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TR2/3/3A Normal running temp for TR3 engine

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bluemiata90

bluemiata90

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I'm in the process of possibly purchasing a 61 TR3. The owner states that the engine was just rebuilt and the radiator is new. He feels the car will drive the 3 hours to my house with no problems. I inquired into the engine temp. and he stated that it doesn't overheat and runs at about 250-260 degrees reading on the gauge. That sounds a little high to me, what is the normal/safe temp. to drive a Tr3 for several hours on a expressway. Of course the gauge could be incorrect.
 
That is very hot for a TR motor in my opinion, my TR6 runs around 190. My 6 would overheat in slow traffic when I first got it, flushed the system, installed a new radiator and secondary electric fan, and that kept it from over heating. The sender on my temp guage went bad once, but that caused it to read too low , not hot. I bought the 6 when I lived in chicago and in the lovely traffic that city has, the car would be about 3/4 towards the hot.

I would be leary about buying it w/o a british shop looking at it.
 
I would ask it he didn't mean 150-160. My TR4 runs at 165 at the sending unit when the weather is cool.
 
My TR3's temp gauge only goes to 230 deg F. Find out what's going on here before driving for three hours. 250-260 is way too hot for ANY car. 180-190 would be about right for a TR3. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
 
My 61 TR3 runs at 185 or so on a normal day. Now here in Austin, there are not many normal days, just HOT ones. A couple weekends ago I was driving when it was 95 degrees out and it was maybe running 200 or so. The gauge only goes to 230.
 
My TR3 runs at 235 - or about as high as the needle goes...of course its calibration is off by 50 degrees and i need to replace it - if you are worried about it you can stick a thermometer in the coolant to verify or use one of the infrared thermometer jobs...
Cheers,
Kerry /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/canpatriot.GIF
 
My TR3 runs right at 185 on normal days, 190 with an electric fan when its 104 in the summer.

sounds like it may need a new temp guage.
 
Mine reads ~182-`85 until the outside temp goes over 80 degrees then I have difficulty keeping it down under 200 in traffic. No elec fan yet but that's coming. I agree 250 is too hot.
 
Thanks for all the replies. My guess is, he meant 150-160 degrees. I haven't been able to reach him today to ask, but considering the gauge only goes to 230, I'm assuming he had the number wrong. Thanks
 
If he said 150 - 160 that's cold, I've owned 3 TR3's and I say 185 to 195 is what to expect on a normal day.
 
My TR3 normally runs at 185, in the ballpark of most of the other replies.
 
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