All this is excellent advice, but I must comment on one item. I owned a
1968 GT6 NEW and it overheated on hot days from the first summer. The
local Triumph dealer (yes, I have visited a real Triumph Dealer) could do
nothing to improve the cooling and said that everyone they sold had the
same problem.
Sam
At 08:47 PM 3/27/98 +0000, jonmac wrote:
>
>By all means fit an electric fan to these cars. The current consumption via
>the alternator is negligible in comparison to engine power used in driving
>a conventional fan. In excessively hot climates you could also run a cooler
>thermostat.
>The radiator size SHOULD be OK for high temperatures. I don't ever recall
>overheating being a problem on the car when it was new, despite the fact
>that the rad itself does look small.
>As these vehicles are now reaching a somewhat venerable age, the radiators
>should ideally be removed for reverse flushing and pressure testing every
>four or five years. At the same time, a combination of high pressure water
>and/or air should be used to thoroughly disperse any dead flies and other
>matter which has accumulated in the matrix. A fundamental exercise, but its
>amazing the number of people who don't do it - ever! Many listers may not
>know that on these engines, cylinders three and four were fully 'siamesed'
>and had no cooling space between them at all. Additionally, the gaps
>between cylinders one and two as well as five and six had fairly minimal
>water passages. In view of that, don't just stop at reverse flushing the
>radiator. Over a prolonged period, the two litre six cylinder engine did
>tend to accumulate gungy crud within the water jacket and this can only be
>removed by flushing in both directions - including the heater. It's a
>filthy job, it can't be done quickly but it pays dividends - especially if
>on refilling, an anti-freeze with coolant inhibitor is used as well.
>John Macartney
>Now in the same museum as the cars he sold when they were new
>
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