"overheating" problem

[chase223]

I have a 68 series IIa ive been working on for the past 4 or 5 months and just recently got it on the road. I got the gauges and everything hooked up and started to notice that when under load, the temperature rises, then goes back down when at idle. I read that this might be a problem with the voltage stabilizer? Also notice that the fuel gauge will go all the way down with the temp gauge when at idle occasionally, then rise back up together when load increase and I feel that these might be related? Just curious to see if anyone could shed some more light on the subject, I searched around a bit and might have just over looked the answer, but I'm feeling a little bit better knowing that it might not actually be overheating.

also since this is my first post I figured I would share a picture of her, shes come a long ways but still has a ways to go

first is the day she got trailed back after sitting for a few years outside, second is current day.

thanks in advance

[SafeAirOne]

Do you have an alternator or a generator (this is a "pick one" question, not a "yes or no" question).

[chase223]

generator, thought about going the alternator route for awhile, but decided to stick with the generator for now after figuring out my "charging issue" was just a wire that had fallen off along the way. I also re read my original post and noticed it said regulator, I meant to say stabilizer, the voltage regulator got replaced and haven't had any issues with that, I just got the two mixed up

[SafeAirOne]

If your generator is putting out less than 10v at idle, the gauges, which require an average of 10v or more volts to read correctly, will read proportionally low.

[chase223]

still confused as to why a faulty stabilizer would cause a high reading at load and back to normal at idle, if that is the problem, however, and why it would affect only temp and not fuel, unless I'm actually overheating, but it seems like from what I read it only affects peoples temp gauges no one said anything about fuel

[o2batsea]

2A didn't have temp gauge, so whatever is there was put there by the PO. That kinda makes me wonder what kind of wiring issues there may be with this thing. A pic of the dash with the gauges in question would help.

[chase223]

never heard they didn't have a temp gauge, all the wiring diagrams I have looked at show a temp gauge in them

[o2batsea]

There's early 2A and late 2A. Early 2A was a bit more sparse if you can believe it. Yours must be a suffix D or later. This will have a voltage stabilizer behind the dash that supplies a steady 10V to the temp and fuel gauge. This may be your problem if it is pooped out.
It will make the gauges read all kookoo. You can get another from RN, Mossmotors, Britishwiring, triple-C, Rovahfarm, blah blah blah...

[chase223]

ill add one to the next order, parked anyways until I order parts to fix the puking swivels and gaskets to put cooling system back together... even if it doesn't fix it, its not going to hurt, the one in there looking pretty nasty

[bugeye88]

Chase,

If it's a actual cooling issue and not a electrical one, first do you have a fan shroud in place? If not, think of adding an electrical fan with a thermostat . I have a 68/69 series 2a and am missing the fan shroud. I found the electric fan with a thermostat was a good solution to any heating issues.

Cheers,
Rob
Bugeye88

[chase223]

it has a fan shroud, guess I will need to hunt down a thermometer and check my temps at different points

[bugeye88]

The fan I'm talking about is thermostatically controlled and can be adjusted to come on before you get too hot. A laser temp measuring gun can tell you what temp you are running at the radiator's hottest point.

Rob

[chase223]

well new thermostat came today along with my swivel seals, pinion seal, etc etc etc, so I went ahead and threw the new thermostat in, as well as soldering in a solid state voltage stabilizer and getting rid of the 50+ year old rover stabilizer. drove it around for 30-40 minutes and no "overheating" issues at all and ran great. next up replacing all those leaky seals