The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Further to previous topic, I have permanently fitted an MGB tempreture gauge in degree's F with its own fitted sensor. The existing Triumph sensor and gauge is still fitted and is interesting to note that this reads towards the red when MGB gauge shows a constant 190F. Today I took the car on motorway for about a 90 miles round trip at a speed of about 55 - 60mph. On reaching our destination the car was just starting to run hot after being normal for the 45 mile trip. On way back after several hours cooling, the car showed overheating with both gauges showing hot at about 200F - 210F. Stopped for 30mins at a service station to let it cool down. Checked the water in radiator and it was full so travelled slowly home. On reaching home the tempreture was about 215F and you could hear radiator boiling and expansion bottle full of hot water.
I have previously used a radiator cleaner to clear any crud from system, flushed and filled with anti-freeze, and it has run well at normal tempreture although at only a 30mins drive. The heater did not seem to get very hot so I clamped the hose that returns water to the engine after the manifold and forced the water though the heater and now it gets very hot so water is circulating well. I have opened the bleed hole in the head, which had been capped off and fitted a brass screw so I am able to bleed any air from the engine. The thermostat opens fully in a boiling saucepan so that is working well.
The engine has had new rings and bearings fitted so I thought that was why it was running hot, but I am now lost as to what to do next?
Should I fit an electric fan? Has anyone fitted one as there is little space? Any thoughts anyone?
Many Thanks for any comments. Pete

Sounds like your water pump impellor may have disintegrated....

Either that or your radiator is more blocked than you thought.

It doesnt need an electric fan. My Spit 1500 will run around all day with no fan on at all as long as periods stuck
in traffic dont last too long...even then I can often get away with just the heater fan and the spit heater is no great
heating device....

Jonners

I would suggest that it is the radiator that is partially blocked. No amount of cleaners will shift blocked tubes, the only way is to poke them through, and that required the header tank to come off. hence a rad specialist.
Not sure if that service is still offered, but worth asking.
If not it is a replacement rad or recore.
If you feel inventive there are much cheaper radiators (£16-40) that will fit with a few tweeks.....

The water pump vanes are ok so agree with your thoughts on blocked core.
The front design of the 1300fwd is different from other cars insomuch as the grill only lets air in to the lower half of the radiator, the top half is shielded by 'nose' of bonnet and section above grill and have attached some photos to help describe what I mean.
It is doubtful if I could find or afford a new radiator and a second hand one would possibly be blocked like mine.
My thoughts are to fit a 10" electric fan in front of the radiator and move radiator back to make room, after metal four blade fan is taken off. I think with some modification I can fit it in and then the fan would cool a 10" diameter section of the radiator rather than bottom section.
I would appreciate any thoughts anyone has?
Many thanks

Try a few places for quotations to get your radiator recored - they simply use your existing frame and cut out the old rubbish an fit a new important bit.
I'm going out on a limb here and guess that it will cost no more than £150.

If the core is blocked then the rad is shot and no amount of extra air will help! You're not too far from me, give Radiator Services in Telford a bell, their number is 01952 613498, they've done loads of weird and wonderful rads for me and they're not too heavy on the pen. Oh and don't worry if they use another name when they answer the phone, they have about 3 different businesses working from the same site!

Steve

Doubtful a fan will help if overheating happens on the move.

Really, a cheap modern rad will be more efficient and many available, just pick your size......

I can recommend GAT Radiators in Brierley Hill Pete. I have had both my sprint rads uprated by them. One more thing you could check Pete is the distributor mechanical advance weights because my fathers 1300 ran hot especially in the summer months and he found that these weights were seized thus making the cars ignition run retarded , when he got the dizzy working correctly the engine ran much cooler.

Flush the heater, flush the rad, flush the block.

If that doesn't work, come to Coventry, I'll sort you a rad out

Bruce

2nd vote for GAT in Brierley Hill. Excellent service, knowledgeable and relatively cheap.

Have you checked the surface temp in various places on the rad?

Something else to check, warm the car up, open the bonnet, rev the engine to cruising type revs, whilst watching the bottom hose. If the hose collapses, it's either a faulty hose, or blocked rad.

This is a brilliant club, such good advice - thanks Guy's.
Seems consistant driving on motorway at 55-60 causes it to cook, short runs it seems fine. Bruce, I have checked bottom hose and it is OK under load, but this could be due to it being new and strong and still having flow so not completely blocked.
I will talk to GAT as recommended and also check dizzy weights, also check timing as car does not pull very well at hills, quite poor in fact - this also does not help does it?
Will report back soon with findings.
Thanks again.

I wonder if the timing is retarded?

Doesn't pull well on hills? Timing? Dizzy weights? Binding brakes?

The best place to start with your timing is the book figures and take it from there. What fuel are you using? Some people have reported better running on 98 RON fuel (the closest we can get to 4-star these days) with the timing set to book figures.