C1 or C2 exspantion tanks.

[IH2LOSE]

Thanks to Midyear (dennis) I installed a midyear exspantion tank on the 62 so I would have a way to fill the system. I have a radiator in the car with no filler on it. I used a special thermostat housing that had a cap on it and I would fill it thru this cap.But I never liked it and with the tri power set up I am getting (de-layed till December But I am told I should be getting one of the first ones) it uses a special thermostat housing so I had to make provisions to fill the system else where.

I replaced the filler neck with a standard thermo stat housing. I mounted the exspantion tank on the passengerside of the car by the hood latch and I tied it into the suction side of the water pump.between the water pump and the heater core. .Is this the normal location of it on a vette?. I am still having problem filling the car with water/antifreeze.I have a 160 thermo stat in the car and with the car cool I can only fill the system up to the thermostat.The car will idle all day with the fan on and not get above 140 degrees (infered thermometer aimed at the thermostat housing) and not allow the stat to open.If I uplug the fan and let the car run the water level in the exspantion tank never goes down it seems as soon as the stat open the water rushes out of the exspansion tank. I think I have to vent the top of the radiator and run it back to the top side of the exspansion tank to allow the air to get out.(I welded the vent closed on the exspansion tank)

Also dose anybody know if I could just install a restrictor in place of the thermostat this way I dont have to worry about being air bound when refilling the car? I know if I dont run a thermostat I would get too much flow thru the radiator and not be able to remove any heat from the fluid.

I take a phot and post how it looks.

 

[IH2LOSE]

This is as high as I could get it

What do you guys think of my new air cleaner set up

So your all probably saying why didnt you polish it. Well I pulled out the buffer,put on my smock and face sheild.started to dress the buffer wheel and had all the stuff blow all over me and I decided I was done buffing for this year and just put it on un polished

 

[studiog]

Larry the engine bay looks great, very neat and well planned.From your air cleaner cover I see you downsized your motor to a 454 CID. As far as the expansion tank goes I think that is a good one for someone like John Z or John M. I always though the expansion tank should hook up to the highest point in the system??

 

[IH2LOSE]

Thanks Gary


The air cleaners lid is the original one I got with my 66 when I purchased it ,I just changed the stickers on it. The chrome is so thin on this lid.


I am now thinking that I should have tied into the pressure side of the water pump as then I would have been on top of the thermo stat. I am going to try and vent the top of the radiator to the top of the exspantsion tank to let the air have a place to travel to get out.

It does not look like it in the picture but the if the tank is 3/4'S full it is the highest point in the system and water has to seek its own level (even if its only in a 5/8 column)

 

[cbernhardt]

Larry:

Not sure if I completely understand your cooling system problem, but I would think that an additional line from the radiator to the expansion tank would be necessary. Do you have a temp sensor somewhere in your system to turn the fan on and off?
Charles

 

[IH2LOSE]

Larry:

Not sure if I completely understand your cooling system problem, but I would think that an additional line from the radiator to the expansion tank would be necessary. Do you have a temp sensor somewhere in your system to turn the fan on and off?
Charles

Charles the be-cool radiator set up I have in the car had recomended I use a sensor mounted in the head of the car. So yes i do have a fan on sensor but once the head gets hot it turns the fan on and it stays on because the head is much hotter then the actual temp of the fluid in the car.

The system is working fine and the car runs real cool ,but I know there has to be air in the system.

I will vent the radiator to the exspantion tank to allow it to fill fulley

 

[JohnZ]

Larry, I can't tell from your photos what connections exist at the expansion tank, but it needs to be part of the circulating system, fed from the radiator and draining back into the suction side of the water pump, in order to be effective as a reservoir, fill point, and de-aeration point.

The C2 diagram below is a good guide - open feed line from the top of the radiator to the tank inlet, outlet at the bottom tied into the return hose from the heater core to the water pump, and the usual overflow hose from the filler neck/pressure cap. This assumes, of course, that the filler neck and cap on the expansion tank is the highest point in the cooling system.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Thanks John

I have the bottom hose from the tank teed into the return line from the heater core.

I have opened a vent into the top of my radiator and with the car off and cool it did not change the level in the exspasion tank. I will tie that new vent into the the top of my exspasion tank above what I feel will be the normal water level. At about 5/8's full the tank is the highest water level in the system on flat ground . I had to reduce the size of the bottom bung on the tank from 3/4" to 5/8th (so now I know how to weld aluminum)

Walk thru this in your minds eye if you would

On a cold fill the water is pushing thru into the motor because of it weight and it has to seek its own level. so its filling the motor,bottom to middle level of the radiator, and the heater core. but as soon as the level gets up to thermostat it stops.and doesnt spill into the top of the radiator.

I figured because the top of the radiator was not vented thats why the water could not push up the other way ,but now the radiator is vented and the water level in the tank did not go down . I am just thinking if I only had a restrictor plate installed instead of a thermosat the sytem would be able to gravity fill since the vent is in now open .

The water pump I am using is a high flow reverse rotation.So I am also wondering if thats the reason why when instead of the water level going down in the tank when the thermostat opened it just flowed out of the tank because the pump moves so much water. or could it be because I had the heater core control valve (mounted on the supply line) closed and the water had no place to pump to except out the top of the tank ,and if I actually had the cap on the exspasion tank it would have self purged and I actually dont even have a problem

You know in my industry its so easey to diagnoise a problems as the exspansion tank is what sets the pressure in the system and is considered the poiint of no pressure change.The circulator is not a pump (per say) all the circulator does in a heating system is change pressure from a lower pressure to a higher pressure and then you have water flow. You know if I cant get this licked I may attempt to install standard fill port with a radiator cap with the top of a exspansion tank and some aluminum plating welded to the top of the radiator I have .

 

[cbernhardt]

Larry:

Do you now have a hose from the top of the radiator to the expansion tank? If so, try removing this hose from the expansion tank, raise the end of the hose above the top of the expansion tank (obviously) and try filling the radiator through the hose. See if the water level in the expansion tank rises. Or conversly, try filling the system through the tank and see if water flows from the hose. If not, remove the thermostat and try again. If the water level rises now, then the thermostat is obviously the restriction. Try drilling a small hole in the thermostat. I would not run the engine without the thermostat. Also, if your car is only running at 140° because the fan is staying on, I would look at relocating the temp sensor to the radiator (now that you can weld aluminum).

Charles

 

[JohnZ]

When I'm starting with an empty C2 system, I fill it first through the thermostat housing hole in the intake, using a funnel with a bunch of holes in the bottom; the funnel bottoms out in the hole (supports itself), and the holes allow me to monitor the rising coolant - I stop when the coolant level rises to the top of the hole, then install the thermostat and housing/upper hose, then top the system off the rest of the way at the expansion tank. Then I fire it up (cap loose), let the thermostat open, and it self-purges any air still in the system, let it cool down, and set the level in the tank at half-full when it's cold. Works like a charm, have never had any air entrapment problems or had to do any weird things to "burp" the system. Initial fill through the intake drives all the air out of the block.