Home 
> Jensen Healey & Jensen GT Tech > Cooling > water temp gauge and voltage stabilizer

 Moderated by: Greg Fletcher  
AuthorPost
my75jh5
Member


Joined: 04-04-2005
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 4
Status: 
Offline
I've got a 75 JH5 and live in Wisconsin.  I've had the car for about 6 years and always have had the slightly high temp readings when it gets hot here (which unfortunately is only about 3 months a year).  At idle it will stay about half way, but driving and especially on the interstate it will climb to about 3/4 or a little more.  I still have the two core radiator, but before I spend money on that I would like to find out if it is something else.  I did switch the thermostat a few years back and also use the water wetter stuff.

I saw a lot of comments about the voltage stabilizer creating problems.  How hard is that to replace ?  Where is it, is it under the dash or in the engine compartment.  Also, where do you get one from ?

Nothing ever is in the overflow container so I'm assuming it's not boiling over.  It just gives me an uncomfortable feeling watching it inch it's way up...

Thanks in advance.  Dave

John Finch
Member
 

Joined: 08-01-2005
Location: Minneapolis MN
Posts: 122
Status: 
Offline
Search the JHPS site for voltage stabilizer. There are some photos and good reference infor for you. Basically its behind the fuel and temp gauges. You have to pull the instrument pod to get easy access.

Plus here is a post I made awhile back with info for a SS replacement.

I bought one in Oct 2005 from Edgar Esslinger at esslinger@charter.net on ebay for $20.00. Works great so far. It was listed as a Triumph TR4 Solid State Gauge Regulator on ebay. Try an ebay search. Also, Ed's seller ID on ebay is coolsunbeam  

Good luck John

ps I am in Mpls where is WI are you?

Mark Rosenbaum
Member


Joined: 03-12-2005
Location: Kingman, Arizona USA
Posts: 532
Status: 
Offline
my75jh5 wrote: [...]At idle it will stay about half way, but driving and especially on the interstate it will climb to about 3/4 or a little more.[...]

Depending on the exact temperatures involved, that sounds to me like normal behavior for a JH engine in warm weather.  Under normal street driving conditions, coolant temperature will be about 100°F above the surrounding air temperature.  

Engine operating temperature is also sensitive to ignition timing.  If you set the timing at idle to somewhere between 8° BTDC and 12° BTDC, and plug the hose to the vacuum retard capsule, your baseline coolant temperature may decrease by as much as 20°F.

Some of the post-JH water pumps used in Lotus cars have improved impellers that offer much greater coolant flow.  One of these, and a bit of smoothing to the rectangular coolant opening in the engine block, should eliminate virtually any cooling problem not caused by a mechanical fault or gross mis-tuning of the engine.

my75jh5
Member


Joined: 04-04-2005
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 4
Status: 
Offline
John and Mark - Thanks for the input.  I think I'll save looking at replacing the voltage stabilizer until after the driving season.  I do feel better that my car's behavior may be closer to normal...I am just so used to thinking that if a car's temp gauge starts going past half way, that there's something wrong.

John - I've updated the location in my profile, but I'm in a western suburb of Milwaukee.

Thanks again.

John Finch
Member
 

Joined: 08-01-2005
Location: Minneapolis MN
Posts: 122
Status: 
Offline
Hi Dave, actually I saw Milwaukee in the left margin after I sent the email. The Mpls Lotus car club I belong to likes to drive the coulees around Alma, Fountain City and LaCrosse. Haven't had the opportunity to drive those roads in the JH but have for work. Should be fun a little lower to the ground. Not sure how far out you get but I'll drop a line when I am headed that way just in case we might want to connect. Best of luck with your project and enjoy the good driving weather. (finally)

John

 



UltraBB 1.172 Copyright © 2007-2011 Data 1 Systems