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Wet Weather TR’ing


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I have a Clayton heater  as supplied by Revington TR on my dove. its 3 speed motor makes quick work of clearing the screen  but it does utilise a rotary switch so you cant use the toggle type  anymore.   I also have a fine line electric front screen on the car which really clears the mist away.  I first saw one of these fitted to a TR6 way back in the 1970's on a Welsh weekend but I was unable to find out who made them at the time. it certainly wasn't Triplex.   The TR6 also had a fine line element  but it had white bus bars top and bottom of the screen like they had on bus windscreens  and rover P5Bs. rear screens. Any ideas as to who made them? 

hoges. 

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3 minutes ago, Paul Hogan said:

I have a Clayton heater  as supplied by Revington TR on my dove. its 3 speed motor makes quick work of clearing the screen  but it does utilise a rotary switch so you cant use the toggle type  anymore.   I also have a fine line electric front screen on the car which really clears the mist away.  I first saw one of these fitted to a TR6 way back in the 1970's on a Welsh weekend but I was unable to find out who made them at the time. it certainly wasn't Triplex.   The TR6 also had a fine line element  but it had white bus bars top and bottom of the screen like they had on bus windscreens  and rover P5Bs. rear screens. Any ideas as to who made them? 

hoges. 

Caterham have been fitting heated front screens for many years.

BMH did a range of heated front screens for classics when I worked there in the 1990's.  I think the source was Birmingham Safety Glass.

Peter W

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1 hour ago, Charlie D said:

Hello All,

This is not my idea, it was suggested by forum member David Edwards when I spoke to him a few weeks ago.
He has an MG TC. We were talking about demisters and he said he uses 12-volt hairdryers. It occurred to me that they could quite easily be plumbed onto the pipes that go to the TR demister vents and, being not too big, could be tie wrapped somewhere behind the dash.

One advantage of them is that they supply “Instant heat”. No need to wait for the engine to warm up.

I think camping shops sell them but would be cheaper elsewhere.


Charlie.

Hi Charlie My only reservation would be the possibility of the heating element inside a hair dryer being subject to overheating and possibly catching alight, especially as it would work in a confined space and for longer periods than drying a barnet. (Especially as many of us only need a 10 second burst from a hair dryer these days !) 

Kevin

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1 hour ago, Charlie D said:

Hello All,

This is not my idea, it was suggested by forum member David Edwards when I spoke to him a few weeks ago.
He has an MG TC. We were talking about demisters and he said he uses 12-volt hairdryers. It occurred to me that they could quite easily be plumbed onto the pipes that go to the TR demister vents and, being not too big, could be tie wrapped somewhere behind the dash.

One advantage of them is that they supply “Instant heat”. No need to wait for the engine to warm up.

I think camping shops sell them but would be cheaper elsewhere.


Charlie.

Hi Charlie,

I like the idea of instant heat but I think you will find there is seriously little room to install anything bigger than a gnats left leg.

The computer server cooling fans may just fit as they are only 43mm square x apprx 300 long.

It is making an adaptor to get them to fit onto the heater outlets that may be an issue.

 

Roger

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3 hours ago, ianc said:

Kevin/boxofbits - FYI, Revington produced a far more powerful heater unit many years ago, and it's still listed on his website.

Ian Cornish

Hi Ian

thanks for the info. I have contacted them and the kit RTR 1396-1K is £461.66 inc vat but does give 30% extra oomph and is supplied with improved matrix and fan, relay, wiring and a new 4 position switch which unfortunately is not the same as the original and you have to open the hole out to fit it which I am not that keen on.

I wonder if it’s possible to use the existing switch just on fan speeds 1/3 on the original switch with a relay fitted?

Kevin

 

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Kevin,

You might be right about the overheating. I’m sure that the hairdryers have a safety cutout, but if that failed, it could be disaster. I don’t think the insurance company would see it as an approved accessory.

Roger,

I read your post and wondered what the hell you were talking about.

Then I re-read it and realized that you said  “…bigger than a gnat’s left leg…”
My initial read had it as a “… bigger than a goat’s left leg…”

I think you also may be right. But I bet there is some way to get instant heat for a short while without setting the car on fire.


Charlie.

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Forgot to mention:

 

This is what I’m about to fit to my 3A this afternoon.
It’s a slightly modified Mini heater (£10 to £50 on eBay)

I pop riveted two “Wings” to the side and turned the matrix around so the pipes stick out on the left. Probably no need to do that really. It’s just that I’m pushing both pipes through the bulkhead  on the LHS.

It bolts up through the “Wings” to the metal bars that join the bottom of the dash to the bulkhead.

Only problem people might have is with the pipes coming out of the instruments. I have an electric temp gauge, with the capillary version it might clash with the heater body.
Same with a copper oil pressure gauge pipe. Mine is nylon.

But the demister hose outlets are the same diameter as the 3A heater vents, and Dyson DC4 hose fits perfectly.

The fan is pretty powerful too.

Charlie.

Heater.jpg

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For a 2/3/3a the T7 design heater is the best I have found and the bonus is its small and powerful and gives you lots more room behind the dash . For 4 and on then just buy the uprated heater matrix from Clayton and make sure the seals on the heater box are renewed.

When I restored my 4a I just cleaned the matrix out properly and fitted new seals all round and with the Everco valve fitted so you are actually getting full flow of water its warm as toast in there, also helps with two Spannas riding shotgun!

Stuart.

 

002 - Copy.JPG

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Kevin,

I made up my own upgrade based on centrifugal fan motor used in the the Revington/Clayton heater for the 4-6. The heater upgrade motor has 3 speeds, but given its power you will only need 1 and 3 (in fact, I hardly use 3 except in the direst damp conditions). 

Peter - TR Enterprises used to list a heated from screen for the 4-6, but I can't find it now.

Mike

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6 hours ago, stuart said:

I wouldnt alter the park position as they would be in the way when your not using them,, your better off just switching them off in the upright position on the ignition then they stay flat better.

Stuart.

You're right, of course Stuart, but that relies on me remembering...

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2 hours ago, mike3md said:

Kevin,

I made up my own upgrade based on centrifugal fan motor used in the the Revington/Clayton heater for the 4-6. The heater upgrade motor has 3 speeds, but given its power you will only need 1 and 3 (in fact, I hardly use 3 except in the direst damp conditions). 

Peter - TR Enterprises used to list a heated from screen for the 4-6, but I can't find it now.

Mike

Thanks Mike that would hopefully mean I could use the existing 3 position pull switch with a relay, and as you say 1 and 3 would probably be enough.

Kevin

Edited by boxofbits
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Roger,

Make a former as per drawing.
Just use wood and your lathe to make the round bit.
Make everything slightly tapered.
Blend the round bit and the square bit with plaster or suchlike.
Polish.

Use the former as an internal mould for fiberglass or, if you have access, a vac. form machine.

Make 4 identical parts. (For 2 fans)FanHolder.thumb.jpg.54ee59d28e7d0ffc6458976d79aa31f6.jpg

Drop the fans inside, with a hole for the wires, then use gaffer tape to hold the two halves together.

You then have an “in-line” fan that you can put anywhere along the length of the hose.

Will that work?

Charlie.

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9 hours ago, PaulAnderson said:

Having had a cocker, don’t they make it steam up quicker?  Ours certainly had that affect on the passenger side window of our modern car.

paul.

Heh heh can do sometimes especially if theyre wet to start with!

Stuart.

Edited by stuart
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