[L20068]

Hey all, I was wondering if my windshield washer reservoir would work as a radiator overflow/recovery tank? I hooked up a hose from the radiator cap place to the windshield reservoir but is it going to function like a recovery tank that you can buy from Pep Boys, etc would? I don't want to have to drill holes under my hood but I hate losing all my damn coolant... Any ideas?

It doesn't look like any fluid will be able to go back INTO the radiator once it leaves... once again, any ideas?

 

[bluefinger]

I've thought of this too, but thought the bag may not be able to handle the heat of the fluid. I also considered putting a '67 style tank in the wheel well (using the bag mounting screws.) You could probably route the hose through the headlight bucket. I think it would work since the hose connects to the bottom of the washer tank, but I haven't tried it yet.

 

[65coupei6]

A plastic washer bag will not hold up to the heat. You can get a plastic recovery tank from Kragen and use that and mount it in the same spot.

 

[L20068]

I have a 1968 Mustang and the windshield reservoir IS plastic...

 

[kketell]

The plumbing is not right in a washer tank. The hose from the radiator needs to enter at the bottom of the tank so that the radiator can suck the fluid back in when it wants to.

I don't know if the plastic used on the washer tank would get along with the hot coolant either.

 

[Guest]

yes! if it is plastic it will work. I used a soda bottle (looks trashy, but works great) and it works fine as a recovery system. Just make sure the hose goes down to the bottom of the container so that there is always water covering the end of the hose. When hot coolant in your radiator starts to contract it sucks water back through the tube from your overflow. Long story short, it should work and it will pull water back into the radiator and keep it always full as long as the tube is submerged in water.

 

[66conv6]

I mounted my Pep Boys recovery tank using the existing holes on the drivers side of the radiator support.

 

[L20068]

Thanks for all the input, guys.

The windshield reservoir hole is on the bottom of the tank... And so far, the plastic hasn't had a problem with the coolant.

How exactly does the radiator suck fluid from the reservoir anyway though?

 

[robbie]

When rad temp rises it makes pressure and expells fluid,,,It pushes the seal up on the rad cap(via the high pressures)as the rad cools off it tends to suck the fluid back in as the cap seals again