Recently, my Sprint has cemented its dislike of traffic in summer. It normally runs at the 3/4 mark on temp gauge on a hard run, and it was creeping up beyond that. I've got a Kenlowe (which kicks in at half way), and the system has been flushed recently. I've taken the thermostat out and that's helped (Better water flow, I presume - always worked on my minis!), but it still sits at 3/4 mark (which is within limits according to the handbook). It just copes in traffic better now - or at least did compared to before, in 20 minutes of stationary traffic today in London. It was still getting hot, though.. The car allegedly had a recon rad in it when I got it.
What decent uprated options exist? Any suggestion as to suppliers? Other threads I searched on didn't give specifics where they were mentioned.
I have an oil cooler, just haven't got round to taking a chunk out of the front valance to fit it yet.
I'm off to Le Mans next week, so fingers tightly crossed it will soldier on through the heat.. AA cover in place if not!
my earlier post to Mike, which just said take it to Feltham Rads round the back of Moss in Hanworth and they will sort it for you with a 3 row core...
Jonners
Note from Admin: sadly Jon passed away in February 2018 but his humour and wealth of knowledge will be fondly remembered by all. RIP Jonners.
I have an oil cooler, just haven't got round to taking a chunk out of the front valance to fit it yet.
Don't do that, there are other places to put it. Like in front of the rad, or side mounted by the battery. I only have mine in the front valance because it's an out-and-out track car. I have to take the no. plate off for it to be of any use.
Sprintless for the first time in 35+ years. ... Still Sprintless.
Engines, Gearboxes, Overdrives etc. rebuilt. PM me.
Mad Mart wrote: Don't do that, there are other places to put it. Like in front of the rad, or side mounted by the battery. I only have mine in the front valance because it's an out-and-out track car. I have to take the no. plate off for it to be of any use.
The 13 row in the kit I got from Rimmers wouldn't fit happily between the rad and grille, perhaps a 7 row would, I was thinking, or half width. I had presumed the only other effective way was to mount it low with the valance chopped. Side mounted may work, but I can't see much airflow there?
The Feltham Radiators tip from Jon looks a good option - £120 plus the Brown . Cheers for that.
If you get an oil cooler and it's for road use, make sure that you have a thermostat fitted to it - otherwise it's all too easy to over-cool the oil and give yourself grief that way instead.
If it's any consolation one of my Sprint engines always ran up and above the 3/4 mark and never gave any trouble, or boiled over. I suspect it wasn't great for output or enhancing it's lifespan, though
It's possibly worth checking out the temperature gauge and sender to see if what you're seeing is what you're actually getting, too.........
I've just had mine recored with 3 rows with the S type vanes.
This was done for me by Dial-a Rad at-
Drayton Crossroads Farmhouse, Newton Rd, Drayton Parslow, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK17 0LB
Tel: 01908 274484
I also had a 22mm threaded boss fitted so I could use a Revotec EFCM22 fan controller instead of the Kenlowe rubber band fitting.
All in for £95 plus VAT.
Ian
You really do need to run with a thermostat fitted. The flat metal foot of the thermostat on a slant 4 engine is use to stop water circulating straight back around the engine (used for speedy warm up) and needs to be there to close off and make sure all water goes through the radiator. You could try a lower temp thermostat 72 or 77deg - I have found this helps.
The gauge may be your biggest problem. I have had various Dollies and 'normal' readings have ranged from 1/4 to 3/4. I cured my wories by borrowing one of those infrared hadnheld temperature meters and pointing all around the engine, especially the head. Of course they all read the same temperature, which should be just above the thermostat setting. You can also use one of these to read the temp drop across the radiator. It sounds also as though your electric fan is coming on at a temperature below that of your thermostat. It shouldn't be working at all on the open road, but only come on when there is limited natural airflow. Are you sure it is sucking and not blowing the wrong way? Is the fan housing loose and letting the fan move air that isn't coming through the radiator core? 20 mins stationary in summer trafiic will test any car from this era. I would certainly get your existing radiator checked before buying a new one. A well maintained sprint radiator isn't that bad. I still use a standard one in my race car, although it is well baffled so all the air must go through, not around it. I also use an aftermarket capillary temp gauge that reads clearly in degrees. A Sprint will happily run at 110deg before boiling - mine never has yet! Geoff
to fit it yet.
Like in front of the rad, or side mounted by the battery. I only have mine in the front valance because it's an out-and-out track car. I have to take the no. plate off for it to be of any use.
... Still Sprintless.
