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Triumph TR6 - Heater modifications

Has anyone besides me noticed the new Revington replacement heater box? I loved their comment that the original heater was like an old lady gently blowing in your face. I always refered to it as the breath of a mouse. It appears they have removed the guts and replaced them with a modern aluminum core, a modern squirrel cage, and a three way switch. Great idea but at first blush the price is a bit high, over 250.00 pounds. Has anyone in US done something like this with parts we can easily get? I have sucessfully put a Miata box and cage in an MGB but I know it will not fit in the TR6 heater frame. I imagine the Revington guts are from some British car unavailable in US.
Dick Porter
Richard Porter

Nice job Richard. will keep my ears open
Don K
DON KELLY

Why would anyone want a heater to work? It's 81 here today! I disconnected the lead to mine a few months ago because I kept blowing a fuse and that was the only thing I could figure was causing it. We rarely need them anyway.

John in sunny South Florida.
JL Bryan

Ok guys,

John's at it again. Again I tell you.

Jim
Jim Deatsch

It's 79 here today - feels unbelievably good.
R.C. Blair

You know I did actually think about disconnecting the device that makes the breath of a mouse to free up room for a modern radio but decided to keep it for those rare ocasions when the car runs without problems. One of those times might be in the dead of an Indiana winter where any heat is appreciated. Such instances are so few that any opportunity is not to be missed. Having whined enough, any ideas or shall I get the chain saw out and remove the excess high center of gravity metal?
Dick Porter
Dick Porter

One final thought. R.C. I went to school in Virginia,
I am not the dumb Hoosier hick I appear to be. I remember that it snowed there once and you may need the breath of a mouse one day.
Dick
Dick Porter

Hi Dick

RC or Bobs OK. John or JL is the "Gee its just too hot here" fella. Wait another few months and he'll be sweating his candelaberra off...:) Gee John that's tough!

This is interesting. My previous TR250 and current 6 both had/have adequate heaters and fan air movement. Canada climate.

I think the problem is the bearing lube turns to gum. Long storage does not help either. More so in temperate climates due to the lack of any use? An evening drive here any month can be chilly enough to defog.

I have had luck on old squirrel cages drilling a 1/16 hole in the center of back bearing cover putting in very light oil to free up. I like the Gunk super oil don't use the penetrating. Run for a bit start and stop fan should pick up speed if thats the problem? Then inject some light white grease with a needle greaser attachment.

Bill



Bill Brayford

Hi Bill
Glad you posted that, I wondered if I had a non standard heater!!! mine works fine and Scotland ain't exactly the warmest place on the planet. If you want a crap heater try an MGB, about as much use as a chocolate teapot
Ron
R. Algie

Bill and Ron
Comments are true. Heater is better than MG by far. I seem to remember a seal missing in my MG heater clearly left out by the factory which allowed cold air into the car. Perhaps in my TR6 it is a combination of tired motor from lack of grease, moving from car with modern heater to TR6 heater and finally my uncontrollable urges to fiddle with my car. My grandfather said if it ain't broke don't fix it but I have a hard time keeping from modifiying things ad nausium.(spelling ? Latin class was so long ago). By the way I hope it is clearly understook that I love my car and its faults realy are very few. So much more fun that a modern sports car.
Dick
Dick Porter

Guys,
I gotta say in defence of heaters....mine is really good..lots of heat and airflow, I also had no problems with my TR4 many years ago and I drove that in the winter. I think Bill's right probably just a gummed up tired fan motor and or clogged heater core.
Charlie
Charlie Ballard

Or trash has blocked the core fins/ductwork.

Rick O.
Rick Orthen

I have a page from a site on how to "hotrod " your heater blower electrics in an MG. I don't know if it will work for a TR but I saved it any way.
Don K
DON KELLY

Thanks for the comment Don on hot rod page. Any possibility of sending a copy to me as attachment? I did try my heater again and it does put out good amount of heat just not as much as modern car. It does not appear to be malfuntioning. I have replaced the valve on the block with one from a Honda and it works perfctly.
Dick
Dick Porter

How about elaborating on the Honda valve. I have been through two new valves in just three years, each from a different supplier. Not to mention the one on the car when I bought it. For the moment I have a gate valve on the hose. No leaks but this requires that I open the bonnett to adjust the heat.
Thanks,
Ashley
Ashley

Easy to do and works much better than stock. Get a Honda Civic valve. I used a 1990 but I bet they all look alike. You have to cut the bracket and reweld it at a right angle and drill a hole in the bracket for the hose. The Honda valve is a straight shot so you have to be creative with bent rubber hoses. Want to be carful to save the cable attaching set up on the Honda valve to use with the TR6 cable. Works like a charm. I did cut out the side of my heater box to give the cable more clearance. Factory setup forced the cable to go in a hard right angle which makes movement of the inner wire difficult. Forget ever really being happy with the factory valve.
Dick
Dick Porter

I replaced my heater valve back in '01 not a real problem with it just getting it to close that last 1/4" I have to open the hood and bare hand it. I consider this to be a small sacrifice the cable is Orig. As for heater performance it will blow you out of the car, but as with most open cars the air leaks in and around the top and windows usually balance out the lack of a true temp control. I actually find that I modulate well with the dash vents and floor vents. While I am not in the northern territories New England can be cold and I have never felt chilled out of the car. As Dick says I am not really happy with the stock valve but it gets hot and I can get it to stop getting hot so I will live with it.
Regards, Keith
John, I was in West Palm Beach this past weekend, beautiful, currently 43F here and raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock.
Keith Dixon

Dick- Is posted address real?
Don K.
DON KELLY

Yesssssssssssss. Do you really think Indiana would be one's first choice of a home considering all the other possiblities unless born here with family ?
Dick
Dick Porter

This thread was discussed between 25/03/2004 and 03/04/2004

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