Leonard,
I concur with Bob on verifying that your engine is in proper tune and the
cooling system is operating properly, particularly the thermostat. When I
first purchased my BN7 it had overheating problems. A full tune-up and cooling
system service cured the problem for me except when stuck in traffic on a hot
day.
Last year I replaced my water pump due to a leaking seal and immediately
noticed that the car no longer heated up in traffic. I am at a loss to explain
why, maybe the belt was a little loose and I hadn't noticed, but there was
definitely a big difference. I drive my car here in South Florida and the temp
stays around 175-180 degrees when cruising, and rarely goes above 195, even in
stop and go traffic. The cooling system is all stock, even the fan.
John Peak
'59 BN7
Bob Spidell <bspidell@comcast.net> wrote:
Leonard,
Have you checked:
- timing (retarded can cause overtemp)
- mixture (ditto too lean)
- radiator
- block internals (i.e. rust)
- thermostat
The pump would be the last thing I'd suspect; there's nothing to them and when
they
fail they leak or the bearing goes, but they still pump (unless they seize).
A balky thermostat can cause these symptoms. I've had trouble finding reliable
thermostats for both my Healey and my Ranger. After that, if you haven't had
your
radiator out and inspected and rodded in a while that could be the culprit.
Excessive
rust and/or "boiler scale" in the block can cause overheating too,
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
|