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Re: Are MGB's Designed to Overheat?

To: GFoster7K@aol.com
Subject: Re: Are MGB's Designed to Overheat?
From: Bert Otten <Bert.Otten@nni.nl>
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 1996 12:36:34 +0100
<GFoster7K@aol.com> wrote : 
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<I watched with interest the thread on overheating
MG's.  I recently purchased
a nicely restored '66 MGB 
It overheated (temp about 230F in the half and half coolant mixture).
So it took 3 rounds of stopping and cooling to make it to the cooler
air at the top

>My question is...What is normal for an MGB?  Are they designed to
>remain cool at idle with no wind and an air temp of 80F?, 90F?,
>100F?  Can anyone relate
>to experience with a brand new '66 MGB? 

Greg, 

I don't have experience with a brand new '66 MGB, but with one which
looks new to me! 
Normally on highway speeds (70 - 80 MPH) the needle of the water temp
gauge should?  - at least mine does - indicate 190 - 195 F. 

Only in traffic jams and extremely slow driving (engine idling) the
temp creeps up to 212 - 230 F. If this happens I rev the engine to,
say 2500 RPM, and put the heater on to it's maximum, even when it's
hot (85 F).

I have the metal 3 bladed fan, so it's very understandable that the
coolant gets hot when not driving. For very hot conditions and slow
traffic an electric fan would certainly be advantageous.

Maybe your ignition timing is way out of adjustment and this causes
your engine run a little hot. 
Otherwise I would check if your radiator isn't blocked (never
experienced it, but it can happen, I'm told!) . You can feel if there
are cool spots on it.
 
Good luck

Bert
'66 B        

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