Warning: This is moderately long-winded, so don't read it if you have no
interest in a coolant recovery system.
User's Report:
I know it's getting cooler outside, even here, so you may ask why I am
discussing "Coolant Recovery" in the wrong season. Because, even though
I run at reasonable temperatures, it is embarrassing to leave little
green puddles on your neighbor's new driveway when you've put too much
in. Anyway, since I had such great success I thought I would pass it
along for your next project.
While in the local parts emporium (Kragen) I found something I have
never seen before. It was a "small" size coolant return package. I
really never thought I would like removing a tire to get fresh coolant
in the bottle I could sneak in the fender well. This one was $5.95 for
everything but the new cap (available at 13 psi with a lever release).
It's made in the US by Interdynamics, Brroklyn, NY 11232, Model No.
MCR-3 "Vehicle Coolant Return System", "Made For Use Where Space Is
Limited", 1 1/2 Qt.
Comes with hose, bottle, bottle cap, clamps, screws, and even a
"cheater" gasket if you don't have the right cap (NOT RECOMMENDED!).
I was able to "mount" it just forward of the stock expansion tank, above
the tank large return hose.
Procedure:
1) Remove expansion tank band hold-down bolts, and don't lose them.
2) Remove wires connections from left-side horn and tape up the hot one!
3) Remove the two horn bolts, and don't lose them either. Using a 2" by
3" (approx) piece of metal, drill a pair of holes matching the horn hole
spacing, and another set about 2 inches forward (that's 4 holes). This
places the horn into the front compartment, where it belongs anyway.(Dry
check your dimensions before drilling, I didn't make an engineering
drawing like I require my guys to do.)
4) Optional, but reccomended: Fabricate an air blocker with a little
more sheet metal to blank off the air passage. Cut to shape and put a
slot in the cover for the "tongue" and the wires. Can be fastened with
Scotch Automotive double-sticky foam tape, pop-rivets, screws, dzus
fastners, whatever.
5) Optional, but recommended: Remove the horn mounting bracket from the
horn by its single bolt. Trace this pattern on a piece of equivalent
metal thickness, but about 2 inches longer. Much neater than first way,
but I just grabbed a stamped steel book-end and cut it's "tongue" off
because it was there.
6) Remount the extended horn and wires. Check that the horn still works.
If it didn't work before you did this, it may be cured by the cleaning
action of contact replacement. If you don't care if it works, forget the
last few steps and put it on a shelf. (Do this to the other side, if you
want to improve air flow through the radiator)
7) Take out the Interdynamics plastic body and orient the angled coolant
cap rearwords, pointing at the expansion tank. You'll see a plastic bar
meant to hold the mounting bracket. Carefully remove it with a hacksaw
blade, but don't cut the bottle. You can leave a little sticking out, if
you're unsteady.
8) There are many sealed off bottle tubes for various attitudes. Cut off
the ball, but leave the expanded tube connecting part, from the one on
the bottom, just below the cap. Also do the same for the one diagonally
opposite. These are technically known as the "gozinta" and the "gozouta"
spouts, respectively.
9) Insert the overflow hose from the expansion tank onto the lower tube
nearest the expansion tank, and below the cap. (I didn't cut mine, in
case it didn't work). You may have to remove the hose guide clip from
it's mount. Place the new plastic tube on the top spout (gozouta)
diagonally opposite the gozinta. I recommend you buy some rubber
instead, as in bends better without collapsing, but the plastic will
work if you insist. You don't even have to use the cheap hose clamps, as
there is no pressure in the system, and the correct hose size will fit
fine. Use clamps if you worry a lot.
10) Now the "hard part". Thread the plastic hose thru the "horn hole"
and route it out the bottom, like the current one. Follow the gozouta
"neck" thru the same hole, and raise the overflow bottle till the tube
touches the edge of the horn hole. A rubber anti-chafing tape (or duct
tape) might be appropriate because you will not actually be using the
nice mounting brackets they give you. It's called a "squeeze" fit.
11) Once the bottle is in position, and the "plumbing" has been
attached, reposition the expansion tank to it's original position and
manipulate the new bottle against the inner fenderwell, being carefull
not to break the gozinta or gozouta spouts. Remember, the gozouta spout
is forward of the radiator (horn) panel, up into the corner. Refasten
the expansion tank bands with the bolts you didn't lose. (If you've
accidently interchanged the horn bolts with the expansion tank bolts,
that's two points off the concour.)
12) Remove the old radiator cap, and replace it with a new style (you
can get one from Stant with a lever release if you want). Fill the
expansion tank to the top with your favourite brew, and re-fill after
you've "burped" the system. Partially fill the new overflow bottle with
WATER. (Distilled, rain, whatever). This is your proof test. If you see
anti-freeze color in the overflow bottle after driving a while, it's
working.
For those who feel uncomfortable with a plastic bottle being held in
place by friction, and there is NO place for it to go if it wanted to, I
am sure you can use the kit's bracket on one of the other bottle attach
points you didn't cut off.
It takes less time to do this than it does to read the directions.
Steve
--
Steve Laifman < One first kiss, >
B9472289 < one first love, and >
< one first win, is all >
< you get in this life. >
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