. Ingate)
Date: Tue, 4 Aug 98 10:06:38 PDT
Cc: kehrlich@dyax.com, triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Don Boyd wrote:
    >   Sorry to take so long to reply; I was out of town untill yesterday. In
    >answer to your question, I don't know of a  cheap and easy solution for TR6
    >rad. woes. A rad shop can special order a high efficency core (about 2
    >weeks and $350) that works wonders , but thats about all.
    >
    >> From: Keith S. Ehrlich <kehrlich@dyax.com>
    >> To: dbji@whidbey.net
    >> Subject: radiators
    >> Date: Monday, July 27, 1998 3:09 PM
    >> 
    >> Don-
    >> Saw your post re Rabbit radiators for Spit. Any similar alternatives you
    >> know of for TR6 that give same improved performance?

Having recently recored my TR6 radiator (see my earlier post on fitting
a 16" electric fan), I was presented with a bewildering array of options.
To recore the radiotor with a "high efficiency" core would have cost me
$200 (including tapping mount for the thermoelectric switch and a drain
screw) ...this is not rocket science and $350 seems awful pricey (maybe
your price included labour...I removed my radiator and delivered it to
them).  

However, the "high efficiency" cores do not look like the original "flat-fin"
radiators, so this is of some concern to the concourse folk.  I called the
Big-3 vendors and their radiators are not NOS, and have the non-original
"high efficiency" cores.  To have it recored as per original cost me $225,
which I feel is worth it on looks alone.

BUT, digging further, the newer "high efficiency" core really will give you
additional benefit when running at higher pressures, which is what they
are designed for (new cars run MUCH higher pressures and temperatures
than our older cars).  In our low-pressure 70's engines, the benefit of these
new designes is not only lost, but will probably not cool as well because
they do not have as many rows as the original cores which offset the rows
to achieve closer packing.  Have a look through the radiator cap of your
old radiator and the radiator of any new car, and you'll see what I am
talking about.

Of course, using any new core will be better than the old clogged unit
you are now using, but in time, you may have some cooling problems.

Maybe all this is BS, I'm just rehashing what I learnt from my radiator man.

        Shane Ingate in San Diego

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>