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[hdefer]

My TR3A has what seems  to be a common  problem in California. On a hot days, in  busy traffic, it tends to  overheat while idling, even with a reconditioned radiator. So far, it has only been marginal with the temperature not having been over the mid-eighties yet.
What results have you guys had with those "water wetters" that are on the market with some impressive claims. Are there any cons? Or is the only way to  resort to an electric fan(Hayden)?

Hans

[charley fitch]

I used water wetter for awhile when I was having a problem with over heating.  I suspect that it helped a very slight bit.  I would not attribute any real solution as a result of using it.  Are you aware of and done some of the other things to help the system keep cooler?  Of course the worst situation is the one you are referring to, being stuck in traffic.  I am guessing that the only way to solve that problem is with the electric fan.

By the way I also live in N. Calif. where it gets up to 120 degrees. 
Charley Fitch 

[tr3bGeorge]

First, Water Wetter DOES work, and someone who got past Chemistry 101 can tell you why.  (Something to do with metal molecules and ions.)

Moving on, Charley is right:  Water Wetter alone is not going to fix your problem.  I live in Texas.  'Nuff said.  To get a handle on my cooling problem, I went the whole gamut of options.  (Although, I have an electric cooling fan, it could use an upgrade.)  I started with reducing the size of the opening thru the radiator bypass, by closing it completely with JB Weld, then drilling it open with a 1/4" hole.  Next, I upgraded the original water pump (more blades on the impeller).  To open the thermostat earlier, I put a 160º thermostat in and set the thermostat on the electric fan as low as it would go, about 160º. 

Also, you can get a little better coolant flow thru the block by keeping your heater valve OPEN.  There is a circulation problem with cylinders #3 and #4, so every little bit of circulation helps.

Good luck.  In this constant 100+º Texas heat, my temperature stays on the 200-205º line on my temp guage.  I got caught in a traffic jam on the Interstate Saturday, and it didn't go above that line, but I was surely worried.  Finally, I took an off-ramp to be on the safe side.

Also, I have been told by people in the know to use a 20:80 ratio coolant instead of the standard 50:50.  Like I mentioned before, my electric fan is the "bottom" grade of 3 fans available - I will probably upgrade later this summer.

Enjoy your summer!  I am !!!!

[TR3driver]

My experience with Water Wetter was similar; not enough difference to notice.

But there are other alternatives to an electric fan.  My Dad tweaked up his stock fan to have more pitch, and reported that it worked well.  Others have installed more aggressive fans from later Triumphs (including the "tropical" fan that was reputedly available from dealers when our TRs were new).

I suspect that adding a fan shroud would make a large difference.  I was going to try that on my TR3, but when I discovered that the original radiator was leaking AGAIN, I just went ahead and put the Hayden on. 

Surprisingly enough, it's actually doing OK so far with just the stock generator.  The fan only needs to run for a minute or less and then shut off, so the generator gets a chance to recharge the battery.  But I still follow my old habit of shutting the engine off if I know I'm going to be idling for more than a minute (waiting for a train, or got to the light just as it turned red).