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TR2/3/3A TR3A Radiator Duct
- Thread starter CJD
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Don Elliott
Obi Wan
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Don Elliott
Obi Wan
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Ignore the 4 rectangular notches which I made to clear the brackets for my front electric pusher fan. It comes as three pieces. One for each side and one that goes across the top of the radiator. They are held together with 4 (or are there 6 ?) brass tab holders like you might use to keep pages together like for a three-leaf binder. There are two (or three) at the top right and two (or three) at the top left which hold it all together. The air deflector must be sprayed the same colour as the car.
Some people screw the lower flanges to the "deck" but they never move the way I have them without screwing them down.
Some people screw the lower flanges to the "deck" but they never move the way I have them without screwing them down.
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MGTF1250Dave
Jedi Knight
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Aloha John,
Your description is how I installed mine. Bend along the scores before installing and fold the side inward and push it in through the grille opening. There should be four rivets to connect the cross piece to the two side panels. I think the four screws and washers are included to go through the flange edge on the bottom of each side, two per side. You should see punch-out holes there. I did not use them because I didn't want to drill holes in the front apron.
Some people paint the card board to add weather proofing. I used Thompson's Water Seal, mainly because I had a small amount and wanted to get ride of the can.
Your description is how I installed mine. Bend along the scores before installing and fold the side inward and push it in through the grille opening. There should be four rivets to connect the cross piece to the two side panels. I think the four screws and washers are included to go through the flange edge on the bottom of each side, two per side. You should see punch-out holes there. I did not use them because I didn't want to drill holes in the front apron.
Some people paint the card board to add weather proofing. I used Thompson's Water Seal, mainly because I had a small amount and wanted to get ride of the can.
Geo Hahn
Yoda
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I am under the impression that the originals were painted body color -- but perhaps I have never seen an original so I can't be 100% certain of that.
I'm thinking I found holes in the pan at the bottom of the apron for those 4 screws -- in any case I screwed it down there as well as having it clamped in place by the bumperette support.
I did use Thompsons on my TR4 shroud -- a sound idea for durability.
I'm thinking I found holes in the pan at the bottom of the apron for those 4 screws -- in any case I screwed it down there as well as having it clamped in place by the bumperette support.
I did use Thompsons on my TR4 shroud -- a sound idea for durability.
Don Elliott
Obi Wan
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The colour should be the same as the body colour to meet the judging standards from TRA. I did mine that way in 1990 but from 1958 to 1990, I had no air deflectors. The TR2 and the TR3 has the small-mouth with the steel sheetmetal sidewalls which forces all the air to go through the radiator.
But when they introduced the TR3A in late 1957 right through to about mid-summer of 1958, the TR3A was produced with no air deflector. Mine was built in February and all TR3As built between late 1957 to summer 1958 never overheated because it was winter. But by mid-summer, everyone was complaining about overheating. I can see a dozen Triumph Engineers working till after midnight - more than a few days and nights - to come up with a cheap (low-cost) retrofit deflector to solve the overheating problem. The factory started to use them painted body colour from that point but all TR3As from TS22000 to well after mine (TS 27489 LO) could have been any colour because they were retrofitted by the local dealer if anyone complained. I never complained so I never had one until I bought one and installed it in 1990. But I must have blown about 4 head gaskets from overheating in the first 80,000 miles from new.
"Now you know the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say.
But when they introduced the TR3A in late 1957 right through to about mid-summer of 1958, the TR3A was produced with no air deflector. Mine was built in February and all TR3As built between late 1957 to summer 1958 never overheated because it was winter. But by mid-summer, everyone was complaining about overheating. I can see a dozen Triumph Engineers working till after midnight - more than a few days and nights - to come up with a cheap (low-cost) retrofit deflector to solve the overheating problem. The factory started to use them painted body colour from that point but all TR3As from TS22000 to well after mine (TS 27489 LO) could have been any colour because they were retrofitted by the local dealer if anyone complained. I never complained so I never had one until I bought one and installed it in 1990. But I must have blown about 4 head gaskets from overheating in the first 80,000 miles from new.
"Now you know the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say.
