Recommendation for “foam” gasket for S2 radiator “

Hi all

My S1.5 is running a bit warm, just beyond the L in “Normal” on the gage, getting close to red… one thing I understand is to install the gasket material on top of the radiator to better direct flow through the radiator. Does anyone have a recommendation?

You want this piece:

https://www.sngbarratt.com/us/#!/English/parts/c9fb70d9-7014-48f2-9c94-65b2e91ca1e3

I suppose if one were handy with an electric carving knife and had a piece of foam rubber of the proper size one could make one instead of ordering one. The electric carving knife you used on the Thanksgiving turkey is great for cutting foam rubber.

Bob- the item that John has linked to will be fully functional for helping to keep the air moving through the radiator, but if you compete concours you will lose points as the original was tan in color not gray. I’ve not found a tan one (but I don’t care as I’m not competing in concours for points).

Part # BD 31996 is the foam piece that sits on top the radiator, forcing air through the radiator rather than flowing above. About $18.00 at the usual suppliers, I have had mine for years but also have a Rod Davis aluminum radiator. Living in Southern Arizona we take cooling very seriously.

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Bob
If you are looking for a easy fix for running hot the foam will not make a difference. I ran for many years without the foam and engine did not run hot.
What is going to make a difference is a clean cooling system, good operating fans, good pressure cap. Also good operating water pump and engine not running too lean. If gauge and sending unit are accurate you will be boiling over if beyond “L”
Glenn

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Same here. I have it , never use it and never overheat.
However, SII’s benefit from an improved cooling system.

Marco

I tend to agree too. You want to have the foam but if your engine is running too hot I expect it will take more than that to fix the problem.

I bought mine to drive and in Tucson that means in 100°+ weather - so I did everything I could from the start rather than incrementally trying things… clean block, new aluminum radiator, new water pump, Coolcat fans and of course the foam in place. Result is a temp gauge that sits right in the middle in all conditions.

First thing I would do though is use an IR gun to confirm what the gauge is telling you.

Bob starting around this time of year in Houston my 68 would also get up into the range you mention. I do not have AC. I re-did the radiator, water pump, system flush mentioned above but the real solution for me was the Coolcat fans. It now hangs around the MA in NORMAL. I do not have the foam piece but it does have that piece of jute- like material above the grill in front of the radiator to plug up that gap. I should probably get that foam though since seems like it would help more air go thru the radiator especially at higher speeds.

David
68 E-type FHC

1st don’t trust the gauge. Some read high. Set up a temporary, independent coolant temperature readout.
2nd make sure your radiator is flushed.
3rd check fan operation.

Foam seal is a small knob. Fans are the big knob.

Enjoy.

You’ve got that right.

In addition to the gauge I have an LCD strip on the manifold and a flat black target for checking with the IR gun.

Last year I drained some coolant, removed the sending unit and suspended it in a pan of water on a hot plate. Jumper wires connected the sending unit to the wiring harness. A digital and mechanical thermometer were next to the sending unit. I heated the water and compared the thermometer readings with the needle location on the gauge. None of that changed how well the system worked but it bought me peace of mind to know what the gauge was actually telling me.

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Im with Mellow and John W on this……
I pulled out the foam because sitting in NEW YORK traffic, I wanted as much hot air escaping!
Next the digital reader does not lie.
Change the antifreeze more often, DONT OVER MIX the antifreeze, it will sludge everything up.
Good luck
gtjoey1314

somebody here on the forum make a clever little clip to attach the foam to the radiator rather than using glue. hopefully that thread can be located.

I second Jerry’s points here. A fully shrouded pair of fans on a series two isn’t going to gather much more air because of a piece of foam over the radiator. It woukd however in slow traffic, help stop the pull of hot air exiting the shroud right back over the top of the radiator, and that could really make a difference.

Same with the stepped alloy baffle below and in front of the rad. People leave it out or fit it wrong without knowing what they are doing. Saying you want the max of hot air to escape is nonsense if it hasn’t gone through the radiator fins and removed heat from the coolant. The foam is important in NOO YOIK traffic for exactly that reason. I just replaced an XJ12 rad where the fit is much closer and even there Jag stuffed foam all around the radiator into tiny gaps.

The thing I would alter from stock is to insert a vertical partition between the two S2/S3 fans. It doesn’t enhsnce normal cooling but will buy you some headroom if one fan goes out in traffic. by not pulling air sideways instead of through the matrix…

To me it’s just trapping the heat and another reason the paint bubbles and cracks around the vents

Like a ridge vent on a roof

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Getting the air OUT of an E-Type bonnet is definitely a problem, but you won’t accomplish a thing by allowing it to be pushed out in front of the radiator. Jaguar made this tough. On the S2, you have panels that prevent air from escaping out the bottom, and the foam blanket keeps it from escaping through the transmission tunnel. So the primary exit is the louvers, where the paint does tend to bubble. If you were going to remove something to improve airflow, it would have to be the bottom panels.

That said, S1E-Types had no foam atop their radiators, and the same bonnet contours. And many, if not most of us run without this piece. So omitting it isn’t a disaster.

I use AC foam for homes from Lowe’s, cut length to fit and stuff into the hole.

On another S1, I put metal pieces on the sides of the radiator that had large holes, this
directed the air into the radiator along with the foam pieces. It get to 114F here in So Cal and
my car does not overheat. and we use AC 300+ days per year…have the Jaguar gauge and another that reads off the intake

manifold, plus the rear view mirror (upgraded to Genco) has the outside temp air. Picture shows the metal plates and the foam in
place on the top.

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Agree it’s not a disaster, other things bring equal. Both models had the radiator stone guard frame blanking off the fop contoured section and only admitting air under a straight edge level with the top of the finned core. Is the S2 mesh further forward (i.e. a less effective air dam) because of leaving room for a condenser?

S1 and S2 use identical under panels and tunnel foam, no? That still leaves the vents, rear hump vent and whole side spaces between the sump and frame rails and the sides of the gearbox. Did Lightweights use lower panels?

I put 135,00 miles on my wonderful 1970 series 2

I deleted the foam deleted the bottom splash shields , used a series3 xj6 exhaust shield and an aluminum rad and the car ran perfect