Spitfire Mk3 running hot.

[mikehiggins]

My Spit is fitted with a full width rad (recently reconned), side air deflectors,  and a good quality pull electric fan which comes in at the point where the needle passes the rh level on the meter. A new 74 degree thermostat is fitted. Still she runs with the needle on the high side in motion.

With the engine hot  and the needle indicating  high I have let the engine idle and monitored the result, which is that the air coming through the fan is relatively cool, the bottom of the rad is a little hotter but the top of the rad is hot and the fan is constantly engaged but seems to have only a very slow effect on the needle.

My logic is pointing me to the water pump but any other suggestions would be appreciated please. Thanks in advance, Mike.

[mpbarrett]

might be obvious but are you sure its hot and not a temperature gauge problem?
It will run hotter in this weather on my 1500 herald with a new standard size radiator it goes higher up the gauge than normal when idling  but then stops moving and doesn't get any hotter even when it been 30C outside. I only have the mechanical fan on it.
You can buy very cheap IR sensors to check the actual temperature.

cheers

mike

[Pete Lewis]

yes i agree there many spent a season changing and funding all sorts of supposed cooling improvements when they have the wrong temperature sender or a voltage stabilised problem

at risk of repeating 

thermo bi metal stabilised gauges need a GTR108  or equivalent

fast moving iron non stabilised use  121997   

mix them up even in the parts bin and you get hot reading  on the gauge 

we had a member on the old forum change an engine because of this ....its very common 

a 74c thermostat is low it should for uk and european climates be a   82c  to get the mixture correct  , cold engine equals rich mixture and bore washing 

not recomended 

Pete