TR4/4A What radiator do I have?

[Sarastro]

I'm a little surprised that I didn't notice this earlier. Below is a picture of my TR4A when I received it. The radiator inlet is about 2 1/2 inches below the outlet on the thermostat housing; in every other TR4A I've seen, they are opposite each other. Except for the fact that it is a couple inches too short, the radiator is a TR4A one in every way I can see; the mounts are in the right place, the studs on the sides are right and fit the supports, and the inlet and outlet are in the right places, except of course for the vertical position of the inlet.

Can anyone tell me if this is an early 4A radiator, or one from another TR? I couldn't find anything like it after some research. Hs anyone seen this on a TR4A?

 

[Alfred E. Neuman]

Not from an earlier 4. The early TR4s used the same basic radiator as the TR3, including the long filler neck that was needed to get the filler cap behind the TR3 front shroud. The later TR4s used the same rad but without the extended filler neck. I don't think any came with a crank hole as standard in a TR4.

 

[JerryVV]

It looks like someone blocked off an inlet on the far left of the top tank. Same location as a TR6 so perhaps a TR6 modified somehow. Take a look at the side mounts on the radiator frame, perhaps they have been relocated as well. Short answer is it's wrong for a 4A.

 

[Sarastro]

Jerry, I think you've got it!

Yes, there definitely is a patch on the left end. I didn't remember that, as I restored the radiator more than a year ago. I just ran out to the garage to look again; there it is. There is a similar patch at the bottom, where the outlet was moved from the right to the left side.



I had noticed that the radiator seemed to be the right size for a TR6, but because of the side inlet, I had dismissed that as a possibility. Now, it makes sense.

 

[Rut]

Steve,
PM sent.
Rut