Lower Rad Pipe Overheating

[1in10]

Evening

I have just popped across to Spain for the Easter holidays, in the Vitesse, and only made it to Bordeaux without major overheating.

I flushed the rad, put on new pipes, fresh coolant, and changed the hoses, and I am carrying a higher temp thermostat, before leaving, as well as a full service.

The temp in the top hose is hot and is to be expected, but the lower hose is also quite hot.

Should I change over to the higher temp stat or will that make the engine over heat even more.

Could be a shorter holiday than expected all thoughts welcome, thanks

Richard

[Clive]

Could be the rad is in need of more than just a flush.  All the cooling tubes are in parallel, so if 1 (or 10) are blocked, you have no chance of clearing them as the water will just flow though the other unblocked ones. but the rad may be working at 80% or less efficiency.

A higher rated thermostat won't help, and I doubt a lower rated one will either. 

But please, what were the circumstances of overheating? Stopped after a fast run? Rad boiled over, or just reading high on the temp gauge?

As an emergency measure removing the thermostat altogether can slow the onset of overheating, but will make the car run too cool when moving. (that is not a good thing) 

[1in10]

The engine grinds to a halt until I open the bonnet and wait for the engine to cool down.

It will turn over but won't run until it cools down.

[Pete Lewis]

Whats the reading on the temp gauge , when idling and when running ?

From what you say it drives ok but comes to a stop when idling in traffic ??

It could be a too rich mixture ,   ot this with pancake filters or std air box with tubes ???

Pete

[Clive]

Indeed, sounds like fuel vaporisation. Heat shields under te carbs should help.

I hope you are not using the e15 fuel in the car..... use the best fuel you can find.

[1in10]

Gents thanks for the replies.

I am running on 95 which is the best you can get here, I am running on the standard silver box, and I have fired Heat Shield to the underneath off the carbs.

There is no excessive fuel smell.

It does tend to idle heavy when in traffic but can lose power and just grind to a halt on both occasions.

I thought the bottom hose was to remain cold but it can get as hot as the top hose, so I am guessing the engine isn't cooling properly,

I hate to say it knowing the weather in the UK, but it is warm here.

Richard

[1in10]

By the way the temperature needle doesn't move past half way, even when hot, thanks again.

[Clive]

The bottom hose will feel hot, the radiator won't make the water cold, just takes some of the heat out. There will be a temp difference, but difficult to tell without actually measuring it. But if the temp gauge is not going into the red (assuming that is correct of course) then I would suspect the issue is fuel vaporisation. The carbs are just above a really hot exhaust manifold, nit at all ideal.....

Can't do much if you are away (lucky chap) but something to address when you return home. I assume you still have the mechanical engine fan rather than an electric one? I know there has been much discussion recently about which is best, but the idea that an electric fan will be blowing at full whack in a queue of traffic does appeal. But ideally needs to come on early enough that is keeps air moving all the time the vehicle is stationary. 

I digress, enjoy the holiday and hopefully this issue will not cause too much grief...Boiling over is when it is a real issue. And watch out for the e15 fuel, I think it is still 95 but contains more ethanol, so boils up at an even lower temp. Iam certain 98 is available in a lot of places in France, would be worth a try.

[Pete Lewis]

Agree with clive, he, s always up early,

You could try increase the idle turn each screw equally to raise normal idle to near 1000  and lean off each mixture screw under the carbs by 1/2 turn anti clock looking down on it ,  or clockwise looking up  its a std rh thread  use a coin to turn it 

This might help low speed stalls and fast idle shifts more underbonnet air

Does sound hot air and rich is the culprit,  the rad and gauge say im ok.

 

If you really want to change the stat then go for a 78c what triumph spec for hot climates

Pete

 

[1in10]

Clive/Pete

Thanks for all the information, i'll definitely try that.

It over heated three times yesterday, and my wife is now asking me for compensation as I have even exceeded Easyjets delays policy.

I was clearly paranoid about the temperature of the bottom hose.

I may have another problem as I have found some glitter on the surface of the water in the radiator, but it doesn't look like oil, glitter and only a small trace.

I checked the oil which I changed recently and it it's still translucent green/light brown. Nothing more than I would expect for the mileage since it had been put it in.

No cream on the oil cap..

No white exhaust

No soot on the sparks

Just over heating after periods of driving.

It turns on the button and nurses along at 50/60.

I have a 7 lb Rad cap

I can't bring myself tho say it, please don't say it also HG.

Still she can have a rest now before the homeward journey.

Richard

 

[Clive]

If it isn't boiling over, and you have a 7lb cap, it really isn't seriously overheating, the issue is elsewhere. ie when the engine bay is hot.

Has no HGF symptoms from what you have said. 

Don't worry. Enjoy some decent cheese, wine etc. (Probably best to avoid the fromage de tete though.)

[1in10]

Clive 

Amazing thanks, that is a huge relief. 

Nope no boiling at all, just an over stretched imagination. 

Ill relax now thanks again, really much appreciated.

Oh any thoughts on the glitter. 

Richard 

[thescrapman]

The glittering could be residue of the addition of one of the heavy duty rad weld products you have disturbed by your long hot journey.

[Chris A]

Here in France 98 is readily available in most supermarket petrol stations. As for Spain my recollection from last year is that it is also easily found in bigger stations - my modern ran on 95 so can only comment on 98 from having to look at the pumps to make sure I got the correct stuff.

Won't be a problem this year as the new modern runs on the detested oily stuff, yes I know all the nasty effects as I do for petrol and electric...

Enjoy the local food and drink, I will be planning my route soon as we set off mid May for 4, or is it 5, weeks - Depends on what the "boss" has settled on. I'm just the driver

[1in10]

Scrapman thanks  I'll have a look again but I have read this could be the start of a water pump issue. 

Chris you are correct the larger stations in Spain have 98 which I am using 95 gives a horrible after run despite the other problems. 

[dougbgt6]

Richard, 

I had a partially blocked water pump, a large slug of rust crude obstructing the flow. Easily fixed, but too late by the time I found it, head gasket blown! But, if it is that, you're temperature gauge would be in the red so probably not.

Doug

[Pete Lewis]

 

if the gauge stays mid way whilst  driving and doesnt climb into the red then stop worrying, about major issues 

if this conking out when hot is not overheating,  if this  persists and the gauge says Im Ok then the snag is with the fuel and carb settings  not the base engine or cooling.

Im unsure when you say overheated as to just what you are reading into this, it seems more when its up to temp in poor situations its grinding to a halt, youndont loose any coolant and the gauge say OK   thats not overheat  or im missing a clue 

Pete

 

 

 

[1in10]

Pete/Doug

I think I might be confusing the issue, as I thought the lower rad pipe should be cooler.

The car has an uplift Cam, so has an uneven running and the last unscheduled grinding to a halt with me standing for a few hours.

The carbs were record about five years back and I had them tuned two years back as running and electrics are the devil's work.

It turned over fine but would not continue to run, and this can happen after I turn it intentionally.

I thought I had covered the carbs with a heat shield and was hoping to cure the problem, but the threads below are pointing toward fuel evaporation.

I'm always contours of the HG after doing the deed to my Rover 2000 V8, once bitten and all.

The film of glitter in the rad leads me to think it might be small shards from the fan, which I'll look at when I get back.

I will also look at the carbs then also, but I would drippy appreciate more of your support if offered.

Richard

 

[Pete Lewis]

Poor idle and lumpy cam can upset the carb floats  this with an already rich mixture can over rich the

air fuel ratio and she wont restart  , if you have a weak fuel pump will not help .

Never had vapourisation on any of mine regardless of all the talk of fuels and addatives.

Not saying its a myth... but im not a believer

 

Pete

[dougbgt6]

Pete,

I'm with you, never had vaporization (you can spell it with an s or a z, why is that?) I've always associated it with tuned up racing engines not run of the mill, or even tweaked engines.

Doug

[1in10]

On 30/03/2018 at 8:06 AM, Pete Lewis said:

Vape was in Clive second post but I meant running rich.

However, can the rich mix also explain the engine stopping while running along the road and grinding to a halt.

 

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, dougbgt6 said:

I'm with you, never had vaporization (you can spell it with an s or a z, why is that?)

Hello Doug.

Unfortunately it is a by-product of people's spelling and grammar being converted to US phraseology (predominately IT software driven) rather than the tried and approved old style UK education when such elements of the English language mattered.

Both are nouns, but modern day spelling now leans to the "z" option and in fact it is now accepted within the usual dictionaries.

Regards.

Richard.

[Pete Lewis]

Did You know about the dreaded rubber slivers , these get cut off the fuel hoses when pushed over the metal tubes, they float about in the fuel lines and jam the back of the float needle valve , these will bring you to a halt.stay blocking the valve till the pressure drops and float back into the lines , so you leave the car for a while  the pressure drops and hey presto it starts   , amd runs till it returns

This is after any filter is fitted so a filter wont help, unless its in the head of the float needle valve

Pull, a fuel, line and pump, some fuel into a jar  see what you catch  way well need the valve removing and check behind it

Ht coils wired with reversed polarity can also give this intermitent  arrest, wait   restart syndrome .

Pete

 

 

[Paul H]

I’ve got the Tshirt with rubber slivers, just when you think you’ve got them all another turns up. Especially true with R9 tubing . Assemble with Vaseline helps.

Paul 

[Chris A]

13 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:

Pete,

I'm with you, never had vaporization (you can spell it with an s or a z, why is that?) I've always associated it with tuned up racing engines not run of the mill, or even tweaked engines.

Doug

The version with a "z" is American English, the version with an "s" is English English. The interesting point would be to know why the difference, there are a lot of American English words or grammatical styles that are "old" English that went to the States and remained unchanged whereas English evolved. Look at 17th & 18th, or even for that matter 19th century, spellings in English literature of the same word.

School over for today.