TR2/3/3A Overheating incident

[Member 10617]

Yesterday it was finally cool enough and dry enough to take my TR3 out for an extended ride.

Hadn't gone five miles, however, when I noticed that my temperature gauge had gone to maximum. I limped along for another two or three miles until I got to a gas station where I could park safely and check things out.

Opened the hood and saw no white steam coming from any hoses, but there was a light amount of smoke coming from the oil filler cap and carburetor breathers. Bad sign!

I called AAA. They came and carried the car to the shop where I have work done. The mechanic there checked the car over and said it was a failed heater hose. He also ran a pressure test to make sure nothing had cracked.

Question: Since the engine oil had gotten hot enough to smoke a bit, has it been compromised enough that I should replace it? Anything else I should check in light of the overheating?

 

[Geo Hahn]

Smoke drifting from the oil filler is not unusual -- it is a breather after all. Smoke from the air cleaners is harder to explain -- but I don't think that is necessarily an indication of a big problem.

What it sounds like is the heater hose broke (guess it was one of the 2 under the bonnet or you would have known it right away) and there was major coolant loss. This may have occurred even before the engine warmed up so it could go unnoticed (no dramatic white smoke, etc). Once you lose a lot of coolant the temperature gauge is unreliable as it is in 'air' rather than circulating coolant -- may take awhile to show the engine is overheating.

That said -- it is quite possible that you avoided any serious damage as these engines are quite robust. What I would watch for as you go forward is any sign that the head is warped or there is other damage. I think the most likely sign of a problem will be either a blown head gasket &/or coolant somewhere where it shouldn't be (outside the engine or in the oil).

Were it me, I would drive and keep a close eye on things for awhile. Actually 'keeping a close eye on things' pretty much describes everyday use of a TR.

 

[DNK]

Failed heater hose??
What does that mean
Sounds like mechanic speak to me

 

[Rhodyspit75]

Since you brought up changing the oil, why not its a small price to pay for peace of mind.

 

[Member 10617]

The "failed heater hose" was my language. What the mechanic actually said was "blown heater hose."

Thanks for all the good information, analysis, and advice. I will definitely keep my eyes open for any coolant in unusual places, and I will definitely change the oil (no big deal).

I warmed up the car in my paved driveway and there was no coolant there, so the hose must have blown some time in the next ten minutes, while I was on the road. By the time I stopped, most of the coolant was gone. When the car cooled down a bit, I put in five medium bottles of bottled water, and it took that to bring the level back up to the reservoir.

 

[DNK]

Ed, sorry. Still not convinced
You blow a heater hose...or a heater hose fails. No matter how inexperienced you are , it would have been blowing steam all over the place.
If there is no coolant on your driveway and no residue on the block...welll
JMHO

 

[Member 10617]

Don,

I am with you... When I checked the engine compartment in the gas station parking lot, there was no steam anywhere. I checked the radiator hoses, and they looked fine. I checked the heater hoses, and the looked fine. I checked the tap on the side of the engine, and it was closed. Yet coolant was coming out from somewhere and running out unto the gas station parking lot. By the time I opened the radiator cap, the radiator had lost most if not all of its coolant.

I thought at the time that perhaps so much coolant had been pumped out on the road that there was none left to steam (???)

If not from the various hoses, where would coolant be pumped out of the engine?

The car is still in the shop -- about 45 miles from me -- and I haven't seen it yet. The mechanic is supposed to give me a call when I can pick it up... but no call yet.

Needless to say... this is still a mystery to me.

More later.

 

[DNK]

Bottom hose split or that clamp let go ,maybe

 

[BillyB62]

+1 on that. I've never blown a hose where there hasn't been copious amounts of billowing steam coming from the engine.

 

[Member 10617]

Just back from picking up the car from the shop. It was, indeed, a blown (three year-old reproduction Chinese) heater hose. A clean split on the underside of the hose! The mechanic could not say, precisely, but he thinks that the hose blew before the car actually warmed up, and by the time I noticed the gauge at maximum, most if not all of the coolant had been pumped out. Thus, no steam when I opened the hood. Just one possiblity...


I dodged a bullet (by my own supidity) by not stopping immediately when I saw the gauge at maximum. I was on a country road and knew there was a gas station about a mile or two ahead, and kept driving until I reached there. Mechanic said: Should have stopped, allowed the car to cool completely, and then -- if I had to -- drive to the gas station very carefully. As it is, no apparent dammage was done.

Drive 50 miles home very carefully. Full inspection of the engine on returning home and found no sign of coolant anywhere. Also, no white smoke out the back when I drove home.

Whew!

 

[DNK]

They make sweet little silicon hoses now ,Ed.
Spendi though

 

[Member 10617]

Don,

Are the new silicon hoses shaped to make the right angle turns needed for these hoses? The wrapped, Chinese repros are shaped properly, but don't seem to last very long.

 

[DNK]

Moss has them for rad hoses.
Not sure about the heater ones
https://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=66332

 

[Member 10617]

Don,

Moss has the heater hoses (636-090) and they are solid silicon. The Roadster Factor has them and they are the traditional wrapped hoses.

I now have examples of both.

 

[DNK]

The sili's will probably hold up longest
But this is just a WAG

 

[Member 10617]

Don,

I think you are right. I was surprised that the wrapped hoses that I had on my car, that were only three years old, had deteriorated so quickly. But, then, perhaps I had just gotten a bad lot...

 

[sammyb]

I had a clamp work loose on the bottom coolant hose of my TR3 about six years ago, which drained all my coolant. I saw the temp fluctuate wildly and I pulled off into a grocery store lot. No steam. I carefully opened the radiator cap and nothing. I bought water and that's when I noticed the hose off (as the water drained onto the ground.)

Just about ten blocks or so was enough to fry the head gasket. Easy head gasket to replace.

I would pay attention to any coolant weeping off the side of the block. The car might run cool, but some of the head gaskets seem to fail to the outside of the block, which just means you're losing coolant a drip at a time.

 

[Member 10617]

Sam,

Good point. I have kept my eye on the side of the block and have seen no coolant, but I will continue to keep an eye on things.

 

[MDCanaday]

Just my 5 cents but I would now re-torque the head to make sure there is no signs of
warping,which can loosen some of the nuts.Some times this little bit of prevention
will save the POUND of cure(headgasket blown).
MD(mad dog)