radiator and over flow question

[Goffer]

Originally Posted by 68LSS1

Looks like the Be-Cool, Jaz, Goza and Billet Specialties all have one for you.

what about Areospace Components recirculating catch can? if they have a siphon line from the inlet to the bottom of the can, it would do the same job... right?

[jimfulco]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

A Mtn Dew bottle works, and the one liter size will pass tech at an NHRA track if properly secured.

And a 1-quart Gatorade jug cut off just below the taper will protect the Dew jug from abrasion from whatever it's sitting on.

[A.P.]

Got my coolant recovery tank from kragen, and it works great. Rad pukes coolant, and recovery tank catches it. Once cool, the rad sucks it back. Here is the part Interdynamics BVR4, and it only cost $12.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by 68LSS1

Explain to me how atmospheric pressure has something to do with this

It's simply the difference in pressures. Ignoring the cap for a moment, greater pressure in the radiator = coolant flow to the tank. Inversely, greater pressure in the tank (yes, from atmospheric pressure, which is greater at sea level than at high elevations) = coolant flow to the radiator. If the vacuum explanation works better for you, go with that. As to your tire pressure analogy, the gauge reads the pressure relative to atmospheric pressure.

[Southpa]

Heres an overflow bottle I installed years ago when I learned that the lower 1/4 of my rad was plugged. I didn't have the time (or the funds) to replace the rad til later. Temp was going as high as 260 deg. and she was puking massive amounts of coolant. OUCH! But that sure says something about the original 1970 350 in my truck, shes still holding her own!

Anyway, the bottle is from a 1982 camaro, it mounted nicely on the inner fender with 2 screws. See where the tube goes into the top of the bottle? That tube continues (as part of the bottle) down to the bottom. If you find that your coolant level in the rad is down a little every time you check then your system is not totally enclosed. Air is less dense than coolant so every time your engine cools down (and coolant volume contracts) you are sucking air back into the system. The cap on the bottle has to be vented or the bottle will get crushed when the coolant contracts (negative pressure in the bottle is less that atmos. pressure) and/or explode when the coolant expands (positive pressure in the bottle exceeds atmos. pressure).

Check under the truck for any signs of coolant dripping when you shut down after driving. Thats when temp and pressure is at its highest. If you do find a leak don't attempt to fix it until everything cools down. I've stripped hose clamps before and its not a pleasant experience when a hose pops off. Its messy and extremely dangerous. Check all your hose clamps/connections, make sure they are tight. And check the hose connection to your coolant bottle, look for cracks, pinholes etc. in the bottle.

Thats about all there is to it! An enclosed system that operates by the expansion and contraction of coolant.

[68LSS1]

Don't buy it. The overfill tank does get slightly pressurized due to fact of volume displacement in a sealed tank but a lot are vented. Tire pressure gauges must be pretty smart to compensate for atmosheric pressure. With your reasoning tires/tanks etc would loose pressure as the evlevation went up. A tire/tank/container inflated to 35 psi at sea level (14.7) will still be 35 psi at 10,000 (10.2) measured by the same gauge. If atmospheric does have a acting force in pushing coolant out of a tank why doesn't any fluid in any open container come out? Like my beer in a bottle here?

Goffer,the Aerospace looks like it has a barbed nipple so it's hard to say if there is a tube on the inside but if it doe it will work.

[chickenwing]

Originally Posted by 68LSS1

... I am not following you logic about what atmospheric pressure has to do with it. When you put a tire pressure gauge on a empty tire what does it read? Zero, no pressure. With your line of reasoning I would have 14.7 psi in the tire. Explain to me how atmospheric pressure has something to do with this, I could be wrong, have been before (once in this thread already ) and will be again.

Actually there is 14.7psi in the tire. Everone drops of the G that should be at the end of PSI. G stands for gauge. A regular tire pressure gauge starts at 0 accounting for atmospheric pressure allready present. As far as the rest of the post... I still ain't figured it. There really is a check valve in a radiator cap?

68LSS1, I also think your tire pressure would increase with altitude. You fill a balloon at sea level it's x psi plus atmospheric. You go up in elevation the balloon is still x psi plus atmospheric where it was filled. The balloon will expand. In your above example the tire pressure would be 39.5 psig at altitude. Assuming calibrated/accurate gauges.

[68LSS1]

chickenwing-but there is 14.7 acting on BOTH the inside and outside which in effect cancels each other out. As far as the balloon I think that is more of a change due to temperature than altitude. Also most overfill tanks are vented so no "pressure" is being built up in the tank. It's purely the vacuum created in the radiator as the coolant cools and contracts that pulls coolant from the tank back to the radiator.

Goffer, hope I am notstealing your thread. If I am tell me to STHU.

[Stocker]

I am unable to explain myself to your understanding, so I'm done with this topic. No hard feelings on this end.

[68LSS1]

No hard feelings here either. Wasn't trying to win, just trying to understand. I tend to get sidetracked.

I apologize to Goffer. Did you figure out what you're going with?

[Tx Firefighter]

The tire gauge is compensated. If it wasn't, it would read 14.7 psi at rest.

Any gauge that reads zero at rest is called compensated. It compensated for whatever pressure is in the atmospehere that day.It's actually reading in PSIG, which stands for PSI gauge. There is also PSIA, which means PSI absolute, or not compensated. A PSIA gauge will read atmospheric pressure at rest.