Puking Antifreeze

[KULTULZ]

I haven't checked the rad cap but I think it is OK.

Have your cap tested for relief pressure- 14# and insure the cap gasket has no tears and seats fully against the expansion tank filler tube stop.

When coolant cools, it contracts. The filler cap will open enough to allow outside air to enter to equalize the pressure within the system. This injested air will be burped (yes, I have a limited vocabulary) once the system is again at full operation temperature (coolant expansion). This continual cycling may introduce air pockets within the cooling system that are hard for the system to expell. The only true way to prevent this is to install a closed overflow bottle whereas it will accept the overflow and allow coolant makeup without exposing the system to the atmosphere (this is after ascertaining the cooling system has no leaks).

You may also be experiencing shut-down heat soak whereas the coolant cannot rid itself of heat immediately as it is no longer circulating. The relief pressure of the cap allows release of this increased pressure. The overflow bottle will also handle this.

There is an early seventies overflow bottle offered that will appear as somewhat correct in an earlier installation.

[Howard Prout]

The only true way to prevent this is to install a closed overflow bottle whereas it will accept the overflow and allow coolant makeup without exposing the system to the atmosphere (this is after ascertaining the cooling system has no leaks).

There is an early seventies overflow bottle offered that will appear as somewhat correct in an earlier installation.

Great idea - I don't know if I would ever have thought of that. Thanks

[KULTULZ]

This is a Universal Coolant Recovery Bottle-



Source- http://www.dormanproducts.com/cgi-bi...01&vtime=38933

Measurements- 7.5" X 4.2" X 8.2"

You can cruise the salvage yards to see if you can find one that fits more nicely, but this should prevent the discharge. It shouldn't detract from the engine compartment appearance too badly.

[Howard Prout]

Thanks for the info. By my calculations, that bottle holds just over one US gallon - which should be more than enough. I see that JC Whitney also has a couple of universal coolant overflow bottles. I'm going to take my battery out and measure the space I have below it and then visit a salvage yard to see if I can find anything that will fit. If so, I could tuck it away into an innocuous space.

[KULTULZ]

Howard,

The one shown is 11-12 bucks on the internet. Check AMAZON.

[GTE427]

Howard,

look at this thread for additional ideas for a period correct looking system that have been done by others.

http://www.squarebirds.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=5211&highlight=coolant+recovery

[GTE427]

Howard, be sure to look at all the links. Alexendar posted links for the chrome cylinder style overflows commonly found on Street Rods. After seeing the pictures of your engine compartment, the chrome overflow will look right at home in your car. Lots of options out there.

[Howard Prout]

I obviously missed some key words when I tried to search this topic. I thought there must have been a lot of traffic on this topic given the prevelance of cooling problems with these vehicles, and now I see there has been. Some of the initiatives have been very interesting.

I'm still testing my system. At least part of my problem may have been related to refilling the system after having had the rad out to instal the fan shroud. I don't think I got all of the air out of the system initially - but I think I do now. At least I am no longer getting any overflow when I bring the engine up to operating temperature and then let it cool down. But I haven't road tested it yet.

After some more thought, I don't think putting the recovery bottle under the battery is such a good idea. I like the idea offered by others of the front left corner. But I don't think I have enough room there given the proximitry of the P/S pump and the A/C compressor. It may be that a 352 leaves a little more room in the area than a 430. Also it would be a bit awkward running a line to there from the expansion tank. At the moment I am thinking about mounting the recovery bottle out in the open on the right inner fender behind the solenoid.

[YellowRose]

Puking Antifreeze

Hey Ken!

I spent about an hour going through the posts that Alexander made over the years. I did not see anything on a chrome cylinder style overflow tank! But then again, after looking at 14 pages of postings by Alexander, my eyes are going around in circles. If you have the link to it, please post it!

For the newer members, and us older ones also, if you are looking for a particular subject to get information on, click on Alexander's name in any post that was started by him. Click on Posts by Alexander and you will probably find every subject one could talk about regarding our Tbirds and then some! They are listed by subject he was talking about, and they go on for 14 pages! Get a cup of coffee because there is soooo much to learn from him, even though he is no longer physically with us. He lives on in his Words of Wisdom he left us with.

[Howard Prout]

Here are two of the links provided by Alexander.

http://www.streetrodstuff.com/Products/491/

http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?N=400304+303017&autoview=sku

I think they are actually polished aluminum, not chrome plated. If you search through Alexander's posts on this topic (coolant recovery)you will find one with three links in it. The above are two of those links. The third link is no longer active.

[Howard Prout]

I visited a number of recycling yards yesterday and found a nice coolant recovery bottle on a Honda Odyessy but the guy wanted $50 so I declined. I eventually went to CarQuest and they had a nice unit sitting on the shelf for $20. It only holds 1.5 US quarts, but I think that is enough. As you can see it tucks into the front LH corner rather nicely. If you look closely at the middle picture you can see the hose coming from the expansion tank, it crosses behind the A/C compressor and into the bottom of the recovery bottle. The overflow line from the recovery bottle runs down the left side of the rad. I secured the bottle to the left hood hinge spring housing with a long worm style hose clamp - so no holes had to be drilled, etc. Now I have to wait and see what happens when I road test it.

[Howard Prout]

As a tinkerer I often seem to have misadventures. My wife takes this in stride and repeatedly says to look for the simple things first. She is usually right, and she was again on this issue. After installing the coolant recovery system, I still had a coolant leak - in the same area as before below where the overflow tube from the expansion tank had been - but that could no longer be the cause because the overflow hose is now on the other side of the radiator. On closer examination I discovered that the bottom of the hose from the expansion tank to the radiator was wet at the expansion tank end. The clamp seemed to be tight but I moved it slightly and retightened it and voila, no more leak. The moral of the story - recheck the simple things first!

[Howard Prout]

The warm days of summer have finally arrived here in the great white north. I had took Old Betsy over to Midas (about 8 km or 5miles away) this afternoon to see about getting new mufflers installed - the guy said he could do it but probably with a number of modifications - not what I wanted to hear. Anyway, after I got home, she was very hot to the point that the coolant was boiling in the overflow reservoir! The ambient temperature was about 32C (say 90F). I don't know what to try next. The engine was completely rebuilt last year so it should be clean, the rad (triple core) was cleaned at the same time, I have a five blade fan and a fan shroud. Any suggestions?

[Guest]

Hey Howard,
What temp thermostat are you running?
Richard D. Hord

[bird 60]

Hi Howard,

The two things that I would look into first is the Thermostats. The Cap & the one between the Reservoir & the Block.

Chris....From the Land of OZ.