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RE: Overheating Problem on Spitfire

To: "'triumphs@autox.team.net'" <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Subject: RE: Overheating Problem on Spitfire
From: Randall Young <randallyoung@earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 13:27:19 -0800
Organization: Navcom Technology, Inc
Phil :

I've had the exact same symptoms on my TR3A, and it was a leaking head 
gasket.  However, I've been told it can also be caused by a bad radiator 
cap, which is much easier to replace, so I'd try that first <g>

Randall

On Wednesday, March 10, 1999 12:58 AM, Philip Ryan [SMTP:pryan@itdesign.ie] 
wrote:
>
>
>
> Hello Listers,
>       
> I hoping someone can point me in the right direction on this one.  It's 
freezing (well atually just above freezing) here in Ireland at the moment. 
 I don't intentionally drive the car when it's raining.  The last couple of 
times the car temperature guage would steadily climb up to near max then 
drop down to the middle or two-thirds.  I thought this was because the 
thermostat was taking longer to open or getting a bit stuck.  However the 
last time I drove the car (it's a Spitfire Mk3) was were in stop start 
traffic and the temp went up to the max and stayed there.  I eventually 
pulled over just as the oil warning lamp came on.  We sat for ten minutes 
but had no real change when I started it up.  I got out and checked 
everything, fan spinning nicely, overflow bottle full...  That's when I 
decided to pour the contents of the overflow bottle into the radiator.  She 
ran fine all the way home, although the oil lamp would come on at Idle.
>
> I thought that the thermostat was the culprit, but guess what, the DPO 
had removed it.  I ran the car with the radiator cap removed and cheked for 
flow, it seemed fine.  I checked the radiator for leaks, but there seems to 
be only a small loss.  I'm just not sure where to go from here.  I took the 
radiator out and flushed it, a little bit of rust but pretty solid still. I 
put the hose down the thormostat housing to flush the engine, and that 
eventually ran clear.
>
> Any suggestions?
> Thanks in advance
> Phil Ryan

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