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TR2/3/3A Vent hole in lower front valance of TR3?

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T

TuffTR250

Jedi Warrior
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Has anyone cut a vent hole in the front lower valance of a TR3 much like the hole in the front lower valance of a TR250? If so, did it help with cooling? It seems as though it would direct air into the lower portion of the radiator which it appears gets very little air flow from the stock design. Also, I had a thought about putting a sheet metal scoop from the bottom of the newly cut hole over to the bottom of the radiator to direct the air going into the valance hole right up into the radiator. Any thoughts on this? Thanks!
Regards,
Bob
 
I haven't done the hole but have added an air dam. Pretty simple (possibly crude) as it is made from plywood:

TR3-Dam2_zps3d61c84d.jpg


Nearly invisible under there, the plywood is helpful if you plan to use it as a curb-feeler for parking lot barriers.

I agree the combination of a horizontal grille and a vertical radiator seems to leave a fair portion of the radiator out of the best air flow -- perhaps this helps.
 
The PO of mine had one at some point cut into the front valance. However, must have changed the valance as I didn't have it on the one that came with the car. Cheers, M. Pied Lourd
 
Make sure you have the shroud between the radiator and grill in place. This makes a big difference in cooling.
 
Just for clarity, the shroud was only used with the "wide mouth" front apron (TR3A/B). Early 3A did not have it from the factory, but it is a good retrofit anyway.

I'm sure Geo's air dam helps, but in my case it wasn't enough to keep it from overheating. After fixing the root cause (radiator tubes coated internally with old stop leak), the dam seemed unnecessary so I removed it when I switched back to the correct front apron for my car.
 
Yep, like many tricks to improve cooling (upgraded H2O pumps, bypass hose block, water wetter) empirical data is hard to come by. But, in case one tries this, here is a look at the simple attachment for the TR3A using existing bolts & holes:

TR3-Dam3_zps784f2618.jpg


And a pattern showing, not the shape of the bracket (that's just a piece of bar stock), but the angle I used for the bend:

TR3-Dam4_zps677268df.jpg
 
Thanks Geo! I was wondering how you mounted the air dam. That will be a big help when I make one. And I'm working on making a radiator shroud as well. Probably should have just ordered a shroud, but I thought I'd try making one.
Regards,
Bob
 
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