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MG MGA - radiator additive

Mybe this has been discussed before ? ,but has anyone had sucess with a coolant additive [ Redline ? ]. Years ago we used a product called Quick Cool with some sucess in V12 Jaguars. They even had a fan on the battery ! Now that is an over heating problem.
Thanks Sean
S Sherry

When I rebuilt my engine 2 years ago , i completely clean the radiator interior and put " Water Wetter " with fresh coolant .

Now my temperature is much lower in hot summer rides when outside temperature reach 30 degres and more .

More than 2 years after I am very please with it and it's seam's to be working again .

So it's work for me .

Jules

MGA 1600MKII 1962



_


Jules Desbiens

Sean

Check the A and B archives for lots of info on Water Wetter.

I run it in my 58 A along with water pump lube and distilled water. It seems to help, and it is a corrosion inhibitor. No freezing temperatures here.

FWIW

Larry
Larry Hallanger

Sean,

I've tried Redline, and I'd say it may provide some incremental improvement, but it's not a miracle cure if you are consistently running very hot.

If keeping your engine cool is a problem, following are 10 items to consider:

1) Be sure there is sufficient coolant.
a) Check that the radiator is filled with liquid. (Duh!) Install an overflow bottle to monitor loss and prevent spills.
b) Don't use an antifreeze mixture with more than 50% glycol. (Less obvious.)
Water has much better heat transfer (thermal conductivity) characteristics. (Like many people, over the years I fell victim to the marketing strategy that re-labeled glycol from "anti-freeze" to "coolant." I had gradually increased the percentage to 2/3 glycol and 1/3 water to generate the largest range between freezing point and boiling point. The reality is that water is the far superior coolant. The addition of glycol provides protection by lowering the freezing point and raising the boiling point.) Too much glycol causes the thermal conductivity to fall faster than the boiling point is raised with the result that the solution boils, which is not good. Consider running 25% glycol, or even straight water, in very hot environments.

(Engines and radiators on modern cars are much more efficient than those of the MGA, so the coolant mixture in a modern car is not as critical in transferring the heat from the engine to the radiator.)

2) Ensure the water pump is working.
The fan belt should be properly tensioned. While running, the pump should not be leaking or whining. There should be signs of flow visible in the radiator (cap removed) once the thermostat is open. (Of course, ONLY remove the cap when the engine and radiator are cool! And, if the engine is running, MIND the FAN!)
Note, a higher flow rate through the radiator does NOT intrinsically result in reducing the net heat dissipation. Less heat is dissipated per pass, but more passes are made per unit time. So long as the speed of the water pump is not fast enough to induce cavitation, a faster flow provides improved cooling.

3) Check that the radiator is not restricted by corrosion or design.
There has been discussion that some vintage of aftermarket radiators did not have sufficient flow or heat dissipation. (I have a c. 1990 vintage radiator obtained from Moss - I believe it was made in China or India. It provided about the same cooling ability as the old, original, partially clogged radiator, but the replacement didn't leak.) One measure of the radiator's resistance to flow is to fill it with water and time how quickly it drains.

4) Ensure that the distributor and carburetors are working properly.
Check that the ignition timing is correct. Note that the springs controlling the mechanical advance and the diaphragm controlling the vacuum advance both degrade with age. Consequently, while the static timing may be correct, at higher rpm the advance may not sufficient. Similarly, the carburetor needles may be worn and so a setup that is correct near idle may be too lean at speed. Finally, be sure the gasoline is fresh and of sufficient octane. (Try Sunoco's street-legal 100 octane racing fuel at least once it's expensive, but if nothing else it stays fresh longer.)

5) Ensure that the air entering the grill isn't bypassing the radiator
a) Install the original style felt on the inner side of the bonnet above radiator.
b) Be sure the carburetor and interior air hoses are installed.

6) Ensure that air flow isn't restricted by an aftermarket grill.
There has been discussion that some vintage of aftermarket grills had the slats oriented at too shallow an angle, which reduced airflow to the radiator. The effect of the grill can be evaluated by removing it. Cars prepared for racing often remove every other slat, as had been done for the original factory racers.

7) Ensure the correct thermostat is installed and working properly.
Also consider installing the bellows type thermostat that blanks off the bypass port in the head once the operating temperature is reached - although only the earlier A's used this type of thermostat.

8) Ensure the proper radiator cap is installed.
This is mainly for protection against overheating.
(Note, the bellows-type thermostat runs at a lower pressure to ensure the bellows isn't crushed. The later model thermostat can be run at the higher pressure.)

The following items go beyond the original equipment configuration:

9) Use a whetting agent in the coolant.

10) Increase air flow through the radiator
a) Install a shroud for the radiator fan.
This can improve cooling at low speed.
b) Install an electric fan.
This can further improve cooling at low speed and help ensure flow at high speed, but should not be necessary for street use during the summer in temperate climates, such as the northeastern U.S.

Steve
Steve K

Steve, I like the 10 items you have listed, there should be one more listing. 11) Check a make sure the entire system is sealed if there is a leak in system it will make it over heat. Pressure test the system.

This was my problem: Cliff(SC)
Jones

Hi Steve , thanks for your very detailed advice. I've attended to most suggestions and knowing that there is no such thing as a magic bullet, I will also put in some water wetter,[ another drop of Chinese water torture ] NB. I fitted an electric fan ,removed the engine driven one and set the electric to come on at 190 degs. The temp never gets over 200 idling on a hot day [35 degs. ] Thanks Sean
S Sherry

Jules,

Nice car! I like the practice of fitting UK style number plates on the front of old british cars.

Just for your information, the plate you have is a 1986 model year (denoted by the letter D). I'm not sure whether you know already or whether you are interested but the registration type most commonly used during the manufacture of the MGA would have been three letters then one to three numbers.

The second two letters correspond to the (code for) town/city where the vehicle was registered. There were some exceptions (for example one of my cars is registered DJ 955) where less letters were used or letters were placed after number(s).

The number plate was silver or white letters on black. In about 1970 this changed to black letters on reflective white (front - reflective yellow, rear) Of course in NA you can chose any letters and numbers you like, as the plate is for display only. So you could have JUL 1, JD 007 or whatever.

If you want an original genuine registration for a 1961 MGA MK2 (coupe actually) that is no longer in use in UK, I have a nice number you are welcome to use (email me).

Incidently new plates are readily available in UK made to the original pressed aluminium letters on black background.

Unfortunately, here it is easy to move number plates from car to car (although a newer number cannot be put on an older car). So often cars are without their original numbers. Another of my cars is on its fourth set of number plates! The previous owner kept the 100NPH and my car was issued with the period plate NAS 148. (Loads of AS registrations were left over so this is common on re-imported cars too).

Neil


Neil McGurk

Yes Neil, I too was wondering about the plate on Jules' car - I thought it must have been a Canadian one. If it is a UK one then it is definitely not appropriate - but easily corrected - nice car though Jules.
Cam Cunningham

Neil ,

The number plate came from a friend of mine here in Canada who have been working some time ago in England . He bought it in pair , front and rear plate , maybe at some store who make reproductions plates .

Here we have a smaller plates and they don't fit very well in front mga bumper . That's why i prefer this type of plate , i think it's look more exotic in front of our British cars .

I was knowing that my number plate was not the right one for my car , but here nobody can tell the difference between other number plate of that kind .

I am interest about having the right one Neil . I will send you an Email about it .

Cam ,

Here in Canada we have 10 Provinces who have differents regulations about front Number Plate . Some provinces required front and rear number plate. I live in Quebec province and here we don't have a "front Number Plate " . We only have a Number plate at the rear , so many peoples put whatever they want as front plate . But i think the law don't autorize a real old period plate in the front . Probably to avoid confusion .

Thanks for the comments ,

Jules




Jules Desbiens

In Ontario we are required to have a plate on the front and rear of the car. However if you find a set of plates that matches the year of our vehicle and the number has not been re-used it can be issued to your car. See photo

Kris


Kris Sorensen

This thread was discussed between 09/01/2008 and 12/01/2008

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