Jump to content

Engine Temperature


Recommended Posts

Hi Guys, can anyone give advice on. 1 The normal running.temperature. 2 if any differance in running temperature when weather is hot. 3 temperature when weather hot and in traffic. 4 when to start panicking. :0 Cheers People.

Link to post
Share on other sites

First, the 2/3(A)'s temp gauge wasn't designed by a brain surgeon and it's a pretty 'crude' instrument. Having said that, there's consensus about some details:

- (1) normal operating (running) temp is just below the halfway mark

- (2) or slightly higher when the weather is hot, touching the marker

- (3) in hot weather and heavy traffic, the needle tends to rise just slightly higher than the halfway marker - the fan cuts in.

- (4) I never experienced an 'oh sh*t' moment. Even in very hot weather (like today: >30 C) and crossing my hometown with lots of traffic lights things stay pretty cool.

 

What keeps my car's engine cool:

- wind deflector (is that the correct term here?) around the radiator

- properly cleaned radiator

- recored radiator, ditching the starter hole for extra cores (not ness. but it helps)

- descaled waterways, hoses etc

- TR4A style radiator overflow set up (reservoir next to the radiator)

- proper (and this is very important!!!) the correct radiator cap; correct as in 'proper pressure' - I can not come up with the proper pressure for the TR3A's cap. I'm sure someone else can.

- no original fan; my car has a Pacet pull fan behind the radiator (imho, Pacet is better than Kenlowe)

- temp sender in the downpipe

- override switch on the dash - you can start the fan when you see a traffic jam ahead. Must say, I never needed it!

- modern style thermostate but... in that case you'll have to partially block the bypass hose at the rear of the thermostate house (just search the forum for the 'how to...')

 

Menno

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Menno, mine seems to have a overheating problem on tickover, driving she seems ok but temp will occasionally creep above the halfway mark if at its worse case its head gasket do you know if the head will need to be skimmed...?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Have you checked the cooling fluid, is there any oil in it, I haven´t experienced this on my 3, but if you run the engine with the radiator cap off you might see boubles blowing out from the cooling liquid (this is bad, and would indicate a torn head gasket).

 

What colour is the exhaust, if it is white, it indicates water in the combustion, allso indicating a possible bad head gasket.

 

You can try to remove any deposits in the cooling system by using a radiator flush, it will dissolve a lot of deposits in your system.

 

Cheers,

Esben

Edited by e_ingemann
Link to post
Share on other sites

A thorough check of the waterpump is also an idea: older pumps tend to loose their capacity to perform correctly due to deposits, scaling etc.

Another test to see if there's a faulty cyl head gasket is to go to a modern garage and ask them to test the coolant with a exhaust analyser (CO tester). When you remove the radiator cap and start the engine, any exhaust gasses in the coolant will be detected by the probe of the analyser. It's the first 'port of call' for a modern day workshop when there's a suspection of a faulty cyl head gasket.

 

Menno

Link to post
Share on other sites

The temperature will always rise at tick over and more so in hotter weather. Are you sure it has got worse? I suspect you may be worrying unnecessarily, but it does no harm to put a new thermostat in, check the fan belt is not slipping and buy a laser thermometer to check the accuracy of the temp gauge.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=ir+thermometer&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=8236930009&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1622589210844804961&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_6ib63w1m0y_b

Edited by Ashley James
Link to post
Share on other sites

In the product description of the laser thermometer:

"Using this thermometer is easy, safe, and pleasant for everyone to use. Just aim and pull the trigger. The LCD screen instantly displays the temperature. The red laser sight helps you aim at targets both near and far away. The laser sight can also be turned off when you need to discreetly check people around you for H1N1 Swine Flu. "

Wow! Who would have thunk it?

Link to post
Share on other sites

For years I used a 50/50 mix of DI water and Anti-freeze. It never got excessively hot because I just turn on the manual switch for my 12" diameter Kenlowe fan that I installed in 1991 or '92. I add a bottle of "Water Wetter" which is rumoured to improve the heat transfer. For about the last 6 years, I have been using a mix of 80% DI water and 20% antifreeze and it runs a bit cooler. Anti-freeze is not needed in Canada during the summer (today is 30 deg. C) when I drive my 1958 TR3A. I use the 20% just to keep the interior passages of the engine block from clogging up with rust accumulations.

 

The Temp needle normally stays a bit below mid-point (180 deg. F) but at 80 MPH on the open road on a very hot day, the needle will climb above this - to about 220 deg. F (105 deg C) but I don't worry about it. Turning on the fan doesn't help lower the temperature. With Boyle's Law, the increase in pressure (P) with a 4 psi radiator cap increases the boiling temperature plus the BP increases a bit higher with a 20% anti-freeze mixture.

Link to post
Share on other sites

i no one thing they are tough as old boots

 

when i first got the car i went round to see tors dad to show him, when i got there he had a funny turn

 

so i took him to hospital in the three i new there was a problem with the radiator spitting out water

 

but hay ho we had to go, well i boiled it dry, still kept going had to, temp went to the top and you could smell the heat

 

got him to hospital parked up filed it with water, after it had cooled down,

 

no prob head gasket ok, later that day i got a rad cleaner and

 

cleaned the rad and engine out its been fine, the rad is on borrowed time but it is still working

 

pink

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks guys for all the great info you have past on to me. its the weekend so it looks like im going to be pretty busy. one question on timeing marks what am i looking for on the pully..?? im told a small hole, is this correct. i cant find it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sometimes when the pulley has been dismantled the small hole in one half of the pulley gets assembled back in the wrong place.In which case you will have to revert to the traditional method of removing No1 plug and with a screwdriver check when piston is at the top, remove rocker cover to see when the rear two rockers are just "on the rock" and the rotor arm is pointing to No1 plug hole and find TDC that way.

Stuart.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi ,

I have just come back from a drive in my R3A from Taunton to Exeter ( my car has had an engine rebuild & gearbox and overdrive ) so Im running the engine in - I have also bought a new radiator car 4PSI - my car seems to be running at 125 - it used to be at around 90-95 - I got back and the kenlowe still running and clicked off after 6 mins or so - the temp was 125 - I drove back consrvatively - before my engine was rebuilt - I used to see the engine temp drop as the cool air cooled the water - it has it seems been losing a bit of water though ... any ideas ... I am taking her to Le Mans Classic and doing rack laps too - so trying to sort out all the problems before then ...

 

Opened the radiator cap - bee back 20 mins - no water at all - had to put about another 4 litres of water - Ive already changed it so many times - the coolant must have gone !!! This isnt right ..

 

Regards ,

 

Will

Link to post
Share on other sites

Unless there is evidence of water mixed in with the oil, the most likely problem is an airlock. I suggest you drain the whole system thoroughly, including heater, and then refill carefully using a measuring jug and ensure that you get the correct amount in. This is such a common problem and often a simple explanation - there are lots of threads on this topic on the forum so not worth repeating everything here.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Tom ,

So youre saying my Cap 4PSi is a high one - lower the no - higher the pressure - is that right ? What about this expansion tank .. sorry I do not understand .. pls can you explain - sorry .

 

Many Thanks ,

 

Will

 

At my wits end .. any help will be much appreciated - thank you ..

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Tom ,

All I have coming out of the radiator is a pipe just under from the radiator cap ... do I assume you have fitted some kind of water tank which then feeds back into the radiator ???

 

Or do I have to flush the whole system to see if there any air locks ??

 

Regards ,

 

Will

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 5 years later...

Good afternoon gents.

my TR3B has been running a bit on the hot side for my liking, so I have done some of the usual fixes: increased the gaps in the grill, flush cleaned the cooling system, replaced the modern style membrane thermostat for an old style bellows one, etc, etc. I initially I thought especially the additional open area in the grill made a large difference. most other things did not seem to make much difference at all. Flushing also didnt show a lot of dirt (understandable i thought, as the engine hasn't run much since a complete overhaul in the US by the PO.

Last year after the flush cleaning I topped up with fresh coolant. today I was exchanging the water pump, this was on my list to do as the old one starts "howling" on longer drives/hotter weather.

when I drained the coolant the coolant from the engine block was pretty dark, for only being in there for 10 months I thought. then when the engine drain stopped running, I drained the radiator, and to my surprise, the coolant coming out of there looked crystal clear! I collected two samples. (see picture). any thoughts how that can be? Engine has run more than a 1000 miles with this coolant in??!!

Thanks for any thoughts and comments!

Ewald

post-14195-0-21844100-1524225367_thumb.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

The block has a tendency to silt up quite quickly. Particularly in vehicles that dont get s lot of use. Ive had the same problem myself.

 

Either use the car more or keep flushing the whole cooling system regularly.

 

Rgds Ian

Link to post
Share on other sites

The block has a tendency to silt up quite quickly. Particularly in vehicles that dont get s lot of use. Ive had the same problem myself.

 

Either use the car more or keep flushing the whole cooling system regularly.

 

Rgds Ian

+1 Left standing the block water does discolour more than the Rad water even with the correct anti-freeze.

Iain

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Please familiarise yourself with our Terms and Conditions. By using this site, you agree to the following: Terms of Use.