> > Change front crank seal (they get hard with time)
>
> I have a 'Front Oil Seal' from TRF part #104662 - is this what you are
> referring to?
That's it.
> The original owner had switched to an electric pump. I was considering going
> back to the original pump but not sure if
> there is a benefit. Opinion?
Depends on the pump. If it's a diaphragm type, it may suffer from the same
issue as the original diaphragm. Otherwise, I'd say it's a matter of personal
preference. There can be problems when converting to electric, but if it was
working before, probably OK now.
> A lot of discussion about sleeved or not sleeved. Is this a thermostat that
> has a complete sleeve around
> the core or is it a partial sleeve?
The sleeve, if present, is on the outside. Slightly smaller in diameter than
the mounting flange, and about an inch long.
> What is the best solution for overheating
> issues?
That topic has many different opinions. The cooling mods on my daily driver
59TR3A were the air deflector inside the front apron (added by the factory to
later 3As but not original on my car), an electric fan (in place of the damaged
original), a recored radiator (original was defective even though it didn't
leak), a custom-made 7 psi radiator cap, and a modern, non-sleeved 185F
thermostat. It never overheated, even running at 85+ mph through the desert and
up mountain grades that overheated more modern cars ... although I could see the
temperature gauge creep up some under extreme conditions. Oh yeah, I also
carefully opened up the slats in the grille, which is apparently a factory
modification that got lost. But obviously that won't be an issue on your TR3,
if it still has the "small mouth" front apron.
> I have some carb kits that are probably 8 - 10 years old. Will they suffice?
Personally, I would buy the "high tech" jet gland seals from Moss (or just some
suitable O-rings, which is all they are); and new float bowl mountings.
Everything else should be OK from the kit. Even the float bowl mountings might
be OK, if they are still soft, flexible, and show no signs of cracking even when
flexed. The springs I mentioned are not in the kit, and may or may not need to
be replaced. But the temptation to stretch the jet gland spring is great (since
the glands frequently leak for no apparent reason) and the usual result is a
choke that will not return properly. You don't have to waste many gallons of
gas running around with the choke partially on to pay for new springs !
Randall
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