Subject: Re: [Fot] TR coolant pressure/flow

From: Tony Drews <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:42:21 -0600

You should see in the neighborhood of 30 psi on the engine side of 
the t-stat housing and in the vicinity of the radiator cap's pressure 
relief value on the upper radiator hose, probably around 10 psi.

Tony Drews

At 09:08 PM 2/7/2013, Greg & Alison Blake wrote:
>FOT
>
>
>
>Anyone out there every gauged coolant pressure on the TR block?  I'd love to
>see the results.
>
>
>
>I am going through the process of adding a surge (expansion) tank on my TR3
>and I am starting to wonder if I am plumbing the return line in the correct
>spot.  I have installed the tank in the battery box with a line entering the
>top of the tank that originates at the heater port in the rear of the head.
>For the return line, off the bottom of the expansion tank, I have added a
>welded fitting in my top radiator hose between the thermostat housing and
>the radiator to accept the return line.  I use a cross flow Chevy style
>radiator so I have a metal radiator pipe between the thermostat housing and
>the intake for the radiator.  I thought it would be better to introduce the
>hot coolant from the expansion tank back into the radiator vs dumping
>directly back into suction side of the water pump via the return heater
>port.  My thinking was that I should not introduce hot coolant into the
>suction side of the pump and re circulate it back thru the block.  The way I
>have it plumbed (if it works), the hot coolant from the expansion tank will
>first go thru the radiator then into the pump and back thru the block.  I am
>guessing that downstream of the thermostat housing (I use a thermostat) the
>pressure will be lower than at the back of the block.
>
>
>
>My questions are:
>
>Has anyone measured pressure between the thermostat housing and the
>radiator?
>
>Has anyone measured pressure at the back of the head heater port?
>
>What is the difference?
>
>Am I going to get coolant to flow from my expansion tank back into the top
>radiator hose or is the pressure higher in that top hose than the back of
>the block?
>
>Would it be better to plumb the return line into the return heater port?
>
>
>
>Thanks,
>
>
>
>Greg
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---

From: Larry Young <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:45:29 -0600

Greg,
I don't have an answer to your question regarding pressures, but I had a 
similar arrangement in my TR3.  The Chevy style radiator is a great 
idea, because it eliminates the worry of overheating. I cut off the 
radiator fill cap and plugged it off, since it is unreachable anyway.   
I put the expansion tank in (from Pegasus I believe) so that I would 
have a way to fill it.  I wanted to have water flowing thru the 
expansion tank to effectively increase the volume of water in the 
system.  I went with the return to the suction side of the pump with 1/8 
inch pipe and small diameter hose to keep the flow rate down.  I drilled 
and tapped the thermostat housing for a drain valve so I could bleed all 
the air out.  It worked very well and was one of the best upgrades I did 
to the car. Some would argue that you should have a cap to regulate the 
pressure downstream from the thermostat, but I found that it worked fine 
with something like a 7 lb cap on the expansion tank.  You would think 
this would open up due to pumping pressure.  I think if I did it over 
again, I'd just put a cap somewhere downstream from the thermostat and 
eliminate the expansion tank.  I could probably find some photos if 
you'd like to see them.
Larry Young

On 2/7/2013 9:08 PM, Greg & Alison Blake wrote:
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/fot/[email-masked]

---

From: John Hasty <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2013 17:23:00 -0500

I now have the car & can attest that it works well. Like Kas told us, though,
you need to take your time & make sure you he ALL the air out.

Sent from my iPhone

> I don't have an answer to your question regarding pressures, but I had a
similar arrangement in my TR3.  The Chevy style radiator is a great idea,
because it eliminates the worry of overheating. I cut off the radiator fill
cap and plugged it off, since it is unreachable anyway.   I put the expansion
tank in (from Pegasus I believe) so that I would have a way to fill it.  I
wanted to have water flowing thru the expansion tank to effectively increase
the volume of water in the system.  I went with the return to the suction side
of the pump with 1/8 inch pipe and small diameter hose to keep the flow rate
down.  I drilled and tapped the thermostat housing for a drain valve so I
could bleed all the air out.  It worked very well and was one of the best
upgrades I did to the car. Some would argue that you should have a cap to
regulate the pressure downstream from the thermostat, but I found that it
worked fine with something like a 7 lb cap on the expansion tank.  You would
think this would open up due to pumping pressure.  I think if I did it over
again, I'd just put a cap somewhere downstream from the thermostat and
eliminate the expansion tank.  I could probably find some photos if you'd like
to see them.
>> Would it be better to plumb the return line into the return heater port?
http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/fot/[email-masked]
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---

From: John Hasty <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2013 17:24:18 -0500

PS: Larry, I think the cap is 14 lbs.

Sent from my iPhone

---

From: Mike Mehl <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2013 15:16:56 -0800 (PST)

Greg;
I used a Ford Radiator from Jegs.  I also used the expansion tank from
Jegs and put it where the battery box is.  I plumbed out of the back of the
head into the tank and out of the tank into the waterpump.  I have never had
water temps over 180F even on 95 degree days.  I fill up the radiator first. 
Cap it off and then fill up the expansion tank to about 1" from the top and I
am good to go.  This gets the whole system full.  I have the expansion tank
because the radiator sits lower than a stock radiator and it allows me to get
the system full of water.  I use Parker 801 push lok hose to plumb the tank. 
If you like email me off line and I can send you some photos. 
 
Mike Mehl
________________________________
 From: Larry Young <[email-masked]>
To:
[email-masked] 
Sent: Friday, February 8, 2013 1:45 PM
Subject: Re: [Fot]
TR coolant pressure/flow
  
Greg,
I don't have an answer to your question
regarding pressures, but I had a similar arrangement in my TR3.  The Chevy
style radiator is a great idea, because it eliminates the worry of
overheating. I cut off the radiator fill cap and plugged it off, since it is
unreachable anyway.   I put the expansion tank in (from Pegasus I believe) so
that I would have a way to fill it.  I wanted to have water flowing thru the
expansion tank to effectively increase the volume of water in the system.  I
went with the return to the suction side of the pump with 1/8 inch pipe and
small diameter hose to keep the flow rate down.  I drilled and tapped the
thermostat housing for a drain valve so I could bleed all the air out.  It
worked very well and was one of the best upgrades I did to the car. Some would
argue that you should have a cap to regulate the pressure downstream from the
thermostat, but I found that it worked fine with something like a 7 lb cap on
the
 expansion tank.  You would think this would open up due to pumping pressure. 
I think if I did it over again, I'd just put a cap somewhere downstream from
the thermostat and eliminate the expansion tank.  I could probably find some
photos if you'd like to see them.
Larry Young

On 2/7/2013 9:08 PM, Greg &
Alison Blake wrote:
> I am going through the process
of adding a surge (expansion) tank on my TR3
> and I am starting to wonder if
I am plumbing the return line in the correct
> spot.  I have installed the
tank in the battery box with a line entering the
> top of the tank that
originates at the heater port in the rear of the head.
> For the return line,
off the bottom of the expansion tank, I have added a
> welded fitting in my
top radiator hose between the thermostat housing and
> the radiator to accept
the return line.  I use a cross flow Chevy style
> radiator so I have a metal
radiator pipe between the thermostat housing and
> the intake for the
radiator.  I thought it would be better to introduce the
> hot coolant from
the expansion tank back into the radiator vs dumping
> directly back into
suction side of the water pump via the return heater
> port.  My thinking was
that I should not introduce hot coolant into the
> suction side of the pump
and re circulate it back thru the block.  The way I
> have it plumbed (if it
works), the hot coolant from the expansion tank will
> first go thru the
radiator then into the pump and back thru the block.  I am
> guessing that
downstream of the thermostat housing (I use a thermostat) the
> Has
anyone measured pressure between the thermostat housing and the
> What
is the difference?
http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/fot/[email-masked]
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