Triumph TR3 drawing

  LINKS TO FEATURED PAGES:

TeriAnn's home page  > TRIUMPH Contents page  >  FAQ Contents  >  TR3 overheating

 

 

 

Frequently asked Triumph questions

 

QUESTION-  I just got my recently restored TR3A back on the road and it overheats easily on hills and driving on warm days.  I checked everything I can think of but the car still overheats easily.

ANSWER - Many people who restore their TR3A discover that it tends to overheat more easily after the restoration than before.  Then they check and recheck everything they did paying particular attention to the radiator bypass and thermostat.  Some possibly swap in a different water pump and recore their radiators to no avail.

The biggest single cause of overheating problems I have found so far in a restored TR3A is the available replacement grille. They seem to use the same amount of metal in the replacement grill and originals, but do not fold the 'V's as deeply in the replacement grills. The result less area for air to flow through and more edge interference to the air flow.

The after market grill has holes 7.2 cm (2.83 inches) by 1.3 cm (.51 inches) for a 9.36 cm^2 (1.44 square inch) opening.

The factory grill has holes 7.7 cm (3.03 inches) by 1.6 cm (0.63 inches) for a 12.32 cm^2 (1.91 square inch) opening, providing 24% more area for air to flow to the radiator.


Aftermarket grill on top and factory original on bottom. The original has 24% more area for air to flow to the radiator

Return to the FAQ contents          Return to the page top

 

 

  

  

 

© 1997 - 2006 TeriAnn Wakeman. All rights reserved.   Web Site design by Marigold Ltd