Cooling sytem upgrade or not ?

[Gresley]

!
Perhaps I'm lucky not to have had any coolant loss and or an overheating near-miss. My car actually ran too cold until I sorted it recently!

Bruce

Same here with Supergill radiator and now an 88deg thermostat fitted.

Brian.

[Ian Durrant]

Playing devils's advocate; if your system loses volume and leaks the header tank will of course keep it full and finally bleep when it is running out. If such a leak is slow surely you will notice it anyway because you check the coolant level regularly. You'll have to check the header tank volume regularly too to spot a problem before it gets too far. If it is a big leak like a hose splitting or coming off then the header tank is not going to solve the problem. In the end either coolant leak will result in the temp gauge showing a rise, whereupon you stop the car and investigate!

Adding a header tank does not improve cooling system efficiency either. Or am I missing something?

I was going to fit one to my car but decided I was unclear just how much benefit it gave me. Perhaps I'm lucky not to have had any coolant loss and or an overheating near-miss. My car actually ran too cold until I sorted it recently!

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

Its possible that the cooling system can have an air leak that means as the coolant cools it draws air in through say a hose joint. This stops the coolant being drawn back from the expansion bottle. A header tank does not require a contracting coolant to top the system back up and is therefore more reliable. IMHO.

[Jeff]

I know I would rather have a header tank than not and for such a small price.

[Goldstar]

And plumbed in properly

[KOY 23]

What is the correct method? as there are several. I have always thought feed low into the rad and bleed from top.

[Goldstar]

I have a header tank from a W124 Merc which I think will attach straight to an extra boss (is that the right term) plumbed into the bottom of my radiator. From memory, The Stag Rescue in Classics Monthly covered plumbing it in the last issue I think.

This seems the sensible way ahead, non?

[KOY 23]

Paul.
I have the same tank with a similar set up. If you haven't already plumbed it, there is a Merc pipe that directly fits tank to rad.
Did Classics Monthly use the Merc tank?

[Goldstar]

Thanks for that John, I need to check what came with my tank (we've moved house since I got it but I think I know where I put it!), if I don't have the pipe I will see if we have a scrappies nearby.

No I think he (Mike I think it is) used a well known purpose made kit IIRC but added a lower union into his shiney new ally radiator.

[Stagdad]

Tut tut Paul ,I can see I'm going to have to have a chat about second hand hoses on Friday.

[Jeff]

And plumbed in properly

That would be another bonus!

[Goldstar]

It's a fair cop Guv. By the way have you got an old diff mounting bush (the slightly conical one) lying around that you don't need, please? I need to do a tempo refit on my car and can only find one. Guess I must have scrapped the other one.

John do you know the part number I will need, no worries if not I can always look it up. Thanks

[KOY 23]

Paul.

Hose is 124 501 2782, around £16 about 5 years ago.

[Goldstar]

Thanks John, sorry for hijacking the thread Trev