Subject: Re: [TR] 10Si alternator application

From: Randall <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2012 18:31:10 -0400

> Any GM 10si alternator will work. The clocking of the alternator can be 
> changed simply by undoing the four bolts that hold the two halves 

Thanks, John.  I am aware of that, however some people are intimidated by the thought of disassembling a freshly rebuilt alternator (possibly voiding the warranty) before finding out if it works.  Others may be intimidated just by the thought of disassembling the unit and potentially having parts fall out, brushes spring out of their holder, etc.  Since this step can be avoided by simply knowing what words to say at the parts store, it seems like a reasonable question to ask.

Randall

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From: "D&B Lambert" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2012 17:46:59 -0700

All,
Just to got home from Triumphest.  Had a great time.  Now for the question:
For the first time in 12 years my TR3A overheated on a couple of the grades
going south out of Las Vegas.  I finally had to stop in Hesperia for an hour
to let things cool down.  Yes, it was hot, and I was pushing pretty hard,
but it's never been a problem before.  I'm imagining that the radiator must
be getting crudded up.  It's an original radiator, still with the crank
hole, and was rodded about 10 years ago.   I'm thinking it's finally time to
replace it.  My choices are: 1) getting the original re-rodded, 2) having a
local radiator shop install a modern core, or 3) buying a new aluminum
radiator from one of the big three.  Keeping the crank hole is not important
for me; the only use I have had for it was to use the crank when adjusting
the valves (for that it's pretty handy).  I have no experience, but have
been told by more than one person that the repro's from the usual suspects
are not, um, exactly great.  Is that true?
I know we've already had the copper vs aluminum debate (once or twice), so
I'm not trying to start that discussion here - I'm looking for "been there,
done that" stories.  I need some help making up my mind which way to go.
Thanks, Dennis

---

From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 05:05:40 -0700

FWIW, I went the recore route and I'm very pleased with the result.  Didn't
make it to TRfest this year, as I still haven't got the rear axle rebuilt
yet (and I don't trust the one I'm running for long trips); but I have gone
out in the desert with it several times.  110F ambient and the gauge never
went higher than the '5' in '185' (which is where my fan comes on) except
once when I came to a stop light after running 70+ mph for some time it
crept a bit higher before the light turned green.

I did have the radiator shop make several improvements:

No crank hole (which they said would increase cooling by about 10% since the
crank hole actually blocks off the tubes completely).

Installed a modern filler neck (so I can buy caps in various pressures at
FLAPS).  ISTR I've got a 10 psi "Lev-R-Vent" cap on there, but maybe it's 7
psi.  I don't really need the increased pressure now, but I like having the
lever so haven't bothered to change it.

Added reinforcement around the extension tank, and inlet fitting.  I've had
the joint to the extension crack several times in the past so I wanted to
stop that.  And after several failures of the reproduction upper hoses, I'm
running the heavy duty Gates upper hose, which had me worried about cracking
the upper fitting.  The reinforcement was simply a length of small copper
tubing, shaped and soldered to both the upper tank and the
extension/fitting, but so far it seems to work well.  The shop I use works
on a lot of old cars and they say this technique has always worked for them.
Painted black, it is nearly invisible on the car.  There is a photo of the
extension reinforcement at
http://goo.gl/Tnj9q but I forgot to take a photo of the inlet.

They also soldered on some brackets to hold the Hayden electric fan.

I've kind of lost track, but ISTR the core was about $300 installed this
time, plus tax and another $30 or so for the "improvements".  This is the
radiator (well, tanks and frame at least) that was in TS39781LO when it came
to me in 1984 and might have been original to it.  With the new core, and no
longer any need to run stop-leak all the time, I'm confident it will be good
for another 20 years at least.  If I can remember to keep the coolant
changed, anyway.

Still the standard water pump, bypass not blocked at all and an ordinary
"unsleeved" 185F thermostat.  I did add a TR4 style recovery bottle when I
had the apron off last, tucked in between the radiator and inner fender.
That way I don't have to wonder if I'm losing coolant, the radiator stays
full to the top all the time instead of the extension being only half full
or less.

-- Randall

---

From: "TeriAnn J. Wakeman" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2012 06:02:46 -0700

On 10/1/12 5:46 PM, D&B Lambert wrote:
> going south out of Las Vegas.

I suggest that the first thing you should do is flush the coolant 
passages of your engine and and either have the radiator recored  or 
rodded.  A recore without the crank hole will provide better cooling.  
It could well be just a sediment build up in the block water passages.  
It could be that your stock cooling system just has a sediment build up 
and will do the job after a good "scrubbing". None of those fan, water 
pump or radiator suggestions will help if there is sediment in the block 
& head water passages.

I'm assuming that you have your cardboard air dam in place around the 
radiator.

TeriAnn

Who thanks the Triumphest host club for bringing Triumphest almost to my 
door step in Flagstaff.  Had a wonderful time.

---

From: Frank Fisher <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 08:21:25 -0700 (PDT)

Dennis
if you do decide to have the radiator worked on, you are welcome to one
of my old ones.
that way you can continue to enjoy driving the TR while the
radiator guy misses yet another promised finish date.
Frank

From: Randall
<[email-masked]>
To: 'D&B Lambert' <[email-masked]>; 'Triumph
list' <[email-masked]> 
Sent: Tuesday, October 2, 2012 5:05 AM
Subject: Re: [TR] TR3A Overheating

FWIW, I went the recore route and I'm very
pleased with the result.  Didn't
make it to TRfest this year, as I still
haven't got the rear axle rebuilt
yet (and I don't trust the one I'm running
for long trips); but I have gone
out in the desert with it several times. 
110F ambient and the gauge never
went higher than the '5' in '185' (which is
where my fan comes on) except
once when I came to a stop light after running
70+ mph for some time it
crept a bit higher before the light turned green.

I
did have the radiator shop make several improvements:

No crank hole (which
they said would increase cooling by about 10% since the
crank hole actually
blocks off the tubes completely).

Installed a modern filler neck (so I can
buy caps in various pressures at
FLAPS).  ISTR I've got a 10 psi "Lev-R-Vent"
cap on there, but maybe it's 7
psi.  I don't really need the increased
pressure now, but I like having the
lever so haven't bothered to change it.
Added reinforcement around the extension tank, and inlet fitting.  I've had
the joint to the extension crack several times in the past so I wanted to
stop
that.  And after several failures of the reproduction upper hoses, I'm
running
the heavy duty Gates upper hose, which had me worried about cracking
the upper
fitting.  The reinforcement was simply a length of small copper
tubing, shaped
and soldered to both the upper tank and the
extension/fitting, but so far it
seems to work well.  The shop I use works
on a lot of old cars and they say
this technique has always worked for them.
Painted black, it is nearly
invisible on the car.  There is a photo of the
extension reinforcement at
http://goo.gl/Tnj9q but I forgot to take a photo of the inlet.

They also
soldered on some brackets to hold the Hayden electric fan.

I've kind of lost
track, but ISTR the core was about $300 installed this
time, plus tax and
another $30 or so for the "improvements".  This is the
radiator (well, tanks
and frame at least) that was in TS39781LO when it came
to me in 1984 and might
have been original to it.  With the new core, and no
longer any need to run
stop-leak all the time, I'm confident it will be good
for another 20 years at
least.  If I can remember to keep the coolant
changed, anyway.

Still the
standard water pump, bypass not blocked at all and an ordinary
"unsleeved"
185F thermostat.  I did add a TR4 style recovery bottle when I
had the apron
off last, tucked in between the radiator and inner fender.
That way I don't
have to wonder if I'm losing coolant, the radiator stays
full to the top all
the time instead of the extension being only half full
or less.

-- Randall 

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---

From: Geo Hahn <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 16:25:55 -0700

On Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 5:46 PM, D&B Lambert <[email-masked]> wrote:

> ... I'm looking for "been there, done that" stories.  I need some help
> making up my mind which way to go.
>

I  went with a new core with crank hole for my TR3A radiator.  The old one
was fine but looked awful beat-up (even had a swollen bottom tank from a
long-ago freeze).

Replacing the core cost about as much as the 'new' alternatives but I like
to keep it as original when I can.  Stays cool even in 100 degree climbs &
drives (stock H2O pump, tropical fan).

Sorry to miss Triumphest -- just got home from the Santa Fe Concorso,
another fine event.  Seems this year everyone picked the same weekend for
their car gatherings as I had four events in AZ & NM I had to choose from.

Geo