Temperature Gauge

Not the best pictures but it was dark! Two pictures, one with just the engine running and one with the engine running, lights on and fan on. One says just over half way and one says its about to blow up. How's that then?!

It's going to explode!

No it's not!

Roof Down in -3

That was cold! Villa hat on and gloves on. I looked like a bellend, but a nice crisp drive to work.
Usual problem of the temp gauge suggesting the engine was about to blow up. I'll have to get another sender and thermostat, failing that, another gauge.

Oh and the speedo has decided to stop working. It must have been knocked when we were trying to fix the taco over the winter. That doesn't work either!

Toyota Celica - Pah!

Why would I want one of them Japanese pretend classics when I have a fully working [well sort of] v8 Beast?! 

It would appear that the distributor was 180 degrees out. And with the assistance of Simon and Ed's timing strobe, the Beast spluttered into life and is now running the best it ever has in the last 3 years. Much also say thanks to a chap named John in Aberdeen with whom I have been conversing via email and a v8 forum.

That distributor is the dogs! We timed it to about 8 dibbles past TDC. Although it is now driveable, it "front fires" from I presume the carbs/filters as opposed to backfiring from the tailpipe. I have taken it to work for the last 2 days and can (sometimes) floor it without any frontfires and now get the great v8 roar. 

I have since spoken to John again, who has set his distributor at 10 dibbles before TDC. He reckons that the frontfiring is because the timing is not quite right, and suggests I try it at 10 dibbles.

The overheating thing has still not gone away though. Could it be the timing? The gauge?

March and April

Pre new Distributor

I have been driving around Offmore every other Sunday for about 5 mins before putting it back again as it was spluttering and backfiring and overheating. I was a little brave the one day though and sat in the car port with the temp guage at 3/4 waiting for it to blow up. It didn't. Looks like 3/4 might be the running temperature?

Post new Distributor
It doesn't start any more!

Hot and Cold

I have brought the Beast to work this morning which seemed like a good idea at the time as no rain is planned and I haven't used it for about two weeks. It was very cold! Whilst spluttering and kangarooing down the road, I came to some traffic and a Chav in a dungy Corsa, which has probably cost a great deal less than the Beast to "do up", kindly and happily informs me that my reverse lights keep coming on, which I had honestly completely forgotten about!

By the time I got to work all those 1.5 miles away, the temp guage was edging slowly to 3/4, so I am not convinced that I'll get home now without either blowing up or getting nicked for dodgy wiring/switches. And I've never driven it in the dark before!

And an old MX5 was a couple of cars away just to rub it in a bit. Although the big girl didn't have his roof down!

Overheating (Saturday ii)

With the radiator full of water, and the fans secured and working, I drove to Blakedown (about a mile up the road) with the fans turned on ... all was well, in fact it only just got to a quarter. On the return journey, I turned the fans off and it started drifting up to a half. At home I left it to idle where it quickly approached three-quarters+. When the fans were turned back on, it very slowly dropped back down. I then took it round the block, and it dropped back down to about a half again. I still need to fit the thermostat, but all would appear well. Why's that then?!

Although, I still can't get over 3-4000 revs, so we are back to where we were 2 years ago!

Overheating (Sunday)

Time for the thermostat to come out. Why is the water in the block still green? Now I know why! When the water in the block gets too hot, the thermostat lets the water out and through the radiator.

The thermostat was tested in some hot water and found to be buggered. So, without that in, the water should all mix up together nicely and the engine should be cooler? Alas no. It was still at 3/4 although, it took a while longer to get there.

What next?

Overheating (Saturday)

It was a long day and unfortunatly not the most productive...

We visited a scrapyard to get another fan. This was removed from it's plastic surround, the blasdes cut to size and then placed in the TR's fan holder cage thing.

We then drained the radiator of all of it's rustyness, reconnected and refilled with tap water only.

And then started the car again. I went up and down the road a bit. It got to 3/4 again.

Lionel tested the temperature guage by doing something electric to the original clock console. The temperature guage was exactly the same - stuck on 3/4.

The fans were not connected, but that shouldn't make any difference as I hadn't even been anywhere.

What next ?

F F S

I hoped that the euphoria of having the Beast back might have lasted longer than a day. But alas. On Saturday, I gave it a clean inside and out and then took it round to see Ed, (a 20 second journey), then to ma's (1 min), then to Line's (30 secs). I then decided to go for a bit of a run. I went down the famous Husum Way, turned right to see if the house I want is still for sale, and stopped. The temp guage was at three quarters. It used to stop nicely at half. Thus on Sunday, off came the fans as I know that the right hand one doesn't work and needs replacing. And here they are ...

So what's the problem? Any of these then ...
1. The temp gauge
It is the one from the Teabag. How do I know it works properly? I don't! It needs testing, or changing back again with the original one.

2. The sender
The sender is new. How do I know it works properly? I don't!

3. The radiator
Is it blocked inside? Might be. I did put some rad weld in. Could it have welded the whole radiator?! It needs flushing. It may need replacing? I know it is the TR7 rad but I am not replacing it with the v8 rad at £250+

4. The rad fans
See above, there is only one. But it worked with only one last time it was on the road, two long years ago. BUT, we rewired it when we did all of the wiring. It pushes and pulls. Is it supposed to push or pull, have we got it the right way round?

5. The thermostat
I haven't changed this. Do I need to? Does it just operate an electric fan - which I haven't got? Or does it just operate one of them viscous jobbies - which I haven't got?

6. The ignition timing
I got this off one of the sites off the net. Apparently, if the timing is about 4-5° off you will get an overheating engine. I've been told that the carbs are worn and need replacing. It has been set to get through the emissions on the MOT, but still plays up at 3000 rpm+. Could it be this then?

I REALLY am getting fed up of this crap now. Hobbies are supposed to give pleasure. This doesn't!