Pete Lewis Posted July 19, 2019 Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 it will be fine with 7 cap as johny says the main limiting factor is what the hoses seals etc will stand. pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted July 19, 2019 Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 The thing I dont understand is why Triumph went to a higher pressure cap on the later Spitfires unless their cars were running hot at times and lifting the 7lb originals so they hoped to get away with a cheap fix..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted July 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 UPDATE , he’s a pic of the temp sender and gauge , I know they are not Triumph, what would the original sender look like ? I’ve just been checking the Vitesse , first time since the heating incident. I leant on the top hose and there was a gurgle sound which lasted for a few seconds . Guessing this could be trapped air I checked the overflow bottle and it’s very close to the original level so no problems . I did cack myself as on checking the dipstick it read zero , then I realised the dipstick wasn’t fully seated . The oil level is fine which for the Vitesse is halfway between the 2 marks. To be sure I will add the soda crystals to clear out any crud Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted July 19, 2019 Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 Thats a mechanical temperature gauge so should be pretty accurate. The original had a sensor that screwed in the same place with a single wire plugged into it and operated using 10v from a regulator which also supplies the fuel gauge. I dont know if removing the original temperature gauge might have affected the output of the regulator so giving an inaccurate fuel level reading.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted July 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 1 minute ago, johny said: Thats a mechanical temperature gauge so should be pretty accurate. The original had a sensor that screwed in the same place with a single wire plugged into it and operated using 10v from a regulator which also supplies the fuel gauge. I dont know if removing the original temperature gauge might have affected the output of the regulator so giving an inaccurate fuel level reading.... Thanks for that . Yes the fuel gauge played up for a long time , suddenly going to zero then creeping back up. Because I couldn’t get the speedo out to change the regulator I added a digital version in line and this has improved the guage though pretty sure the guage is the incorrect one as full is 75% . I have a few old gauges and plan to swop over to see if I can correct the last 25% Lastly should I find myself in a long traffic queue again the best advice is to pull over and wait for the queue to clear ? Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted July 19, 2019 Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 My Vitesse hates running hot as the carburation plays up, pinking starts, tick over drops and the oil thins so making me twitchy about bearing lubrication so yes I would avoid situations where thats likely to occur. Of course the solution is to get your cooling good enough to cope with queues in hot weather which I have now done. There seems to be various ways to do this and I have gone the electric fan route with it set up to run on after stopping which greatly improves hot starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted July 19, 2019 Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 My 1600 with unwrapped 631 a rad as old as the hills and std air box and cool air tubes, plastic fan and mixture set to best would idle for an hour whilst on Mot and in traffic never missed a beat in 14 years of ownership. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted July 19, 2019 Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 Hopefully Paul yours will be like Pete's once youve done the circuit clean out👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted July 19, 2019 Report Share Posted July 19, 2019 Live in hope Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Truman Posted July 20, 2019 Report Share Posted July 20, 2019 I've had my Vitesse Mk2 nearly 50yrs (1970) and its always had a 13psi rad cap. Ref running with rad cap off I accidently did it on a Series 3 XJ6 here in Melbourne in the late 80's it was a hot 40C day and I had to drive thro Friday evenings peak hour traffic to a friends beach house down the peninsula, the car ran a little hot but didn't boil (luckily) on checking at the destination here's the rad cap sat on the exhaust manifold heat shield! Did I feel lucky no after effects the Jag surprised me! Re the fan speed at idle the Triumph preference of mounting the fan on the crankshaft pulley ie the point of lowest rev's always annoyed me even the Spitfire has it mounted on the water pump where the different pulley sizes nearly doubles the fans speed. Quite usual here with classics in traffic to sit with the foot on the pedal keeping the rev's above 1500 to aid cooling, but I've never got to the point of putting the heater on to assist cooling like a friend had to in the early 70's in the south of France to stop his Ginette G15 from boiling his girl friend wasn't impressed & she couldn't in modesty take anything else off! Peter T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted July 21, 2019 Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 10 hours ago, Peter Truman said: I've never got to the point of putting the heater on to assist cooling like a friend had to in the early 70's in the south of France to stop his Ginette G15 from boiling his girl friend wasn't impressed & she couldn't in modesty take anything else off! Peter T Standard practice in the GT6, which is hot enough inside already; any time I'm worried about sitting static in traffic - which is usually queueing to get into a show - I'll flick the heater blower on. All of the windows are usually open anyway. I don't think I really need to, as the temperature never gets to the worrying stage but I'm bored, and sitting in a queue, and there are all these switches to play with.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted July 21, 2019 Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 Ive gone the opposite way on my Vitesse and put a small ball valve in the rubber hose that goes from the water pump housing to the carb manifold heater. In the summer I close this so that no coolant can go through the manifold/heater circuit and so is forced into the other two circuits - the engine and radiator. My thinking is that I dont need either manifold ot interior heating in the summer so the coolant is better off going elsewhere especially as I have an uprated rad fitted. I cant say for definite its an improvement but I dont have any overheating issues..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted July 21, 2019 Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 I'm ignorant about GT6s, but I've pointed out so mnay tims a side result of the experimental (emphasis on 'mental') Silverback, with it's rear radiator. In that position, and without a heater, the only heat in the cabin comes from the engine - and there was none. It was a cold car to drive, even in warm weather. The radiator puts out a LOT of hot air that has to go somewhere, and unless you have sealed up ALL the little holes on the bulkhead, that hot air will come into the cabin to join you. An assistant with a strong torch on the engine bay, and you under the dash is a good way of finding where they all are and which of the rubber grommets has failed (all of them usually). Rather than driving in shorts, this can be time well spent in keeping cool! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted July 21, 2019 Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 18 minutes ago, JohnD said: which of the rubber grommets has failed (all of them usually). Rather than driving in shorts, this can be time well spent in keeping cool! John There are so many little cracks and gaps where heat can get it I doubt if you'd ever seal them all. This is no hardship to me, as warm summer days are a rarity and most of the year is spent under grey skies where heat is very welcome. It was very thoughtful of Triumph to put the GT6 heater controls on the doors... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.vitesse Posted July 21, 2019 Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 Paul, The 2 Litre Vitesse does run hot, over 100c, when stuck in traffic in hot weather. Removing the insulating washers from where the rad mounts to the chassis and using large metal washers does help dissipate some of the heat away down into the chassis. But it does result in running cold in the winter. As interest the GT6/Herald and Spit all have their rad bolted down with no insulating washers. A lower specified temp thermostat was used on the Vitesse up to 1965, when the overflow bottle was introduced the temp went up to 82c. The original was a 71c, it maybe worth trying a 74c or 76c. I guess this would offset in time the rise in temp. i.e. It would take longer to get to the over 100c point. The 2 Litre rad is the same size as used on the Vitesse 6, but the 2 Litre engine generates more heat and this of course doesn't help the situation. I never had any problems when I had a Vitesse 6. Flushing out with soda crystals should also help if there is any muck in the system, Always worth a go. I have tried all the different mechanical fans used on the 2 litre engine and the results were the same when stuck in traffic in hot weather. i.e. No improvement. As long as it's not boiling over then that's the main thing. Thermal run-away is not happening. I can remember a cartoon in the Courier back in the 1980's of a 2 Litre Vitesse with a very large electric fan bolted to the front bonnet grill !!!! As ever everybody on the forum is giving very sound advice. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted July 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 Hi Dave. It’s probably a case of too many dials on the dash ! Or too much info . In my case with a mechanical gauge and seeing it climb to 110 plus and not seen this before set the panic in . In summary I didn’t lose any water , the water in the overflow bottle is still the same colour with no bits / sludge so if I had no gauge I would be none the wiser . However I will be going down the route of Soda Crystals plus as I nearly forgot making sure the rally badge doesn’t cover the radiator grill which it did in my case albeit just in one corner . Paul 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted July 21, 2019 Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 might pay to calibrate the capiliary gauge to a cheap thermometer from the chemists in a kettle , check both as things warm up pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted July 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 I’ve got an Aldi heat probe so will give this a go . Thanks for the heads up Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted July 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 5 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said: There are so many little cracks and gaps where heat can get it I doubt if you'd ever seal them all. This is no hardship to me, as warm summer days are a rarity and most of the year is spent under grey skies where heat is very welcome. It was very thoughtful of Triumph to put the GT6 heater controls on the doors... I hope next weekend is ok as were off to Monaghan for a wedding though in our modern, Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted July 21, 2019 Report Share Posted July 21, 2019 Rain, rain and more rain this week - interspersed with thunder and lightning last night - but good weather coming in for next week. I was in Monaghan last week for an equestrian event at a little place called Glaslough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted July 22, 2019 Report Share Posted July 22, 2019 If it hasn't boiled over then it hasn't truly overheated. Mine has a capillary gauge which has been previously checked for accuracy. Normal running is around 90ºC, though running fast (70+) in warm conditions can push that up to nearer 100. Climbing big mountains (Alps) stuck behind camper vans in warm weather can see temps up to 110ºC, but it doesn't boil over - unless I stop and switch off immediately, which will cause some water to be dumped into the expansion tank due to localised boiling in the head once the circulation stops. Standard radiator but electric fan. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now