TR2/3/3A Rebuilt or new radiator?

[mrv8q]

Seeking advice from the side screen car owners: should I attempt to find a radiator shop to refurbish my original radiator or get one of those ’newfangled’ aluminum radiators? I remember Randall recommended having them rebuilt; I knew the shop he advised as well. That was some time ago... are these shops still around, and will I be happy with the results?

I last had the original rodded out and the hole filled 15 years ago by a real craftsman; his work served me well with relatively few concerns regarding high temperatures seen on the gauge. Crawling under the car the past couple of days has prompted me to ask the question... this radiator needs some help, obvious signs of seepage.

I just met a new ‘3 owner who was pleased with the running temps of his new Wizard aluminum radiator. In a perfect world I would tuck a newly rebuilt brass core radiator up in there, what do you guys recommend?

 

[CJD]

If you google for radiator repair in your area you should find a shop nearby. They are dying out, but every city has at least one.

If it is seeping, chances are the core has rotted out...which is not repairable without a replacement core. Replacing the core is a one hour job for a shop, but I do not know if the cores are available. You will have to call the shop to find out if they have access to cores.

My current car had a rotted core. I bought 2 old radiators off Ebay, each having different issues, and I then assembled a "Frankenstein" from the best of the parts from all three. I did this because I wanted to keep the starter hole...any new cores you find will not have the starter hole in them.

So...long explanation...

In the end, you will have to call your local shop to see if they have any repair options. If they have none, then you are at the mercy of the usual Triumph suppliers.

 

[TFB]

Im going on seven years and 17k with the Wizard and electric fan with no problems.My fan rarely even comes on.With a new motor I wanted a new radiator and the Wizard was the best option for me.
I think at the time Modine made a core but you still needed a good shop to fit it.
Tom

 

[DavidApp]

Would it be possible for a radiator shop (Old time craftsman) to add a starter handle hole? Seems like it is only a matter of sealing up a number of tubes. I had thought that it should be possible to get an aluminum radiator made with 2 strips of core and a gap for the handle. Gap down the middle.
How good are the "New radiators" with a hole from Moss?

David

 

[mgedit]

I had my old clogged one recored several years ago. Very happy with result. Eliminated crank hole, which gives a bit more cooling efficiency. No experience with aluminum ones. Cheers, Mike

 

[Graham H]

I went for the ali core from TRF it was cheaper even with postage from the USA than getting the old one rebuilt and it never overheats.

Graham

 

[CJD]

For better cooling I think the aluminum is definitely the better choice...and it's sure pretty!

David, I am sure any competent shop could put the crank hole in, it's just finding one willing to take the time to do it may be difficult.

 

[Madflyer]

We have a good shop in the Reno area and my TR 6 Rad. was tired so I took it to them it had been done years ago but was now junk. I look at Aulm and cost. I do not have a heating problem so I got and OEM from a US supplier. ( less Money )

It was made overseas but not China. If you have have good useable top and bottom a good shop can build anything but at what cost. As for the hole I used it many times on my MG TD either as a joke or dead battery.

 

[mrv8q]

If you have have good useable top and bottom a good shop can build anything but at what cost. As for the hole I used it many times on my MG TD either as a joke or dead battery.

Welp, the two shops I know about are out of business, go figure. I will check out two other shops that have good Yelp reviews. Something about that shiny aluminum in the engine bay just seems wrong to me, probably something I need to get over.

 

[Graham H]

You don't see much of it when it's all together.

Graham

 

[Lotuswins]

Hi Kevin,

I did a lot of research when I was having cooling issues with my Healey 3000. I had a copper recore done initially which was a 3 row unit with louvered fins but idle was an issue so off I went in search of the best option. What you need to consider in this purchase is:

1) The aluminum and the copper recore if equal in tubes and fin area will be almost equal in heat transfer. The nod will go to the copper unit, but most wouldn't know the difference. The copper would perform much better except for the solder/lead interface between the fins and the tubes, which is the equalizer.
2) Maximize the number of rows and fin count, get louvered fins, and staggered tubes on the recore, it improves efficiency, if you want the stock look of a flat finned radiator. The serpentine units while approximately equal in heat transfer are a bear to clean without bending the fins over, plus they don't look stock.
3) the Aluminum is much lighter, but not repairable like the copper units so its a trade off.
4) The starter hole is an interesting addition/detraction since it interrupts the flow on a number of tubes. I wouldn't include it unless you are doing a concours car.
5) To maximize cooling, a better fan and a shroud around that fan will improve your idle temps immensely. I used a carb air flow meter to check the air velocity and compare it to a modern car. The old cars have much lower velocities than modern units so try and match their rates if possible.

I hope this helps, I know its a major purchase and the decision of aluminum vs copper is mostly stock look vs a more modern appearance. I for one really like the old school look of flat fins. On the Healey I went for a deeper core, staggered tubes, louvered fins and they are flat with maximum fin count. I works really well, but at idle it still can be problematic since the healey suffers from air recirculation around the sides of the radiator which I am reluctant to fix since it would compromise the stock appearance.

Jerry Rude
TR4, Healey BJ8, Lotus Europa TCS

 

[mrv8q]

Thank you, Jerry, for the very detailed research. I am interested in the copper solution so I will initially pursue that route.
I just read this morning where copper is at an all time high, price wise. Maybe the two radiators will be closer in price than I first thought.

As you suggested I will run this without the crank hole, my car is far from concours. Happily it doesn’t really run all that hot; I currently do not use an additional fan. We shall see once I choose. Gotta finish a couple other house projects before I return to the car and start taking off the apron.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

 

[Philthytoo]

I recently had the radiator on the TR2 I'm working on re-done. The original radiator was found to have pin holes in some of the tubes, and the shop said a re-core/ replacement was the only option. The car owner opted for a re-core of the original and nixed the aluminum idea. Total cost was about $675, from a shop that's been around for a long time with rave reviews. I'm in California, the shop is in Lancaster. They had no trouble sourcing a core with the crank hole.