What's up with the Radiator..???

[73super]

Why doesn't this stinkin' radiator have a opening on the top? How are you suppose to flush and fill it? I don't care for it much and would like to find something else to fit in there... any ideas?[xx(]

Butch
78 Spitfire
77 TR7 coupe

[John Clancy]

Does the thermostat housing on this 1977 model have a filler plug in it? If so, fill the cooling system through that. But if you are new to the car I would recommend removing the water hoses to the radiator and flushing it through first.

When filling the system ensure you have at least 30% corrosion inhibiting antifreeze at all times as the lack of this is the main cause of the TR7's inherent head gasket weakness. Take your time when filling through the thermostat housing otherwise you'll get coolant everywhere. When you think it's full block the filler orifice with your palm or thumb and pump a couple of the hoses to get any air out. You should then be able to add more coolant so repeat this proceedure until the overflow bottle or expansion tank is half full.

Any problems give me a shout.

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[Peter Nuss]

The engine sits higher than the radiator in TR7's. It would not serve any purpose to have a radiator cap or fill point in the radiator. Upgrade it to a never expansion tank system used on later cars. Then take the radiator to a shop and have it flowed tested and cleaned. Also, to flush a cooling system it needs to be back flushed, I don't see how having a fill point would aid in that when it already has a orifice for the upper hose on it.

TR8