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Accordian Style Heater?
- Thread starter CJD
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Another option is to replace the heater with the flatter squarer Spridget heater if originality isn't an issue. That's what I did to my 3. Way better heating and more room under the dash. The conversion is outlined in BF Skinner's "More BS about TR's" handbook. PS CJD What is the colour of the TR3A in the picture by your name? It is similar to the Jaguar silver I chose for my TR3A. 
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You mean Bob Schaller, right? I don't think B.F. Skinner wrote all that much about TRs!
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TR3driver
Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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In my case it bulged from too much pressure; from the garden hose I was trying to flush the core with. Never could get most of it opened up, so I scrapped the core. The radiator shop refused to have anything to do with it.
You can try gently pushing it back together and installing the missing clip, but I suspect the results are not going to be good. New heaters are available, or here is an article on how to build your own from bits of copper tubing and copper sheet.
https://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/cm214/bi-lunar/heater/article/heater.pdf
You can try gently pushing it back together and installing the missing clip, but I suspect the results are not going to be good. New heaters are available, or here is an article on how to build your own from bits of copper tubing and copper sheet.
https://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/cm214/bi-lunar/heater/article/heater.pdf
Tr3aguy
Jedi Knight
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https://www.holden.co.uk/displaypro...gName=Circular+Heater+Elements&pCode=080.505#
This might work...or if you feel like spending some cash.
https://www.revingtontr.com/shop/product_display.asp?cartype=tr3&productid=rtr1395k
This might work...or if you feel like spending some cash.
https://www.revingtontr.com/shop/product_display.asp?cartype=tr3&productid=rtr1395k
OP
CJD
Yoda
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Thanks everybody. It sounds like these aren't overly strong. Once I get it apart I'll give it the ole' 1,2,shove to see if it goes back together...then I'll resort to a replacement. Thanks again for all the tips on starting places.
PK, it didn't dawn on me that freezing could have done it...but that makes sense. The car sat for 24 years, and although it appears they drained the coolant, I don't think you can ever drain the Triumph heater without turning the car upside down.
Karl, the silver one is 1966 Corvette "silver pearl", and the red one I call "brush on red"!?! The red is the absolute worst paintjob I have ever seen. It kills me that they covered over the British racing green to put that orange red on!
Hey JP, is the white in your new avatar the TR3 in it's youth?
PK, it didn't dawn on me that freezing could have done it...but that makes sense. The car sat for 24 years, and although it appears they drained the coolant, I don't think you can ever drain the Triumph heater without turning the car upside down.
Karl, the silver one is 1966 Corvette "silver pearl", and the red one I call "brush on red"!?! The red is the absolute worst paintjob I have ever seen. It kills me that they covered over the British racing green to put that orange red on!
Hey JP, is the white in your new avatar the TR3 in it's youth?
According style heater is a correct way to put it. The first time I took one in to a radiator shop to be cleaned the assistant biker type guy filled it up with air and turned it into an accordion. I totally freak out and told what I thought. The owner said he would make could on it somehow. I have been going back there for 20 years and I am still not sure who is ahead. Most of the ones I have seen over the years are some what blown out. I have pushed them back together and some have worked fine. The one the guy blew out at the shop was toast. In an unusual way it does help get the crud out. Anyways when I do it now, I take an old bottom and top and clamp it up so it will not blow out. I bought one of those Moss matrix heaters that are too skinny and put it the original frame so it would hang down correct by using some plywood to fill the gap and it works well you cannot see the wood and the doors are in the right spot, so that is one solution. I was going to sell the matrix one, but I just keep it fo a spare because our weather is damp, cold, and rainy most the time.
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CJD
Yoda
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As I work my way into the dash, it's time to revisit my heater. After this post I had concluded that the heater damage was from ice. After thinking on and off for the last year, I concluded that if it were ice damage, it would have happened in the lower discs, instead of mid way up like it did.
All but one of the clips that sandwich the top and bottom together was missing. I've decided that driving the car with the missing clips likely stretched the core. I had hoped to toss this one in favor of the one from be donor car...but that one was corroded out too badly.
So, I've decided to try to press the accordion core back together. I plan to heat the stretched disc lightly while slowly compressing it in a press. I'll let everyone know if it works...
All but one of the clips that sandwich the top and bottom together was missing. I've decided that driving the car with the missing clips likely stretched the core. I had hoped to toss this one in favor of the one from be donor car...but that one was corroded out too badly.
So, I've decided to try to press the accordion core back together. I plan to heat the stretched disc lightly while slowly compressing it in a press. I'll let everyone know if it works...
TR3driver
Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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Well, good luck with that. Just remember that, if that thing fails in use, it is likely to wind up spraying scalding hot coolant on your leg (or worse yet, on your passenger's leg).
Oh, also that is soft solder in there. Doesn't take much to weaken to the point it will pull apart. It shouldn't start to actually melt until 200C (which still isn't all that hot compared to even a propane torch at nearly 3000C), but the solder gets noticeably weaker well below 200C.
Oh, also that is soft solder in there. Doesn't take much to weaken to the point it will pull apart. It shouldn't start to actually melt until 200C (which still isn't all that hot compared to even a propane torch at nearly 3000C), but the solder gets noticeably weaker well below 200C.
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I have seen and have several that are that way. My guess is freezing for most of them. I fixed one recently by putting it in a big vise and slowing squeezing it back in shape. No leaks. I have been putting 4 clamps back on the ones I use or fix.
Marv
Marv