Ken since you have brought it up. I have noticed while rebuilding
the top end that the connector, that connects the heater to the cooling
system, is a very rusty. I am afraid to touch it. It looks like the is a
simple connector that allows the hoses to pass through the fire wall. If
so can this connector be replaced? Or is it a very expensive ordeal?
Ken Streeter wrote:
> For those of you that have a few minutes to spare, I'll
> relate the most recent TR6 breakdown story in my life...
>
> First, a little background -- I have been driving
> my 1970 Triumph TR6 as my daily transportation for the
> past few months. The first 3 miles of my homeward
> drive are in the city of Nashua, before I get on the
> highway to cover most of the distance back to my house.
>
> Last Friday, driving home from work, my TR6 started up
> and ran normally, but about 2 miles into my 23-mile trip,
> while I was crossing the Merrimack River in moderate traffic,
> I noticed the telltale sickly-sweet aroma that heralds
> leaking coolant. (If you've ever smelled leaking coolant,
> you know what I mean.) As I slowed down to wait at the
> stop light, I took a look at the temperature gauge,
> and it was right in its normal spot. Since I had the
> top down, I figured it may be from some of the other
> cars around me waiting at the light, but none of them
> seemed to be leaking coolant.
>
> After the light turned green, I continued on through a
> another light, and the sickly-sweet smell didn't go
> away -- ut oh, it must be from my car! At this point,
> I noticed the temperature gauge slowly starting to
> climb towards the 3/4 mark, so I pulled over into a
> shopping center with an auto parts store, to check
> things out, rather than get onto the highway in
> just two more blocks.
>
> I shut down the car and popped the hood. As soon as I
> opened the hood, it was clear that my car was responsible
> for the sickly-sweet smell, as there was coolant all over
> the engine compartment, but I couldn't see where it had been
> coming from -- nothing was still spraying out as I would
> have expected. I figured it may only be leaking while the
> engine was on, so I started the car. As soon as the car was
> started, it was clear where the leak was, as coolant was
> spitting up in the air from the rear of the engine block,
> where one of the heater hoses had come entirely disconnected,
> waving in the breeze!
>
> After shutting the car back off, a quick check revealed
> that the heater hose seemed fine, except that it had
> come off the pipe. I didn't have a toolbox in the car,
> but used the screwdriver on my Swiss army knife to
> retighten the hose clamp, filled up the radiator with
> water from a Subway in the shopping center. (It is
> somewhat embarrassing having to ask for a few large
> glasses of warm water for one's car.)
>
> With the hose tightened down, and water in the radiator,
> the car ran like a top all the rest of the way home!
>
> Tip for the day: check those hose connections from
> time to time!
>
> --ken
> '70 & '74 TR6 Daily Drivers
>
> --
> Kenneth B. Streeter | EMAIL: streeter@sanders.com
> Sanders, PTP2-A001 |
> PO Box 868 | Voice: (603) 885-9604
> Nashua, NH 03061 | Fax: (603) 885-0631
--
Roger Helman 71 TR6 CC67866L
Digimation Inc. http://deepthought.digimation.com/rogerh/
New Orleans La.
www.digimation.com
Voice. 504.468.7898
Fax. 504.468.5494
|