The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

What did you do to hook up your heater matrix to the TR7 engine. Got to get my car out of hibernation in a week and it hasn't got a heater! I need one


Adam

It's called a coat silly. Everybody knows you only need a heater in a classic car in the summer to supplement the radiator...

Seriously though, I think you will need to blank off the heater outlet where it is and put a new one where it should be.

What?! Why?!

The pipe off the carbs on the TR7 is thicker than the pipe that goes to the heater.

I'm sure I read somewhere you need to blank off a pipe from the head and place it somewhere else. Jonners will know for sure, I'm just guessing.

Nah you don't. On the 1850 there are two pipes under the carbs If I remember correctly, one in and then another out of the heater matrix. With the TR7 there is one pipe from under the carbs and another on the back of the head. The pipe under the carbs is thicker on a TR7 than an 1850.

I tried tightening the jubilee clip but it just wouldnt stop the water pouring out. As it was the beggining of summer or there abouts I just ran the pipe from the carbs to the back of the head. Ran fine. Now its winter I deffinatly want the heater! I love the dolly heaters!



Please help!


Adam

The TR7 manifold has one pipe coming out and there is an outlet pipe in the back plate of the head. The 1850 one has the hole there but blanked off. Simple task to replace with a TR7 one or just add a pipe union to the blanked out hole.

1850's and sprints have 2 pipes by the manifold. IIRC the 1850 has one through the inlet manifold and the return pipe into the water pump cover.
This parellels up the main radiator IYSWIM so that should be the cold side.

I havent thought about the circulation too much but with the 7 system the hot feed comes out of the head and returns to a T piece with one bit from the manifold and the other from the heater, back into the pump cover. This gives you a heated inlet manifold and a hot heater.

Jonners

So you don't know then


How did you manage to get the pipes to all link up? Pre-formed hoses? Man handling them? Solder bits together?


Adam

The manifold pipe was only slightly bigger and stretched on quite happily after dunking hose in hot water and a bit of red rubbber grease.
The back of the head think I used a fatter bit of hose from a box of bits Ive had for years...the sort of box geroge will no doubt have a few of.

Jonners

george has never done anything like that honest

*chokes on sandwich*