[TR] Runs hot

[Randall]

> A read a review about Redline Water Wetter, by a guy who is 
> actually very pro Redline products, but all his tests didn't 
> show any improvement (running cooler).
> 

That's the same result I got.  Yet Ken Gillanders (formerly British Frame
and Engine) told of a TR3 that couldn't finish a race without boiling over,
until adding RLWW.  With the RLWW, the car finished several races without
boiling.  Certainly seemed like it helped in that case!  Ken was convinced
enough to start stocking it.

I suspect it's like the old chain analogy: A chain is only as strong as it's
weakest link.  If the link that gets improved by RLWW isn't the weak one, it
won't make any difference.

In my experience, the only area where a stock TR3/A is weak on cooling is
airflow at idle.  The stock fan just doesn't pull enough air.  But if it
overheats while driving at speed, there is something wrong rather than just
marginal design.  Twice now, I've had a bad radiator that didn't appear to
be bad, but just wouldn't cool the engine.  Tried everything else (including
both RL Water Wetter, and HyperKuhl), nothing made any significant
difference until I bit the bullet and had the radiator recored.  Second time
was actually the same radiator I'd had recored before (some 15 years
earlier).  New radiator and no worries (even running at 100+ mph in 100+
heat through the Mojave desert).

I've also had a lot of trouble over the years with head gaskets that only
leak under heavy throttle.  The leaking gases force coolant out the
overflow, then the engine overheats from lack of coolant.  There is a simple
test for this condition that any radiator shop can do for you.  Last time I
paid less than $20 (but liked it so much I bought the tool to do it myself).

I eventually traced that problem to engine blocks that weren't machined just
right, the liner tops were too low only on one side (of course not the side
I had been checking all those years).  Fortunately I found a workaround that
has worked well for me: Adding a loop of copper wire to the head gasket,
around each cylinder right next to the crimp for the fire ring.  I only
intended it for a temporary fix, but it has served so well that I never did
get the block re-machined.

-- Randall