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Charlie Cheap
Charles Johns
Texas
(27 posts)

Registered:
03/12/2014 07:21PM

Main British Car:
1967 Sunbeam Alpine Ford 2.3 Lima (85 Mustang)

Sunbeam with 2.3 Ford and A4LD
Posted by: Charlie Cheap
Date: February 05, 2015 09:34AM

Okay I am back. After a bad head gasket on the 200 six Mustang and fixing "honey-do's" I am back on the sporty car. I realize I joined almost a year ago so I will be donating again soon and hopefully posting pictures of progress. The engine compartment is small so I am wondering if anyone has had problems keeping things cool under the hood. My 65 Mustang six gets hot and sometimes percolates/vapor-locks the little one barrel...even with a heat sink under it and six blade flex fan. Just wondering how others fixed their heat problems!?


Charlie Cheap
Charles Johns
Texas
(27 posts)

Registered:
03/12/2014 07:21PM

Main British Car:
1967 Sunbeam Alpine Ford 2.3 Lima (85 Mustang)

Re: Sunbeam with 2.3 Ford and A4LD
Posted by: Charlie Cheap
Date: February 05, 2015 09:55AM

I forgot to say I got the A4LD with lockup torque converter so a button on the shifter will be used to lock it up once in 4th gear. A computer did it automatically in the Mustang but the Beam will not have electronics. My degree is in electronics and after 30 or so years chasing electrons I am done with that stuff! You can't see the little buggers without special tools but mechanical stuff is visual! Those points are burned! That rotor is bent! The plugs are fouled! The high-speed jet is plugged! After hooking up a code-reader one might be pointed in the right direction with computer controlled injection/timing but even then "Is it the O2 sensor, or is the computer on the fritz THINKING it is the O2 sensor?" Anyway, at best I will have a magnetic triggered distributor but keep POINTS in the trunk...just in case!


Sidecardoug
Doug Rowe
Northern Nevada
(51 posts)

Registered:
07/04/2012 05:09PM

Main British Car:
1969 TR-6 Ford 302

Re: Sunbeam with 2.3 Ford and A4LD
Posted by: Sidecardoug
Date: June 02, 2017 07:36PM

Two of the biggest issues with keeping it cool ( especially at low speeds, in traffic! ) are getting the trapped hot air out from under the hood (bonnet) and air bubbles in the upper radiator hose. If the radiator cap is lower than any part of the cooling system, this can cause air bubbles. One cure can be found at Summit Racing or Jeg's - a filler cap that fits in the upper radiator hose. This item is basically a short length of metal tube with a filler neck in the middle of it. One cuts the upper radiator hose at it's highest point, installs the tube/filler, and a radiator cap that is rated a pound or 3 lower than the cap on the radiator. If you have room, a surge tank can also help.

Either ceramic coating the headers or using a wrap like DEI can help keep exhaust heat in the pipe and out of the engine compartment. Louvering the hood ( bonnet ) will help get heat out as well. - if you don't want to do that, perhaps louvers or vents in the inner fenders will help. Of course, a strong electric fan is a must !
Hope this helps !
Doug


61 Sunbeam
Rocco Lojac

(2 posts)

Registered:
01/09/2011 08:45PM

Main British Car:


Re: Sunbeam with 2.3 Ford and A4LD
Posted by: 61 Sunbeam
Date: June 10, 2017 09:57AM

Any pics of the 2.3 install ?
especially the header and exhaust
I am getting started on the exhaust on my 2.3 Alpine
Thanks
Rocco


pspeaks
Paul Speaks
Dallas, Texas
(698 posts)

Registered:
07/20/2009 06:40PM

Main British Car:
1972 MGB-GT 1979 Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Sunbeam with 2.3 Ford and A4LD
Posted by: pspeaks
Date: July 23, 2017 10:29AM

CJ is in the process of moving at the moment and I'm sure he will return as soon as he gets his head above water.

Paul


Tiger2Dan
Dan Richardson
Greenwood, SC 29649
(8 posts)

Registered:
02/04/2018 12:16PM

Main British Car:
1967 Sunbeam Alpine Series V ST Colour Code 106 FORD (Cologne) 2.8 V6

Re: Sunbeam with 2.3 Ford and A4LD
Posted by: Tiger2Dan
Date: February 04, 2018 04:18PM

OK WHere are you CJ?

I'm interested in the arrangement you did to make the A4LD work? As you know I'm wanting to mate one of my 2.8 V6's to the A4LD...
Quote...."A4LD with lockup torque converter so a button on the shifter will be used to lock it up once in 4th gear..Unquote.


Charlie Cheap
Charles Johns
Texas
(27 posts)

Registered:
03/12/2014 07:21PM

Main British Car:
1967 Sunbeam Alpine Ford 2.3 Lima (85 Mustang)

Re: Sunbeam with 2.3 Ford and A4LD
Posted by: Charlie Cheap
Date: November 09, 2018 07:42PM

Tiger2Dan, I am sorry man. I moved and then while building a new shop at my new home, I got ripped-off for about $11,000.00. I had to finish the work myself using the $$$ I had stashed for the Sunbeam. My shop is finished but now I am on a very strict budget and needing stuff to equip my shop. I probably lost close to $3,000.00 in tools and equipment during the move also. It looks like storing Sportscar/Automobile/Tools in storage buildings for many months, leads to Magic Disappearance of those items. You guys can probably handle a fourteen grand loss, but NOT ME! I am stripping the body now and fitting the motor-trans, but it will be weeks before the driveline is in. The button for the lock-up is a ON button, not just a momentary one. Once back off the highway, push it back off. I tried to attach a pix but it says I can't go over 600KB, and mine must be. Sorry folks.



tvrgeek
Scott Stubblefield
Hillsborough, NC
(16 posts)

Registered:
01/25/2019 11:53AM

Main British Car:
73 Stag TR 3.0

Re: Sunbeam with 2.3 Ford and A4LD
Posted by: tvrgeek
Date: January 25, 2019 11:57AM

I am looking at an Alpine as my next project, old guy car so automatic and AC is required. I see the 2.8 is a common idea as wall as the sightly larger Chevy 2.6, but was wondering about the 2.3 with automatic.

BTY, I believe there are aftermarket controllers to manage the lockup. I was thinking about using an Arduino microcontroller to monitor speed and TPS.


mgb260
Jim Nichols
Sequim,WA
(2461 posts)

Registered:
02/29/2008 08:29PM

Main British Car:
1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8

Re: Sunbeam with 2.3 Ford and A4LD
Posted by: mgb260
Date: January 25, 2019 04:09PM

Scott, Sign on to the SAOCA forum for tons of info on the Alpine. I have a 65 Series4 in addition to my 73 MGB roadster.


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