Header Tank Leak

[Spectatohead]

I had a small leak on the header tank. It was on the seam under the clamp. It only leaked when the engine was hot and the system was pressurized. I took it to a local radiator shop and they soldered the seam and repainted the tank all nice and pretty. However, they must not have done a pressure check or even filled it with coolant because once I had it back in the car and filled it was leaking with a cold engine and no pressure. Upon further examination I found that it was now leaking from where the coolant level sensor hooks up. They apparently melted the seal here while they were soldering.

The question I have for our vast knowledge base is, How difficult is it to replace this seal? Is it the same part on both the TR7 and TR8? Victoria British shows a listing for the 7 but not the 8, I find it difficult to believe that they would be different. They call it a "coolant probe bush" and show it fits '80 and '81 TR7s. I was under the impression that the late model 7s used the same tank as the 8s.

As always any help and/or insight is greatly appreciated.

Jim Clark
'80 TR8
'97 Maxima 5spd

[Underdog]

I checked in my trusty old TRF catalog which is mostly a reprint of the factory parts book. Shows the bush #C43221 as the same for FI TR8 and 79 onwards TR7.

Funny thing is, my car is an original 1980 carb car and has the coolant sensor. According to the parts book, it isn't supposed to be there. [?]

72 MGB BRG
80 TR8 Persian Aqua
If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

[FI Spyder]

I believe they added the sensor around the time they moved the tank from the RH side to the LH side. My 1980 Spider has tank on left with sensor, my TCT '79 build date with tank on RH side does not.



TR7 Spider - 1978 Spifire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra

[V8Wedgehead]

The seal is the same for the TR7/8. The TR8s with the excepiton of the coupes have the sensor. It is real simple to install too.

Michael
1980 TR8 FHC/Works Rally Project

If it is broken then fix it....if it is not then make it faster!"

[Spectatohead]

I found one locally for a couple bucks. I'm going out tomorrow to get it. They are on the other side of town, 30 miles each way. I'll probably spend more on fuel for the trip than the part. My car is a carbureted 1980 TR8 with out AC, VIN TPVDV8AT206077. The tank is on the right side. I'm going to try to pay attention to how other 8s are set up when I see them. It may have varied by something like who was working that station on the line that day. Who knows? Thanks for the responses.

Jim Clark
'80 TR8
'97 Maxima 5spd

[jclay (RIP 2018)]

The Fiat Spiders use the same probe and seals.

Also, the retainer plate can be installed backwards, but it will not hold pressure that way, so make sure you have it on properly.

jclay

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[Beans]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by jclay</i>

... the retainer plate can be installed backwards ...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Do I miss something here, or am I on the point of learning something new on TR7's (as I have never seen a retainer plate on a header tanks probe) [:I]

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
1980 TR7 DHC (my first car currently being restored)
In parts a 1980 TR7 PI DHC, 1981 TR7 DHC, 1981 TR7 FHC</font id="blue">
<font color="red">http://tr7beans.blogspot.com/</i></font id="red"></center>

[V8Wedgehead]

I have never seen a retainer plate on the sensor either. All TR8s with the exception of the ACN00XX came with the TR7 plastic bottle but were replaced in a service bulletin and the fuel injected cars have the header tank mounted on the right side inner fender. The fuel injected cars is mounted on the alternator bracket. The fuel injected bracketry is different than the standard carbed TR8s which the carbed TR8 were also different from the TR7s.

Michael
1980 TR8 FHC/Works Rally Project

If it is broken then fix it....if it is not then make it faster!"

[Spectatohead]

Mine did not have a retainer plate. It turns out the local source didn't actually have the right bush. The original works very much like a "Push/Pull Grommet and Plunger" type latch commonly used in computer equipment. Except in this case the Grommet doesn't have 4 legs and the Plunger is the Coolant Level Probe. The shop had to order it for me. Cheaper than VB's but I still made a 60 mile trip for nothing. I'm tempted to just take it back to the radiator shop and have them solder a plate over the hole. I'm not going to, but I was tempted.

Jim Clark
'80 TR8
'97 Maxima 5spd