Menno van Rij Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 (edited) Before I started working on my TR years ago, I owned a Spitfire 1500. I bought that car in 1992 from a guy who designed and built technical instruments for a living. I guess you can imagine the quality of his restoration work! A lovely car that I drove up and down Europe until 2003. Anyway, Spits are well known for their fuel problems when hot: vapour lock. The PO rerouted the fuel line: the fuel line was situated behind the engine block, close to the fire wall. I never had any problems with my Spitfire: no vapour lock, not even during trips to Southern France and Italy. I first considered the same routing for the fuel line in my TR. In the end, I decided to route the line around the front, I considered the connection of the fuel line and the carb bowl would be too complicated. So I wrapped the fuel line of my TR with heat resistant hose. Now, after a summer season of driving, I think I can state that it all works perfectly. No vapour lock at all. On the matter of ducting: I've seen a 3A with a small round hole cut out of the ducting next to the radiator. The guy that came up with this plan had installed two pieces of flexible hose leading from the hole in the ducting all the way to the carbs. The flexible hose outlet pointed towards the carbs., thus ensuring cold air being forced towards the carbs when driving. In his opinion, cold air improved the 'productivity' of the carbs. Don't know if it helps, it sure looked aweful. Menno Edited November 24, 2009 by Menno van Rij Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR3BGeorge Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 Menno! Kudos on your immaculate engine! I want mine to look like that someday, but I don't see how you could do it and STILL DRIVE IT!! It is the cleanest engine I have ever seen! What do you use on it? This winter, with my "major" things out of the way (assuming I EVER find a spare tire that will fit in my compartment), I would like to expend all my efforts on cleaning up my engine compartment and components. Don't get me wrong: it is not dirty, but it is not clean either. My goal would be "immaculate." Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated, as you folks have been at this longer than I have. I don't want to go with some generalized spray like "Gunk." I would like to use the "finger and rag" method, with some kind of cleaning solvent. Again, masterpiece of an engine! I want to be just like you when I grow up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Menno van Rij Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 What do you use on it? Well, don't forget I started with an empty engine bay. All I used was elbow grease and 'gunk'-ish products: brake cleaner, solvent, WD40 etc. And always use a compressor and airgun first, removing debris before you start cleaning. I want to be just like you when I grow up. Health and safety warning here: Do Not Grow Up According to my wife, I'm just a big kid playing with toy cars. (When someone asks here how many kids she has, she always answers "3 boys, two of my own, and one from another family: my husband"). But seriously now, an important thing to keep the engine bay is trying to avoid oil leaks! When the engine leaks, there's always an oily film all over the engine bay. When I had my engine rebuilt, I opted for a non-shiny black paint for the engine. That way, oil leaks could be spotted more easily: when it shines, it leaks. Menno Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vivdownunder Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 Hi George, Why not get the engine bay steam cleaned for starters. Just like used car yards do for good presentation. Then track down all the oil leaks when they re-appear, as being a TR, there will be plenty. Look around the generator mount brackets, dipstick, front and rear oil seals, fuel pump, sump gasket and valve cover gasket. Any coarse threaded bolts, such as for the generator mount bracket and fuel pump, are tapped right through the block. Use non hardening gasket cement on the threads to stop slow seepage leaks. Regards, Viv. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 (edited) I've seen a 3A with a small round hole cut out of the ducting next to the radiator. The guy that came up with this plan had installed two pieces of flexible hose leading from the hole in the ducting all the way to the carbs. The flexible hose outlet pointed towards the carbs., thus ensuring cold air being forced towards the carbs when driving. In his opinion, cold air improved the 'productivity' of the carbs. Don't know if it helps, it sure looked aweful. Racetorations do some ducting kits for the TR4-6 http://www.racetorat.../catfglass.html I'm sure these could be adapted for the sidescreen cars or you could just get similar ducting pipe and adaptors from the local DIY store or central heating/plumbing supplier. As I've never had the ducting in front of the radiator in either of my TR3As, I've not had the fuel vaporisation problem on them (nor cooling problems, in case you wondered), but we sure have it on Lynda's TR4A (which does have the fibreboard radiator ducting), so I may have to consider the cool air ducting for the carbs. I never had the problem on my previous TR4A (also with Strombergs) but that was prior to the introduction of the dreaded unleaded fuel. Does anyone know if Strombergs are more susceptible to this vaporisation problem than SUs, or is it just a Michelotti quirk? Edited November 25, 2009 by BrianC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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