100 degrees F temp gauge nightmare

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Carsreunited · #16 Post by **Carsreunited** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 9:34 pm

I haven't physically had my hands on it yet. I should be with the instrument and car on Friday so I can make sure that it will slot in no problems. I will also pull the instructions out and see if there is any variation from the installation of the standard unit, particularly where the sender goes. 
 
I'll update you then. 
 
Scott

Mark Larmour · #17 Post by **Mark Larmour** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 7:49 am

From my experience, I think that 100c would be around 3/4 on the standard temp gauge. If you where driving in 40c ambient, I think that you where doing well to keep the car at 3/4 reading. A new temp gauge is only going to confirm what you already know, that is a Sprint will struggle to keep cool in HOT weather. 
 
What is needed is more cooling air, or a more efficient way of removing the heat form the motor, ie a bigger or better radiator. Normally if a car over heats when it is being driven it is poor radiator cooling and if it overheats while idling it is lack of air flow, ie poor fan operation. As stated before, a Sprint or any other Dolomite, has very little radiator frontal area exposed to ram air. By cutting/modifying the front panel will allow more air to the radiator, but ideally a larger radiator would possibly be more beneficial. I have been trying to locate a "cheap' replacement larger radiator from a readily available source, ie Ford, Holden or Japanese but as yet to find anything suitable.

<a href="http://www.sprintparts.triumphowners.com">SPRINTPARTS</a>

john 16v · #18 Post by **john 16v** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 8:17 am

why not try fitting a 74 degree thermostat from a stag! 
have one fitted to my sprint.can thrash it on hot summer days and doesn't overheat. 
thought about an oil cooler!<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D">

mcharlish · #19 Post by **mcharlish** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 3:29 pm

Malc, Scott, All - thanks for the thoughts and offers. 
 
You never know maybe Frank is online ! If not I'll look forward to the end of May and some pictures. My thoughts on it are that some sort of vent would look OK but I haven't bothered to figure out whether an opening in this position provides direct flow to the rad or whether the air needs to be directed. I think some sort of mesh would be needed to protect the inlet and it could be made into a reasonably attractive feature as well. 
 
On the gauge please let me know. I think it would just give me a more accurate idea of what I already know though. 
 
Mark L - agree totally. Unless it's really hot my Sprint seems to be OK when it's moving but less good in traffic. As the ambient temperature rises it starts to have problems even when moving. Plan A is to increase airflow to the radiator by moving the oil cooler (or airflow reducer and heater !) from in front of it and by fitting "your" radiator shrouds. This should improve air flow and help both on the move and in traffic. 
 
If this doesn't make enough of a difference I'll have to look at Plan B which will be further steps to increase airflow per the Frank Ashton plan. 
 
Plan C might be a bigger rad or ceramic coating the exhaust manifold (if that really makes a difference.......). I also try to find out which Holden rad was used by the other guy Mark and let you know. It did require some minor body mods though I think. 
 
Can anyone advise how I know if I've got a high capacity rad? 
 
Also has anyone tried replacing the front grille with something of a different design? I know it would radically affect the look of the car but I've never thought the box grilles could be good for airflow. 
 
Mark 
 
PS john16V - I think I've got a 74C thermostat already !

ajsamuels · #20 Post by **ajsamuels** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:27 pm

Here's a photo I took of somebody's racing Sprint that was displayed at the Autosport show a few years ago. It has the Leyland enlarged slot mod below the grille and the number plate area cut out to accommodate an oil cooler (somebody seems to have forgotten to connect any pipes to it though...). 
 
<img src="http://www.dolomite.ision.co.uk/dolomit ... oilrad.jpg" style="border:0;"/>

Richard · #21 Post by **Richard** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 5:30 pm

send me you e-mail addresses and I'll send you some Volvo rad pics ... 
cheers, Richard.

Dave · #22 Post by **Dave** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 7:13 pm

Drain the system and measure how much to refill

mcharlish · #23 Post by **mcharlish** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 10:36 am

Richard - my email address is mark.charlish@arach.net.au 
 
Dave - when I move the oil cooler I'll have to empty the coolant so I'll measure the volume then. But isn't there an easier way - cooling fins per inch or something? 
 
ajsamuels - thanks for the front end picture. Bit of a risky place to put an oil cooler on a road car but as a demonstration of the extra airflow possibilities it definitely food for thought.

Mark Larmour · #24 Post by **Mark Larmour** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 2:02 am

Heavy duty (Air Conditioning core in Australia) radiator has an extra row of tubes, ie 4 row rarther than 3. The overall core is about 1/2" thicker than standard. The standard core is approximately 1/4" narrower than the radiator top and bottom plates, ie the thing that joins the tanks together. The A/C heavy duty core is as wide if not slightly wider than the top and bottom plates. So look at the core thickness in relation to these plates. 
 
If you look at the topic "Sprint Head Back plate mod" you will see talk of plumbing a cooling hose to the back of the cylinder head. I stand to be corrected, but I think that you will find that the water pump actually delivers cooled water to the back of the head, rather than suck hot water out of the back of the head. 
 
My suggestion is to do this mod, but fit an inline cooling radiator between the water pump and back of cylinder head. You can buy cheap automatic transmisson coolers which would be better than nothing. Mounting location would be the hardest job, but maybe under the drivers seat floor (if you don't have a muffler there) or alternately below the crank pulley behind the spoiler. You could use 12v CPU cooling fans to help with airflow across the cooler. 
 
All comments welcome on this idea!!!

<a href="http://www.sprintparts.triumphowners.com">SPRINTPARTS</a>

Mark Larmour · #25 Post by **Mark Larmour** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 4:59 am

To follow on from the above idea, Davies Craig make a inline Electric Booster Pump which would be ideal to increase/improve circulation. The pump is designed to fit in line in the heater hose circuit. The inline pump would help pump the water through the extra radiator/cooler and improve flow to the back of the cylinder head.

<a href="http://www.sprintparts.triumphowners.com">SPRINTPARTS</a>

mcharlish · #26 Post by **mcharlish** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 1:40 pm

Richard, any progress on the Volvo rad pictures? 
 
Scott - any news on the temp gauge? 
 
Mark L - suspecting I may have a std rad. I will take a couple of pictures and try to post them here. 
 
Mark

Carsreunited · #27 Post by **Carsreunited** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 8:41 pm

Hasn't turned up yet which is a bit annoying.

tdcsuffolk · #28 Post by **tdcsuffolk** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 11:04 am

While we are on the topic of heat, my Sprint heater seems to be refusing to blow hot air when the engine has warmed up. It was ok, warm but not hot when the engine was last run on the road and the guage creeped past the half mark. I have since re-fiitted the original viscous fan which appears to be preventing the engine from cooking - whilst stationary anyway. 
 
I have removed the inlet/outlet pipes to the heater matrix from inside the engine bay and tested it for flow - water doesn't exactly gush through but does move through apparently ok. When the engine is hot all the engine pipes get hot to the same level, so hopefully the water pump is ok, the inlet pipe to the heater gets hot but the outlet remains cool. Maybe the heater rad is blocked - any ideas of how to clear this without removing the heater box (and dashboard?) and not having to flush the entire heating system... Cheers! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/eyes.gif ALT=":rolleyes"> 
 
Chris

mcharlish · #29 Post by **mcharlish** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 2:55 pm

Assuming I can work these ezcodes here's a picture of the rad. I think I was robbed (unless the UK comp rad has higher density core rather than deeper core??) 
 
<img src="http://F<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... ohwell.gif ALT=":"> img_0624.jpg" style="border:0;"/>

Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub52.ezboard.com/bthetriumphdol ... harlish</A> at: 4/4/04 2:58 pm

mcharlish · #30 Post by **mcharlish** » Sun Apr 04, 2004 2:59 pm

Ohhhhhhkaaaaaaaaaay (sigh) 
 
how do you add a picture? The file is 767K; does that cause a problem? 
 
Mark

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100 degrees F temp gauge nightmare

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