The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

I've been playing with a new electronic toy today. Its a thermal imaging camera. Now I've had a read though of the manual and it does state that the results you get depend on the thermal emissivity of the surface. So a shiny aluminium cylinder head at the same temperature as a matt black radiator will give different results. I think this is Jonners specialist subject ??
Anyway here are some preliminary images from my 1850 at working temperature.
This first one is from the right hand side of the engine. Note the small temperature difference around the gills missing from the right side of the rad; I would have thought it would be a lot different.
There only appears to be a small difference between the temperature of the top radiator hose and the return from the bottom one. Interestingly the air-bleed hose from the top right hand of the rad is hotter !
This 2nd one of the cylinder head does show what I was expecting. The head is hotter than the top radiator hose and the thermostat housing. So heat is lost even before the coolant gets to the radiator.
This 3rd one of the LHS of the engine was a surprise ! The exhaust manifold ,although hot, is about the same temperature as the cylinder head behind it. I do have gaskets on my 1850 between them to seal the exhaust gases. And there seem to be some quite cold spots on the exhaust manifold.
There is a spot temperature cursor that I have to work out how to use yet.
Any ideas how I can get better results please ?
Thanks,
Tony

Excellent pics Tony, interesting to see the hot route through the rad too, but to be expected I guess, I wonder what it would do for the cooling of the car if the two top hoses were reversed so the route through actually passed through the matrix...

Are these devices 'affordable' now? I could use such a camera in my work...

One thing that did strike me, is how good the carb mounts are at isolating the carbs from the hot inlet. Are they still the rubber originals or ally ones?

Steve

Yes, Steve; still the original rubber carb mounts. I hadn't noticed that bit. I think the reason the right hand small diameter pipe to the radiator is so hot is because all the heat rises to the top and it is flow is then slowed by the restriction in the thermostat housing . So it looks like its doing its job of an air bleed otherwise I reckon it would be only warm.
Tony.

Fun pics....
Nice hot bit of heater hose too. Do you have the TR7 style heater plumbing on yours?

Jonners

It just made me think about the thermal insulation properties of alloy carb mounts and the effect that might have on running. It would be interesting to have a similar pic of a car with ally mounts fitted.

Steve

Tony pop up to Scotland and take an image of my 1850 with alloy mounts, just for completeness.

Tony pop up to Scotland and take an image of my 1850 with alloy mounts, just for completeness.

My thoughts exactly. I've got alloy mounts and often wondered what the situation is regarding heat.

Great photos Tony. Really interesting.

GTS290N wrote:Tony pop up to Scotland and take an image of my 1850 with alloy mounts, just for completeness.

That'll be number 2 on the list Bill.

No. 1 is Tony's standard 1850 using Evans coolant.

No.3 standard 1850 with antifreeze/water for coolant.

No. 4 as 3 but with heater supply from the cylinder head transfer housing.
No. 5 as 1 " " " " " " " " " "



Then it'll be on to the Sprint.
Tony is going to be busy.





Ian.

Yes; Sorry I forgot to mention I've got the Evan's Waterless Coolant in my 1850, what with all the excitement of this "new" technology. So the temperatures I see are going to be rather different (higher) than a glycol cooled engine; though when I took the images I had just been for a run on a cool day with the gauge at "N" = ~ 80 Deg. C. It does go much higher at Summer temperatures down here in Berkshire ; say about 92 Deg C.
And Jonners is quite right . I do have a TR7 head ( as it was sold to me ) . You can see the 2 standard heater hoses with the 3rd one I previously used as an an air bleed. That works well.
More reading of the manual later.
Tony.

Tony, thanks so much for these images - I got myself one of those temp gun things, right as you uploaded these! They were great for finding the hottest points of the engine to test. So interesting too!!

For information, my glycol engine ran at 2/3 temp gauge at mid 70's on the thermostat housing, mid 40's on the lower radiator pipe. So from that, I think its safe to assume my gauge is slightly high which is great news to me! Rather that than a failed radiator!