Mk2 1.8 HL Automatic update

[PHUQ]

That looks a sensible enough running temperature to me. And with your big radiator it should maintain that temperature without too much bother unless you are in the habit of towing caravans up mountains in heatwaves.

Bit of a bummer that the carbs are still giving you grief bit good to hear you've made progress with the temperature thing. I suspect that if you subject your old 'stat to the "pan on the hob" test you'll find it's opening far too early if indeed it's closing at all. Given that your cooling circuit is now operating correctly with a new thermostat the old one must be the culprit.

[mickthefitter]

I think I checked the old stat in a pan with a thermometer my old dad lent me in 2016, when I had all the water pump out. It is definitely opening and closing. Pre-re cored rad, that gauge needle sat in the middle of the dial until I tried to push the sickly 'Bitch' faster than it wanted to go ie 40mph. That's when the panic set in. When I limped back from the Nats at Quorn I had to pull off the M1 and rest the car at Donington Services before it went into meltdown, and I was only 4 miles from home at that point! The re cored rad did away with all that but like I've said, it takes longer than it should to run properly off the choke and if the ambient temperature is about 10C it never warms up properly. So the 88C stat has overcome that but now, instead of hot water starting to flow into the radiator while the temp gauge is still in the blue, the new stat doesn't seem to open until the engine has reached full temp. Something between the two stats I've tried would be ideal, but may not exist.

[mickthefitter]

That looks a sensible enough running temperature to me. And with your big radiator it should maintain that temperature without too much bother unless you are in the habit of towing caravans up mountains in heatwaves.

I'm a bit nervous because of what went before!

[PHUQ]

...the new stat doesn't seem to open until the engine has reached full temp.

That's exactly how it's supposed to operate- the temperature will fluctuate a little around that point of course as it doesn't react instantly, but the whole point is that they don't open until the engine is up to temperature, or at least the temperature set by the thermostat.

[mickthefitter]

Oh. Okay. My impression from doing coolant changes on other cars I've had is that the stat begins to open before full operating temperature is reached but probably doesn't open fully. The header tanks starting to get warm are what I'm going by. I mean thinking about it, an 82C or 88C stat must begin to open at those marked temperatures but what is the full operating temperature of a typical engine? 95C? Higher? I think my old Merc C200 had the degrees marked out on the dashboard gauge but I can't remember exactly what it ran at now. I think pressurised systems can operate normally in excess of 100C without boiling.

[mickthefitter]

I could do with getting one of those infra red thermometers actually or one of those with a contact pad to see what my engine really runs at. I'll put it on my 'to do' list.

[mickthefitter]

This battery is amazing. Numax 015 bought off the internet. Yesterday I recharged the Oldham 038 that came with my car, that had been in my shed all winter and had been left fully charged, and it took 6-8 hours to reach full charge. This Numax has been on the car all winter (but isolated) had been in use before I laid the car up, then was subject to about two hours of abuse while I was trying to solve the mystery of why my car wouldn't start AGAIN after winter, its had a relatively short boost from three short journeys on the car and I've put it on charge and after less than half an hour it's full. It'll be going straight back on the car.

[mickthefitter]

Wot I call narrow tyres...

I've downsized from 175/70/R13 (with cracked sidewalls) to 155/80/R13. In the hope it makes my steering lighter, and it's closer to original standard spec anyway. I chose Firestone Multihawks, ordered from Asda's tyre sales website and delivered at my chosen appointment time to my local Formula One tyre and exhaust centre near Long Eaton railway station. Ordered online, pick your nominated participating local fitter, pick your appointment time, pay on fitting. In part I chose Firestones because it's what I had fitted to my Mk1 in 1982!

[Morris McKinnon]

Have you greased the top swivels? Could be why your steering is a bit heavy. I ask because for a couple years I only knew about the lower trunnions but had no idea there was grease nipples on the top swivels that need doing too.

[mickthefitter]

Yep, first year I owned it, but I'm going to do it again while its hanging in the air. Autobooks manual reckons that's how you're meant to grease them, while its suspended. Those 175s were fat. Much fatter than the 145s I had on KRB, my main other Marina experience. Fat, and old, and cracking.

[PHUQ]

They are what I put on my Mk2 (size and tyre from memory) and that drove fine to me, although it was the lighter 1300. Lighter than the estate but that was on 185s.

[mickthefitter]

185s? My God! I don't think I'd be able to turn the wheel at parking speeds on mine with those!

[balmy]

My 215’s have much lighter steering than the 185’s that where on it
As I’ve said before, tyres can have a huge effect on many things. Just the size isn’t the full story.

[PHUQ]

Niiiice Lada.

I had no problems with Mud on the 185s, but then my first car was a Land Rover with a very large cast iron block Nissan diesel retro fitted, oversize tyres and very definitely no power steering- I have different standards to most!

In fact I'm debating converting the Triumph to manual steering...

[lock1506]

My coupe is on 185 70s on a set of Wolfies and I have no problem with it.