Spridgeteers,
While the engine is out for a rebuild, I took my leaky radiator to
the shop. The news is not good. There are at least four leaks, two in
areas that probably cannot be fixed. One option is to re-core it. The
other is to use the cross-flow radiator that came spare with the car
(the one that was in the car and now at the shop is a downflow
radiator). I have read that the crossflow cools better, but according
to Horler, the crossflow was used to make room for the air pump on US
spec cars, not because it cools better. I have never had any
overheating problems at all with the downflow.
I have a few concerns about this change. First, the fan shrouding for
the downflow seems much better. There appears to be only a vestigial
top fan shroud for the crossflow radiator, whereas the downflow
shroud is over 270 degrees of a cricle around the fan. Also, the
crossflow is actually smaller. Does anyone know if it really cools as
well or better than the downflow? Second, will the 1275 fit in a '65
Mark 3 engine bay with the crossflow? Without the engine in it's
tough to tell, but it sure looks like the crossflow radiator sits
further back. Finally, can I use the same hoses that fit the downflow?
Thanks for any thoughts you have on this potential conversion.
Jeff
Jeff Boatright __o_\__ '65 Austin-Healey Sprite
http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~jboatri/sprite/sprite.html
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