Sunbeamers:
With my "new" 302 heads installed on the 289, I noticed the Tiger
cooling was not working properly. In cool weather, water temp got too
warm at higher speeds, cooled back down (but not as low as it should be)
at slower speeds. Figuring the radiator may be a bit dirty, I decided to
just flush out the radiator itself to start, to see if that would help.
The lower radiator hose is always the worst piece to get off as it tends
to want to "bond" with the radiator outlet down there. Looking for some
"trick" tool to help with the job at a hardware store, the tool guy
there gave me a great suggestion, and it makes getting that hose off a
lot easier. It's a Craftsman 3 in. Cotter Pin Extractor. It's basically
a dowel with a sharp point, but the last 3 inches of it turn at a 90
degree angle. Loosen the hose clamp and move it away, stick the end of
the dowel in between the hose and the outlet, and roll the dowel around
the outlet. This allows the hose to unbond from the radiator outlet.
It is also a lot easier to get the bottom hose off if you first
disconnect the top end of it from the water pump outlet, especially if
the hose is a bit long, as mine was. On reinstallation, first attach
the hose onto the water pump outlet, then onto the lower radiator
outlet.. It was much easier to get back on that way. If you're left
handed, though, the opposite may be true.
The last quart or so of coolant that came out of the radiator was filthy
with lots of junk in it, including some gasket material, probably from
the heads that were removed. With fresh coolant in, the car does seem to
run considerably cooler, so maybe I've put off buying that new radiator
for a few months.
Steve Sage
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