How can i check my Rad.

[80sprint]

I have got my Sprint running reasonably well on it's twin 45's but it still overheats. I am not convinced now the overheating is down to a lean mixture and before i try a rolling road i would like to eliminate the radiator as it already has a new pump. All pipes get hot so it must be flowing but could it be restricted ?<br>
<br>
How can i check that the Rad is not clogged up ? It sat with coolant and an unknown amount of antifreeze for 3 years. I flushed it out from all pipes before i refitted it.<br>
<br>
I think the head should be ok, it was fine before it came off the road unless the water left in the head for this amount of time could have affected this as well.<br>
<br>
Mike 80 Sprint

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[davepoth]

If any sections of the radiator are blocked, they will be cooler than the rest of the radiator after a run. Check it by hand once the car's been run for a bit.

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[1300dolly]

thermostat???<br>
<br>
J.

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[80sprint]

New thermostat as well ! <br>
As the water is running through the rad i take it this would show it is working ok. It's hard to check all the rad with the Kenlowe so close. I have felt as much as i can and it seems hot and the bottom pipe is also hot. I need to check the difference between bottom and top pipes again but how hot should the bottom pipe be considering it should be carrying cooler water.<br>
<br>
Mike<br>
80 Sprint

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[Jon Tilson]

Voltmeter on voltage stabiliser to instruments to check guage is reading as it should.<br>
Is it really running hot? <br>
SPit on the cylider head and see how hot it is...<br>
<br>
Jonners

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[Carsreunited]

Expansion tank not sealing correctly and not pressurising the system. That would be my first thought. I think you can get your cooling system pressure tested. Should it be 15lbs on the Sprint or 20lbs??<br>
<br>


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[DOLLYDUDE]

another good tool for checking temp is a laser thermometer.point to area press the button excellent bit of kit. the good thing about it is you dont need to have your hand anywhere near the hot bits and it is pretty pinpoint. price about £25 on the bay.

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[80sprint]

I know it is getting hot as the engine bay is very hot. About an hour after running very hot i still could not put my hand on the head. I do have a digital thermometer which has shown a faulty gauge before but this is a different gauge and i am sure it is ok. Years ago i managed to get a reading by carefully undoing the thermostat filler and using the probe there. <br>
At the end of the run this time water was coming out of the expansion tank on the drive.<br>
Mike <br>
80 Sprint<br>


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[slant04]

If you are pushing high performance and the rad hasn't had a knwn recore, get it done! Most recorers with test the flow rate for you. the other checks, like stat are basicly easy. I assume the water pump is working ok?

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[algtj]

If I were you I would back flush the rad first, its suprising how much crud comes out.<br>
<br>
Remove the bottom hose bung up the rad and put drain cleaner it. Leave for about 30 mins then allow to drain.<br>
<br>
Connect hose to bottom of rad (bung around it if still in the car), remove cap and watch all th filth come out.<br>
<br>
Worth a shot before re-coreing.

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[Jon Tilson]

the sheer ignorance of some people on this board!!!<br>
<br>
Who in their right mind would put an unknown domestic drain cleaner probably based on caustic soda anywhere near an engine with an alloy cylinder heard!!!!!<br>
<br>
Words fail me.<br>
<br>
Andy can we suspend this utter muppett's account so we dont get any more of this dangerous crap foisted on unwitting club members?<br>
<br>
Oopps sorry Al...just realised it was you...<br>
Clearly yours taste in cars doesnt extend to your knowledge of chemistry!<br>
<br>
Jonners<br>
<br>
<br>


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[algtj]

Dear, dear, Jonner's, did I mention above anything about feeding drain cleaner in an aluminium engine? <br>
<br>
No.<br>
<br>
As I have used this method numerous times without detriment to many radiators in the past (granted soetimes Iv'e still needed to recore in some cases, due to block not being relieved) I thought it worth mentioning.<br>
<br>
It may also be worth mentioning, which I clearly didn't before, in a mildly diluted form.<br>
<br>
Jonner's Wanderers 1 - Muppett United 1

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[Jon Tilson]

but sometimes people may attempt this in situ....and the drain cleaner goes all round the engine...Not Good!.<br>
<br>
The prospect of Mikes (probably my nearest sprint neigbour) newly painted block being topped with a pile of white Ally sulphate powder was too much for me to cope with...hence I over reacted!<br>
Sorry...<br>
I'll have to post a pic sometime of a thermostat housing off a spit that came to me once after having been "flushed"!<br>
<br>
Jonners

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[algtj]

OOOh, I was fair seething, for a minute or two! <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>
<br>
Apology accepted<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>
<br>
Even dug out a back copy of 'Classics Monthly' to prove my point.<br>
<br>
I'll quote parts of the article as it may prove useful anyway.<br>
<br>
Any acid based house hold cleaner may be used, but safest and easiest (Where's the fun in that!) to use are limescale remover or cola!<br>
mix in a 1:1 ratio and leave for two hours (neat 1 hour) any longer and the acid may start to eat the metal.<br>
<br>
It goes on to say if you have nothing to lose before you replace the rad it's worth a shot.<br>
<br>
Good luck

<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p206.ezboard.com/bthetriumphdolo ... b>algtj</A> at: 8/8/06 3:16 pm<br></i>

[slant04]

You will be surprised it was once used as a form of antifreeze , heavily diluted! However I recently heard of a tale which someone decided to clean the inside of a pre-war Austin block with 3 aresol's of oven cleaner ans subsequently stoged up their newly recored rad. At 22 litre's worth of coolant thats in my '38 18, that is a lot of core, to the tune of c£300 (it wasn't me) so would suggest stay away from it!

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