[V8] It's that time ...coolant tank splitting :-)

[dsaad at icehouse.net]

It has been many 10s of thousands of miles and several hot summers and cold
winters since I repaired my tank.

Both nipples had failed (at different times), and both were easily repaired for
a few dollars. The repair seems to be more robust than the original item.

All you need?
for the small top hose, a male brass 5/16" by 1/8" male hose barb (I think -
double check your hose diameter), and a pipe tap. Just cut off the old hose barb
flush with the tank and tap the hole out and install the threaded hose barb. I
also used teflon tape to help sealing. It does not seep or leak at all.
Do not try to make good clean threads - you want a nice tight fit.

Don't bother with silicone or trying to glue it in. If this repair does not
seal, the glue will probably only mask the imminent failure.

Same story for the bottom hose. I am only guessing here because I just can not
remember the exact sizes but I probably used a 3/4" hose barb with a 1/2" male
pipe thread although it may have been a 1/2 X 1/2.


Note to protect the tank during the repair/installation:
when you remove it, remove the bottom hose from the metal pipe on the engine
instead of the tank. You will have less chance of busting it off this way.
Install the same way.

Dave




Quoting "Buchholz, Steven" <Steven.Buchholz at kla-tencor.com>:

> ... perhaps ... but from my experience the new reservoirs are nowhere near as
> robust as the originals.  I bought a brand new reservoir for one of the cars
> ... and in less than a year the plastic had gotten brittle and the nipple for
> the small diameter air bleed hose from the radiator had broken.  Right now
> I'm running both cars with old reservoirs I've picked up here and there.
> That said, I don't like to have to go that way as the original reservoirs
> seem to be reaching the end of their life too.  That's why I always keep a
> gallon of distilled water in the trunk of both cars ... along with a glued
> together reservoir that can be called to service in a pinch.  Funny, other
> than fluids, this is the only emergency repair part I carry ...
>
> Steve B
> San José, CA (USA)
> >
> > Maybe overpressurized by a coolant tank cap that's not venting?  Buy a new
> > cap when you buy the tank.
> >
> >  Coolant tank leaking from the seams indicates overpressure
> > >of the coolant system.  No fix for the tank except for replacing the
> > >tank.  But first find out why it's splitting.  Cylinder head gasket
> > >leak?  Clogged radiator?  bad thermoswitch at radiator?
>
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