Disintegration of a cardboard windblocker on the radiator has not
been a problem for me; a sheet seems to be in good order all winter.
There may be less water coming through a radiator than we imagine--after
all, how often do we see a wet engine when we stop to check oil in rainy
weather? Using a piece of cardboard for an experiment is worthwhile. If
it works, fine, and if not, nothing lost. I wrap the oil cooler
because it is my understanding that oil that is too thick does not
provide lubrication equal to that of more fluid oil.
David's suggestion that the radiator core may be plugged is a good
one. You may be able to rinse it out in place, by disconnecting the
hoses at valve and the other connection to metal tube, then pushing water
through from a garden hose. Do this in both directions. I have been
surprised at the amount of crud that has come out of the heater core, and
how much better the heater worked after the rinse-out. A thorough
clean-out probably does require removal of the radiator core, but that is
a tough job at any time, particularly when the garage is freezing cold.
The valve can accumulate restrictive crud inside. This stuff will
scrape out easily with a screwdriver. One should check that the valve is
opened fully, with its lever against the end of the lever's groove, in
winter. Some MGB owners can get the control knob to push the valve
fully closed and fully open, but many find that the control knob gets the
valve about 90 percent of the travel, and that they need to loosen cable
clamp to adjust the cable slightly in spring and autumn.
Bob
> Even with the temperature warm enough to move the gauge off the L,
|