RESTORATION OF SMITHS HEATERS AS FITTED TO A 1960 TRIUMPH TR-3A
Triumph offered Smiths heaters as an optional accessory in all side screen TR’s. The diagram below
shows a schematic of the heating circuit, which is fed from the cylinder head through valve (7) through the
heater core, then returning to the water pump through fitting (12). These heaters were fairly trouble free
when coolant was changed on a regular basis, and if the cooling system and heater were flushed
annually. Most problems involve a plugged core or some type of electrical malfunction. This article will
provide a simple step by step procedure for (1) checking the heater for proper function, (2) dismantling
the heater for examination of components and (3) refinishing and reassembly.
Smiths heater as installed in TR-2, 3, 3A, 3B and 4
Smiths heater and interconnecting system as fitted to Triumph TR3A
Smiths heater as fitted to my 1960 TR3A
It really helps to have access to a blasting cabinet / compressor. I invested in one a couple of years ago,
and believe me it gets plenty of use. For these heaters , disassembly is very easy as no special tools are
required. The biggest challenge is finding parts if you need something that's missing. For example, the
little plastic handles on the doors are not available. One of mine was chipped badly. Luckily, I had a
second heater unit that had one perfect handle. So, like many restoration challenges , sometimes it takes
two or more units to make one good one. Begin disassembly of the heater by removing the 3 spring clips
as shown below. These clips hold the top and bottom end units in place, with the core clamped between
them.
1 2
Top plate - steel
spring clips bottom housing – cast
frame - steel alum.
3 4
Inlet and outlet tubes
Left / right duct diverter
Right-angle duct
cast alum
heater vent doors - closed
5
Once you remove the three spring clips, the bottom blower
housing lifts off easily. This will reveal the core, fan blade and
motor
heater vent doors open
2
7
6
9
8
by simply removing three nuts the mounting frame easily lifts off providing access to fan motor
frame attachment studs
11
10
these bolts attach fan motor housing to end motor end plate
plate
6 screws - motor end plate to
motor housing
3
12
motor with end plate removed
13
motor – fan end shown (fan removed)
4
14 15
Brushes and commentator
These wires need to be un-
soldered In order to remove
rotor.
16
17
BRUSHES
BRUSH
HOLDER
Rotor removed from motor and mounted in lathe for
skimming of the commutator
18
5
New Smiths nameplate
available from internet
suppliers
Restored Heater ready to be mounted in TR3A
6
Photo 18 shows the rotor mounted in my lathe. It was necessary to skim the commutator to restore the
surface and improve operation. This operation was not done with a cutting tool. I used medium crocus cloth,
which is an iron-oxide coated abrasive cloth, used as a polishing agent.
This is a good time to examine the motor brushes. These are made of carbon and wear down in normal
use. In this motor design it is not possible to inspect the motor brushes by unscrewing a cap on the out of
the motor. Unfortunately you must remove the entire motor housing. Visually, a brush that needs
replacement will show a dramatically uneven face, with discoloration in one spot, and, more likely, chipping
on an edge. It's important to note, however, that it's usually not ideal to remove and reinstall brushes
without good reason. However, since most of these heaters were built over 40 years ago, it’s a good idea to
replace the brushes now. I could not find a direct source of original Smiths motor brushes. I ended up
removing one of the brushes and taking it to a motor repair shop. He sold me a couple of brushes for a few
dollars. These were slightly oversize in all three dimensions, so I simply filed them down to size.
After attending to the commutator , the rotor can be inserted back into the motor housing. Now the field
winding wires need to be re-soldered to the commutator. This is followed by a test of the motor before you
completely re-assemble the heater. I temporally reconnected the fan and connected the motor to a 12 volt
DC power supply. You can use your car battery but be sure to put a fuse in series. I recommend a fuse
size no larger than 5 amps. With the fan attached and with new brushes the motor was connected to a 12
volt DC supply. I measured just under 2 amps. In actual operation you may measure higher current
because the fan will have more load when shrouded by the heater core.
Reassembly of the heater is simply the reversal of disassembly and is very straight forward. Prior to
mounting the heater back in the TR I added an in line fuse (10 amps) for added safety. Be sure to replace
all hoses and hose clamps. There are documented reports of serious burns (to particularly sensitive areas
of the human anatomy) that occurred when an old hose burst or clamp let loose. For added authenticity
ribbed heater hoses are available from a few of the major suppliers. In addition you can replace the old
faded nameplate of your heater with a new one. I found a supplier of these nameplates on eBay.
I am often asked if new replacement motors are available for these heaters. The answer is no. So unless
you have can cannibalize another heater you have problems. However, I have yet to find a motor which was
not repairable. Usually a skim of the commutator and new brushes will bring these units back to life. In the
event that the motor is a total loss and a spare is not available, it may be possible to find a modern
replacement unit that fits. I am currently working on a retrofit unit based on a modern permanent magnet DC
motor similar to those used to cool portable electronic equipment. I hope to have a report on this in the near
future.
I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any questions I can be contacted at
trtags@[Link].
Best regards,
Frank Angelini
