GaryBZ Posted March 23, 2022 Report Share Posted March 23, 2022 I have had the narrow belt conversion kit and alternator for a while. Finally decided to fit both. I am also fitting an electric fan in front of the radiator as I has this stored away as well. Pulled everything off and starting to fit new things back. I have bought the damped version from Rimmer Brothers. If I had known that the crank pulley is a modified version from another car I would have had second thoughts about the kit, however, I have it now, so I suppose it has to go on. What I don’t like is the spacer they give you because the back of the pulley has all the wrong dimensions. In particular it’s the narrow end that sits on the front of the crank. By the time they have chamfered it to help it slide into the seal there is hardly any metal left, a couple of mm at the most. These kits have been fitted for years, so I assume they work. I am about to press the bush onto the pulley and wondered if I should Loctite it in place, or will it be okay without? There are no TDC timing marks on the pulley. I found out that because the manufacturer makes them for several cars they don’t include the timing marks. There’s a few notes on how to set the No 1 piston to TDC and then scribe the mark accordingly, but surely the TDC timing mark is just 180 degs opposite the woodruff key on the crank, so can’t I add the mark before I fit the pulley and save all the messing about? Gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted March 23, 2022 Report Share Posted March 23, 2022 Yes the damped pulley is historically from a MGB. Does the spacer have a key slot in it? If so be sure it aligns with the slot in the pulley hub before you assemble. If not, you are in for removing the outer key, sliding on the spacer and refitting the key. Note. You may have to shorten the key. The most recent set up I did I used an old crank chain sprocket turned down to the size of the spacer required and then turned up a sleeve that was just long enough to go over the pulley hub and the spacer. Tight fit on the pulley hub but sliding fit on the spacer. Did not Loctite anything in case it needs to come to bits in the future. In truth I prefer the simple aluminium pulley that replaces the existing two steel pulley halves on the existing hub. Peter W Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaryBZ Posted March 23, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2022 Hi Peter, This collar/spacer fits over the rear boss on the pulley. It’s there to increase the length and diameter of the boss to give the correct alignment of the fan belt and make the seal in the cam chain case. The key is on the inside, so it doesn’t get in the way. It never has to come off again as it should be part of the pulley, if it was designed for a TR4. It’s just a bad design and not a very good modification. It’s a cheap parallel collar. The problem, albeit not seemingly and issue, is the fact that it is only a few mm thick at the end that butts up to the crankshaft. Bit of a bodge ! I’m with you. If I was buying one now I wouldn’t bother with the damper. I would just buy the narrow pulley and use the original boss. It has to be in better balance than the original set up. Gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaryBZ Posted March 23, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2022 BTW, the picture is a bit deceiving. The outer diameter of the collar is the same sizes as the original pulley boss. You can just make out how thin it is to press onto the new pulley. The big chamfer makes it even thinner. That’s the end that clamps onto the crankshaft. As you mentioned previously, it was designed for an MGB not a TR. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Malbaby Posted March 23, 2022 Report Share Posted March 23, 2022 I have an aussie "Holden" harmonic balancer on my TR4 for the narrow belt conversion. Although requires a small spacer to be fitted. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted March 23, 2022 Report Share Posted March 23, 2022 I am aware of the skinny tube spacer and it’s possibility to collapse. That is why I turned up an inner solid spacer from an old crank chain sprocket to abut between the new pulley and the existing crank chain sprocket. The plain bit of sleeve then passes over to form a seal surface. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trchris Posted March 23, 2022 Report Share Posted March 23, 2022 Hi When I fitted the narrow belt conversion I didnt bother with the damped pulley version its not designed for the TR engine so would be of little to no benefit in my opinion Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaryBZ Posted March 24, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 I’m contemplating binning the damped pulley and using the narrow pulley that allows me to use the original boss. I am also toying with the idea of using a larger plastic fan and not fitting the Kenlowe fan I have had in a box for a few years. I will only ever use the car for short journeys and I can’t remember having too many overheating issues with the original fan. Looking at the Kenlowe fan today I think it could cause more troubles than it’s worth. It isn’t a great design. It uses plastic ties that you push through the radiator core to hole it in place. I don’t like it very much. I have fitted the alternator and I have converted to LED lights. I also have a new heavy duty Varda battery. Any thoughts on the larger plastic fan rather than the electric fan, given my occasional use? Gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted March 24, 2022 Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 1 minute ago, GaryBZ said: I’m contemplating binning the damped pulley and using the narrow pulley that allows me to use the original boss. I am also toying with the idea of using a larger plastic fan and not fitting the Kenlowe fan I have had in a box for a few years. I will only ever use the car for short journeys and I can’t remember having too many overheating issues with the original fan. Looking at the Kenlowe fan today I think it could cause more troubles than it’s worth. It isn’t a great design. It uses plastic ties that you push through the radiator core to hole it in place. I don’t like it very much. I have fitted the alternator and I have converted to LED lights. I also have a new heavy duty Varda battery. Any thoughts on the larger plastic fan rather than the electric fan, given my occasional use? Gary I have the yellow plastic fan as fitted to TR5/6 and it works fine for all conditions including high speed runs and heavy traffic, Its also combined with a separate header tank. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4aJim Posted March 24, 2022 Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 I have the Rimmers undamped narrow belt kit installed on my TR4A (with an alternator). I did swap out the metric belt that came with the kit, and replaced it with a NAPA belt that’s easier to source here. I kept the stock fan extension, and it has a yellow fan that I believe the PO installed from a 250. Never had a cooling issue. Jim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Malbaby Posted March 24, 2022 Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 10 hours ago, stuart said: I have the yellow plastic fan as fitted to TR5/6 and it works fine for all conditions including high speed runs and heavy traffic, Its also combined with a separate header tank. Stuart. Interesting that you have 2 radiator pressure caps. Are they the same pressure? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hamish Posted March 24, 2022 Report Share Posted March 24, 2022 27 minutes ago, Malbaby said: Interesting that you have 2 radiator pressure caps. Are they the same pressure? If it’s like mine the one on the rad is blank ie without the sprung pressure release mechanism and the usual pressure cap on the expansion tank Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted March 25, 2022 Report Share Posted March 25, 2022 Stuart has implemented a sealed cooling system of the type which I installed in 4VC in 1994, and described in TR Action 112 - now in Section B18 of the Technicalities CD . Hamish has described correctly the functions of the 2 caps, The system ensures that the radiator is always completely full of coolant, and coolant pushed into the header tank when the engine gets hot is then sucked back as the engine cools. Coolant is never lost. Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted March 25, 2022 Report Share Posted March 25, 2022 12 hours ago, Malbaby said: Interesting that you have 2 radiator pressure caps. Are they the same pressure? The rad cap is a flat unpressurised one and the header tank is the pressurised version. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4aJim Posted March 25, 2022 Report Share Posted March 25, 2022 Ian/Stuart, won’t the 4A stock radiator overflow bottle perform the same function? Or is it just there to keep coolant overflow off the ground?(Sorry to hijack the thread a bit) Jim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Drewmotty Posted March 25, 2022 Report Share Posted March 25, 2022 Not quite the same. Stuart’s is a header tank whereas the standard offering is an expansion tank. Google will explain everything for you and save me typing it out :-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted March 25, 2022 Report Share Posted March 25, 2022 54 minutes ago, Tr4aJim said: Ian/Stuart, won’t the 4A stock radiator overflow bottle perform the same function? Or is it just there to keep coolant overflow off the ground?(Sorry to hijack the thread a bit) Jim With the standard setup and a "Recovery cap" then the original system works OK if set up correctly but not as efficient as the header tank set up. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rockie51 Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Gary, I would fit your electric fan behind the radiator not in front. That gives the maximum cooling. When I fitted mine, I had the radiator rebuilt with a sensor from a Mitsubishi Magna brazed into the top tank. It has been totally reliable and is much more leak proof than the ones fitted into the radiator hose. On one of our cross Australia trips we arrived at Kalgoorlie in 38c heat. The occupants overheated but not the car. Also make sure that your radiator shroud is fitted and in good condition. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 If Gary has a TR4, the shroud is wider than the radiator - it is the correct width for the TR4A. which is very odd. To prevent cool air bypassing the radiator, a pair of shields are required to close the gaps - see my article in TR Action 112, or section B18 of the Technicalities CD. Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaryBZ Posted April 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2022 I have gone with the old Kenlowe fan I bought several years ago. It does sit in front of the radiator, but it’s quite large, so I am hoping it does the job when needed. Given the weather in North Wales I think it will be fine. I tried to fit the harmonic damped crank pulley I bought some time back, but I didn’t like the fact that it was a modified MGB pulley. In the end I decided to buy a standard narrow belt pulley and fit that instead. It wasn’t as easy as I thought. I had to have some parts made to enable a satisfactory fit. What I ended up with is the original hub, the new pulley and a specially manufactured spacer which locates the large washer you get with the harmonic damper and the appropriate bolts and locking nuts. Just to finish things off I had all the remanufactured parts anodised and dyed black. I am pleased with the parts. With a bit of luck it will all work as it should. I also fitted a new water pump and anodised and dyed the narrow pulley. Not sure why these parts are not supplied treated as the won’t last last long as bare aluminium. Gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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