Interceptor II - 125/5148

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preisman
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by preisman »

Getting the radiator out was more of a pain than I ever expected. The four bolts holding it in place were tough to get to and out. Three came out with a bit of work. The last was not. I ended up drilling it out.
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With that, the radiator came out with ease, with some help from my wife. She was in there wrenching with me the whole time.
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The void. I eventually cleaned up what I could. Part of me wanted to take more off the car to clean everything, but I needed to stay on task. One thing at a time.
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Old vs New
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MkII Interceptor 125/5148 (1971)
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preisman
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by preisman »

I took this time to remove the coolant reservoir and clean it up, and paint. I am glad I did because there was a lot more dirt than I would have expected. I am not looking for perfection with the paint, but better than how it was. Cheers!
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MkII Interceptor 125/5148 (1971)
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preisman
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by preisman »

Radiator back in and one more oddity. The new piece has an extra/different overfill next. This does not exist on the old radiator. I plugged it and seems to be holding up just fine. What sucks is, it's in the way for the top cowl to sit flush over the radiator. It is secure, not moving or anything, but I really wish that was not there. I thought about cutting it off, but for now I will let it stay. I need to figure something out eventually.

With that I topped everything up, and ran it all in. I immediately noticed the difference. I ran the Jensen in the garage for 20-30 minutes and it never ran hot. Previously, it would get too hot in a matter of minutes. The mess of the wiring is leaving us with more work to do. The old fans were never wired to anything. For now we have them hot wired to the battery, which is a pain. We need to go through all the wiring to find where it needs to go. All the wiring in the front of the car is in a tangled mess, wrapped together. The next week or so will be us going through all of it.

For now, I can plug the fans in when I go for a drive. And when I get to where I need to be I just unplug them. Not the best solution, but it works for now.
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MkII Interceptor 125/5148 (1971)
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Richard Calver
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by Richard Calver »

The Interceptor II radiator has an overflow outlet in the filler neck. I see it in your photo of the old radiator from your F-series.

The first Interceptor IIIs had the same arrangement but during the course of G-series builds the outlet was moved to the tank on the other side of the radiator, with a long tube to connect to the overflow bottle. The rationale seems to have been to have the take-off at a slightly higher point in the system so as to keep a larger amount of coolant in the radiator.

From what I can see, your replacement has two outlets, one on the neck and one in the G-series (and up) position. Presumably this is to allow it to be used in different applications. You plug one or the other or remove the one you are not using, I guess.

There were six different radiators used on the Interceptor III. Their evolution is outlined in the Originality Guide. The components are detailed in the Parts Manual. I guess people who make radiators these days are not making exact replacements for all six variants but are making generic units and leaving it to owners to work out what to do.
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Martin R
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by Martin R »

Lovely to see progress being made.
These cars can certainly try their hardest to fight you on occasions!
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preisman
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by preisman »

Richard Calver wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 8:43 am The Interceptor II radiator has an overflow outlet in the filler neck. I see it in your photo of the old radiator from your F-series.

The first Interceptor IIIs had the same arrangement but during the course of G-series builds the outlet was moved to the tank on the other side of the radiator, with a long tube to connect to the overflow bottle. The rationale seems to have been to have the take-off at a slightly higher point in the system so as to keep a larger amount of coolant in the radiator.

From what I can see, your replacement has two outlets, one on the neck and one in the G-series (and up) position. Presumably this is to allow it to be used in different applications. You plug one or the other or remove the one you are not using, I guess.

There were six different radiators used on the Interceptor III. Their evolution is outlined in the Originality Guide. The components are detailed in the Parts Manual. I guess people who make radiators these days are not making exact replacements for all six variants but are making generic units and leaving it to owners to work out what to do.
Yeah, I was looking at the MkIII and noticed they would use the overflow next in the left front of the new radiator. I am using was would have been used originally. The other i plugged. It is in the way, though. Annoyed, I will have to cut it off at some point.
MkII Interceptor 125/5148 (1971)
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preisman
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by preisman »

This past week I took the Jensen to Ax and Allies Automotive in Denver, Colorado.

Concerns needing attention:
Radiator fans and wiring - I installed a new radiator and fans, but I was still having issues with the temp gauge running very hot and the fans not working as expected. The wiring was a complete mess. Another issue was the gauge might be reading high. With all these small issues I thought it was best to have the shop look over everything and do what they can.
The fix was requiring the fans and made them run off the thermostat as they should. I am not sure why it was not set up this way previously. They tested the engine temp often to get a good idea of what the normal operating temp looks like on the gauge. The final step was an odd one. As of now, the AC does not work. And for the most part, I don’t really care all that much. We decided to remove the condenser and fans from in from of the radiator. The idea is to open as much airflow to the radiator as possible. The AC was plugged up to keep it clean. And the parts were bagged up and I will hold on to them in the event I decide to fix or update the AC. With all the changes and info on how the gauge reads, I now feel very confident that the car will stay cool and sage. The route home was a 40-minute drive through rush hour traffic in 90+ degree weather. Fans kicked on as they should and the temp gauge fluctuated in an area I knew was safe. The fans now kick on at 190 degrees and the gauge never goes beyond that point.
Another issue I have had was the hood and trunk. They would not open every time. The hood was very tight from when I bought it. I never played around with it much as I did not want to cause damage. The trunk just would not pop, or unlatch most of the time. They made some small adjustments to get everything working properly. Another goal was the fuel door. They checked a few things and everything seems to be working from the switch to the door. It is just not getting power. And I did not want to spend a ton of time having them go through the dash to fix it. As long as I can get into the trunk and pop it myself, I am fine for now.
I had a small trans leak that was a concern. They tightened up the bolts and there was enough play that they believe it should not be an issue. I will keep an eye out over the next few weeks to ensure that this is all it needs.
The rest of the visit included general maintenance. The car is running as well or better than most cars on the road. I have plenty of receipts from the previous owner and was confident that the car did not need much attention. But, I trust this shop, the owner, and the guys working there. I have met them a few times and talked a lot about the Jensen prior to dropping it off. This was their first experience with an Interceptor and it seemed they enjoyed the challenge.
Saturday I went to a Cars and Coffe in Lafayette, Colorado, about 45 minutes from where I live. This was a good test to see how the new cooling works. The drive there in the morning was nice and cool. No issues at all. The drive home was much hotter and still no issues. It is great to have confidence in the car to go for a long drive. Over the next couple of weeks, I will push the car further to make sure all is good.
I have two big events this month with the car. The first is the Colorado English Motoring Conclave. This two-day event will include a rally in the mountains and a concourse on Sunday. The other event is the Telluride Autumn Classic. We will have to drive over 6 hours to get to Telluride. The event will have another rally and concourse. And of course, another long drive to get home. This event prompted the visit to Ax and Allies. I wanted to make sure the car was ready for such a huge week. As of now, I am feeling confident.
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MkII Interceptor 125/5148 (1971)
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preisman
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by preisman »

My Jensen in on the way to Germany. I will be reunited early next year if everything goes as planned. I am looking to do a few big trips in the next couple of years. France and the Le Mans Classic will be the first trip. I would love to take it to England for a week or so. And if I am feeling very adventurous, Morocco.
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preisman
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by preisman »

And just wanted to share a cool photo...
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by ajc9415 »

Great photo :D
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by preisman »

A short update...

I got the car to Germany, passed TUV with no real issues. And on the way back to the shop the car overheated and blew a head gasket. Months later, the engine is rebuilt, back in the car, runs, and mostly drives. Another week or so to test and tune everything, make sure it's all good to go. With any luck, I will be driving to Switzerland at the end of next week for the Swiss Classic British Car Meet.
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by felixkk »

Very nice, well done!
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preisman
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by preisman »

Got the Jensen back on the road. Engine is running great, but the throttle linkage seems way off. It doesn't want to go more than 25% throttle. I'll have to tinker with that in the coming weekend(s). I did take it out for a short drive around town and took some photos. I can't wait for the winter months to be over so I can do some road trips in Europe next summer. See you out there.
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RockyUSA
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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by RockyUSA »

Looks good!
Your engine was orange when they pulled it out? I thought they were black?

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Re: Interceptor II - 125/5148

Post by preisman »

RockyUSA wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2023 1:24 am Looks good!
Your engine was orange when they pulled it out? I thought they were black?

Rocky (Chuck)
It was not orange, and I did not ask for it to painted as such. A bit annoying.
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