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Cooling system question... any experts?
Liam - 28/11/06 at 05:21 PM

Hello

Just a quick Q on my cooling system...

My rad doesn't have a small inlet at the bottom to attach to the bottom hose of the expansion tank for filling at the lowest point of the system. But I do have an outlet on the engine block just as low and was wondering about using that as the fill point. The thing is it's an outlet, originally used as the feed to the OE oil cooler. It's quite close to the water pump so would presumably be quite high pressure, which I assume is what makes it an outlet in the first place and not the return to the cooler? Obviously the system would fill OK under no pressure at this point, but will I have problems when running cos it's an outlet? Will i get water being pumped up into the expansion tank? Am i best chopping the bottom rad hose and inserting a piece of metal pipe with a tee flowing into it for filling instead?

Cheers

Liam

[Edited on 28/11/06 by Liam]


snapper - 28/11/06 at 05:44 PM

The pinto has an expansion tank fill point on the water pump which is quite high.
As long as your expantion tank is at the highest point in your cooling system you will be OK. As for teeing into the bottom hose, car builder solutions do a metal take off that goes in the hose or Silicon hoses have a variety of tee pieces available. I think most manfacturers plumb in before the thermostat so that the engine coolant has expantion room before the thermostat opens but i may be wrong.

[Edited on 28/11/06 by snapper]


Stu16v - 29/11/06 at 08:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by snoopy
quote:
Originally posted by Liam
Hello

Am i best chopping the bottom rad hose and inserting a piece of metal pipe with a tee flowing into it for filling instead?

Cheers

Liam

[Edited on 28/11/06 by Liam]


easy answer YES "T" into bottom hose is best


Yup, I think this the safest way too. VX 16v's have a heater outlet on the back of the head, which, when the engine is mounted longitudinally, creates an ideal place to connect the expansion tank too.

And it then creates all sorts of overheating/pressurizing problems...