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TR2/3/3A Coolant flush

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drooartz

drooartz

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I’m finally getting to the point where I can be working on my TR3 and get the new radiator in and the car on the road. I’d like to do a coolant flush first while it’s all apart. Any tips to doing this? Any parts I should have on hand first (thermostat gasket, etc)?

Just trying to be prepared so I can get this buttoned up.
 
If your engine is together enough that the water pump is turning, stick a hose in the water pump inlet and run the engine until the output at the therm housing is clear. Not much is very useful in this endeavor except having your machinist soak the empty block, but you obviously can't do that.
Bob
 
I would remove the block drain valve which will give you an idea of the amount of built up crud.Then rig a water hose to block drain hole and flush with thermostat out .Or if it looks like not much crud run a radiator flush product following mfg. instructions.
Tom
 
If you do the block drain, cover your starter; the block drain is right above it.

I add Water Wetter at the end with the 50/50 mix.
 
TFB said:
I would remove the block drain valve which will give you an idea of the amount of built up crud.Then rig a water hose to block drain hole and flush with thermostat out .Or if it looks like not much crud run a radiator flush product following mfg. instructions.
Tom
Click to expand...
When I did this, I had to scoop about an eggcup of green grit before the bore where the tap/valve screws in would flow. Before flushing the engine block, I took off the radiator hoses so that I didn't flush sediment from the block into the rad. I then back flushed and flushed the rad separately until the water ran clear.
 
Those Triumph engineers certainly shoved a lot of parts into a small engine bay! I'm used to working on Sprites, MGBs, and my Morris Minor, all with lots of room in the bay. For now I think I'm going to skip the engine drain valve, as I'm not sure how much how much I'd have to disassemble in order to get to it. I've got the car up on my lift and thought I could get to it from below, but short of removing the starter there's just no way I can see. I'll get to it some day, but I don't think today is that day -- unless y'all have a great suggestion for how to get to that bugger.

I pulled the thermostat and flushed from there, coolant that came out all seemed clean. I'm pretty confident this car hasn't had a lot of miles since the full rebuild about 10 years ago.
 
drooartz said:
Those Triumph engineers certainly shoved a lot of parts into a small engine bay! I'm used to working on Sprites, MGBs, and my Morris Minor, all with lots of room in the bay. For now I think I'm going to skip the engine drain valve, as I'm not sure how much how much I'd have to disassemble in order to get to it. I've got the car up on my lift and thought I could get to it from below, but short of removing the starter there's just no way I can see. I'll get to it some day, but I don't think today is that day -- unless y'all have a great suggestion for how to get to that bugger.

I pulled the thermostat and flushed from there, coolant that came out all seemed clean. I'm pretty confident this car hasn't had a lot of miles since the full rebuild about 10 years ago.
Click to expand...
The drain valve is located above the starter and below the manifolds. Not so hard to reach.
The part that disgusts me is that what comes out dumps on the starter. I have tried to put a hose over the outlet but never been successful.
Charley
 
I agree the drain valve is easy to get to if the car is on stands. And at least in my case, the coolant really poured out pretty much all over. The plus side, though, was that I could not find any crud at all fishing around with bent wire, so that is something I haven’t had to worry about in the the 5 years or so I’ve had my TR. Every little bit of piece of mind . . .

Steve
 
I'll have to look again, I can see the drain but can't figure out how to get a hand to it with the carbs, linkage, or starter in the way.
 
drooartz said:
I'll have to look again, I can see the drain but can't figure out how to get a hand to it with the carbs, linkage, or starter in the way.
Click to expand...
Most of the original ones have a short handle above the outlet. I did not have line of sight but rather just by feel. The short 1"+ handle needs to move 90 degrees to open the valve.
Charley
 
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