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Triumph TR3 - oil coolers

Hello out there:last summer I had some overheating problems with my TR3,so this winter I installed an oil cooler with adapter plates that accomodate oil line fittings and a spin-on filter.I also fitted a thermostat between the oil lines just forward of the filter head.
The weather hasn't been good enough yet to try it out and I am wondering if anyone else has a similar system and how it worked out.
Chuck

Well, I've owned and been addicted to TR3's for the last 35 years and have pretty much always had cooling problems of some sort. However, I don't think I've ever linked engine cooling problems to oil temperature. I'm sure that is might make some difference, but I really can't see how an oil cooler can affect the overall engine temperature by enough to make a big difference. I've experienced blocked cooling passages in the engine, pin-hole leaks in the radiator and various hoses, faulty thermostats, engine timing not correct, fan belt slipping (the most common problem, believe it or not) and faulty water pumps. In fact, I currently have a problem where my '60 TR3 runs very hot on the highway but not around town. I'm still working on that one.

Mike
Mike

Hi Mike:Thanks for the comments.I rebuilt this TR from the ground up and I had the rad tested in order to avoid the trauma of having to remove the rad during shakedown.However it still overheated at speeds of 60mph or more and also in traffic.I therefore did the dreaded task of removing the nose piece and removing the rad.Upon examination about 60% of the capillary tubes were plugged.I recored the rad complete with crank hole(I like to use the crank for maintenance tappets etc.).While in there I replaced the fan with an 8 blade fan from a TR250 plus the oil cooler.
I once rebuilt an MGA and even with anew rad it was not good in traffic and hilly country so I put a cooler on it and my engine temp was down an average of 5 to 10 deg.I figure that with the TR's 6 litre oil capacity I should get better results by having cooler oil circulating in the engine.However the proof of the pudding is in the eating.I will let you know what happens.
Regards Chuck
Chuck

Hi Chuck I own a couple of MG Midgets and a 59 TR3. My TR is off the road and in storage until I can afford to retsore it. I put an oil cooler on my 1500 Midget and it dropped the engine temperature by 25-35
degrees. I think a cooler will help but I'm not sure that is the only problem you might have. Does your car have the cardboard cowl in the front apron? Without it the engine will over heat.
Steve.
Steve

Chuck,
Living in the So California desert I am well aware of overheating TR-3 cars. After much advice from my TRSC club members, I have once and for all solved the overheating problem, even in 120 degree days(and nights). In the process of solving the problem, here is what I did.
1. Install the cardboard baffle to funnel the air thru the radiator.
2. Install a breakaway ( 1/8" fiber board) air scoop below the radiator. Mount it on the bolts that hold the hand crank guide. Without it, one third of the radiator does not get use.
3. Since the original slide thermostats are no longer available, the by-pass hose is of no of use. Thread a pipe plug inside the hose to block it. Then, make sure you drill a 3/16" hole through the thermostat to have water flow before the tempurature opens it..
4. Install a Hayden fan in front of the radiator. Do not waste your money on a temp probe since they don't work. Instead, install a manual swith on the dash. In slow traffic, the fan is a must.
5. Finally, the final solution was to recore the radiator with a core with 1/3 more tubes and NO hand crank hole.
6. I also had the radiator shop braze on a Chevrolet filler fitting so that a modern radiator cap can be used to direct the overflow to a catch tank I located forward of the right front horn. With the Chevvy radiator, when it cools, the collant returns to the radiator. DO NOT attempt to use a high pressure radiator cap since the added pressure will unseat the water pump seal and the pump will leak. 7 Psi is the max pressure.
Note: I had the old radiator rodded out twice thinking that was the problem. Bear in mind that these radiators were designed for British weather and not US weather.
Note 2. Since I once owned a new original TR-3 in 1959 and ran it in the desert at the time without any overheating, I am convince that a lot of our problems stem from the reformalation of gasoline. New cars run much hotter to reduce pollution.
By evolution I have solved the overheating. I believe the Hayden fan and the new radiator core were the prime items in solving this problem. I have no more overheating, even in the Summer.
Bob McCowan

Hello Everybody:I finaly got a chance to check out my winter's work on my cooling system.Recored rad,TR250 fan and oil cooler.
I did about 30 miles at 50 to 60 mph with the outside temp. at 80-85F came to a major traffic jam where I had to inch along for some time and my engine temp remained at 185F the whole time,unheard of last summer.
regards Chuck
Chuck

This thread was discussed between 09/03/2001 and 03/05/2001

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