[TR] cooling tr-3

[Gary Nafziger]

Just a question.  My tr-3 is running well but I have a concern about cooling. 
My guage doesn't show the correct temperature so I don't have a good measure
of what's going on.  I have an electric fan.  I have been measuring the temp
with a meat thermometer shoved between the fins to get some idea and come up
with temps in the range of 190 to 210.  These measurements are taken after a
run with engine idling.  I have a new 4lb. radiator cap.

The last two drives
have resulted in puddles under the car coming from the overflow bottle.  The
bottle has a screw on lid so the fluid must be fairly pressurized as its
coming through the lid (or maybe the push on tube into the bottom of the
bottle although there is some liquid up around the lid).  After both runs I've
checked the fluid in the radiator and its down at least an inch and
half.........almost the bottom of the radiator fill resevoir.

My conclusion
is that some time during a drive (approx 25 miles) the radiator is boiling and
pushing out fluid........or can it push out fluid without boiling?  At any
rate I'm assuming that when fluid is pushed out........it later should be
sucked back into the radiator and thats not happening.  My overflow bottle was
also almost full after the cool down after the last two drives .......when I
think it should be at normal level.

Any thoughts or ideas?

gary n.