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How many times have you heard that when you fill up at a gas station and the radiator without a recovery bottle releases a bit of coolant? I never think much about the loss of coolant, since only a little comes out. When I check the level every few hundred miles only occasionally do I need to add a bit. Usually I leave enough headspace to prevent the burp. The car never overheats, even up the steepest grade or driving on a hot day. Its usual indicated temp is 190. Max was 230 indicated on a super 100+ degree day on the freeway. Still no boilover. No problem, so no repair. But the expansion burp when stopping can be annoying. Or at least the comments from observers are. So where do you guys suggest a recovery bottle be installed, and what type do you use? And is the correct radiator cap of the type that allows the bottle content to suck back into the system on cool down, or do I need a different cap?
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"Hey, your car is leaking."
- Thread starter BrianN
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Hi Brian,
You can use almost anything for a coolant recovery bottle. I'm sure that you have seen the $4 garden variety bottles many times. On the other hand, there are some very nice cans sold for street rods. You would probably be able to get by with a one qt. tank. A little more would be better. You can see some of the street rod tanks here:
https://www.gozaracingproducts.net/
I used one of these because it was readily available locally. It has a very convenient sight tube on the side. To allow topping up from the of the tank I added a top fill plug. There are certainly other ways to do it. See pic attached.
All radiator caps have a one way valve to prevent collapsing of the radiator tanks as things cool. For the standard type of coolant recovery to work, the cap needs a good top seal also. The NAPA # 703-1411 works well on the original "long neck" radiator fill necks. A standard "short" cap will not seal at all. Some radiators have been converted to more modern short neck which allows a greater choice of caps. Just be sure that you have the correct length for your radiator.
D
You can use almost anything for a coolant recovery bottle. I'm sure that you have seen the $4 garden variety bottles many times. On the other hand, there are some very nice cans sold for street rods. You would probably be able to get by with a one qt. tank. A little more would be better. You can see some of the street rod tanks here:
https://www.gozaracingproducts.net/
I used one of these because it was readily available locally. It has a very convenient sight tube on the side. To allow topping up from the of the tank I added a top fill plug. There are certainly other ways to do it. See pic attached.
All radiator caps have a one way valve to prevent collapsing of the radiator tanks as things cool. For the standard type of coolant recovery to work, the cap needs a good top seal also. The NAPA # 703-1411 works well on the original "long neck" radiator fill necks. A standard "short" cap will not seal at all. Some radiators have been converted to more modern short neck which allows a greater choice of caps. Just be sure that you have the correct length for your radiator.
D
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I even saw one car with a Clorox bottle. Foster's would probable be preferable.
D
D
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Re: "Hey, your car is leaking." Change the Subject
Hi Brian,
Years ago we lived in Redwood Estates, just off SH 17, beautiful "mountain" setting. I worked at Sylvania - Santa Cruz & drove over the hill to work every day. Many fond memories of weekends at SC, wher else would we go? When we went thru there a couple of years ago, I could barely recognize anything. SC has grown so much I could hardly believe it. We left a bit before UC went in. I suspect UC really increased the population. Or maybe it was just the passage of time. Your posts & pics always remind me of what was once home.
Regards,
D
Hi Brian,
Years ago we lived in Redwood Estates, just off SH 17, beautiful "mountain" setting. I worked at Sylvania - Santa Cruz & drove over the hill to work every day. Many fond memories of weekends at SC, wher else would we go? When we went thru there a couple of years ago, I could barely recognize anything. SC has grown so much I could hardly believe it. We left a bit before UC went in. I suspect UC really increased the population. Or maybe it was just the passage of time. Your posts & pics always remind me of what was once home.
Regards,
D