Jim,
When you did this, was the original rad cap able to allow the overflow
bottle's coolant to suck back up into the radiator, or did you have to
replace with the cap that allows flow in both directions?
Bob
On Mon, 18 Oct 1999 17:36:48 -0400 "James H. Nazarian" <microdoc@apk.net>
writes:
>Autumn; this is certainly the right time of year to make sure the
>cooling system is running at peak performance. The other times are
>Summer, Winter and Spring. MG's did not ever, to my knowledge come
>with
>a coolant overflow bottle, but should have.
>
>Find an empty 1 quart oil bottle. The rectangular plastic kind with
>the
>spout offset to one side will do fine. Clean it with dish washing
>detergent. Place the bottle over on the left side of the radiator
>surround where it meets the inner wheel well. Secure the bottle with a
>wire tie or any other elegant solution you can come up with. Take the
>radiator vent tube off, and replace it with a longer one that can
>reach
>through the spout to the bottom of your antiseptically clean oil
>bottle.
>Mix some antifreeze 50:50 solution, and fill the radiator to the top.
>replace the radiator cap. Put 2-3" of the remaining mixture into the
>new
>reservoir bottle, making sure the end of the tube remains submerged.
>
>When the coolant gets hot and expands, instead of spitting the excess
>down on the pavement for a dog to lick up, the excess will be caught
>in
>the bottle. Because engine oil is lighter than coolant, it floats to
>the
>top of the reservoir. Thus you also have an early warning system of
>head
>gasket, etc. leaks between coolant and oil passages. As the radiator
>cools down between runs, the contracting fluid will develop a vacuum
>in
>the cooling system, drawing fluid from the only available source...
>your
>new spiffy reservoir. Thus, you will not have air in your radiator any
>more, just coolant. In the 12 years I've been doing this, I don't have
>to worry if my radiator needs to be topped up. It's always topped up.
>
>Jim
>
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