radiator help?

i have the tube, and theres a hose attached, but no reservoir, the tube just hangs down by the radiator.

 

I bet you're low on coolant a lot, right?



This is maybe your number 1 problem. Every time your rad cap opens you are losing (shooting out, more like it) the 16 psi in your system and your coolant will boil around 220*F give or take, the coolant does add some protection. When you're done puking out the coolant, the radiator is drawing in atmospheric pressure air until the rad cap closes, when it should be pulling in coolant. Not only are you lowering your boiling temp, but you are robbing yourself of coolant.

With the overflow tank, you never suck air at atmospheric pressure, you suck coolant at systyem pressure.

It's like a big hole in your system. Get an overflow tank and see what a difference it makes:TU:

 

here's the system on a '70. Buick designed it so that you wouldn't have to add coolant by opening the radiator, so you could add coolant even when the engine is hot. The hose on the top of my overflow is the counter part to your hose that is coming off your radiator- except where mine is a precaution to make sure too much coolant isn't added, yours is purging out coolant whenever the rad cap opens.

In my sytem (factory system), the coolant is purged to the bottom of the overflow tank. When the system draws coolant back in, as long as there is coolant at a level higher than the bottom hose, it cannot draw air into the system. Air bubbles air bad- system pressure could trap these in the system, not just "on top" of the radiator. Your water pump cannot pump air! Likewise, an airbubble will cause hot spots in the radiator that reduce the radiator's effectiveness.

I'd bet a dollar that this is the main reason why you have overheating problems- no overflow, and a purge to atmospheric pressure and a draw to air instead of coolant.

 

You have too much spare time Chris!

 

LOL

Being injured and layed off will do that:laugh:

 

Yeah but youre doing a pretty fine job of helping the guy out.... I can't add a thing to what's been said already

 

I just want another old car guy to enjoy his car. If any of my many misadventures with cooling/timing/sheetmetal/brakes/rear end/heads/carburetors/wiring/gauges/headers/suspension can help out, I'm a little less embarrassed to have gone thorugh the process. Hopefully Corey will have this thing cool when it needs to be and at the most advantageous temp when running hard real soon!:TU:

 

thanks so much chris, been a big help. I went home last night and accidentally took the wrong meds (I'm on about 5 for some unknown stomach condition) and as such, i zonked out for about 13 hours (talk about feeling well rested!!). So I didnt get a chance to work on The Beast any. So if i get a new cap, new t-stat, move the fan back away from the rad, and get an overflow bottle, that shuold help my woes? Anyone know where i can get a cheap overflow tank/bottle, or should i just use the old plastic gatorade bottle trick? Remember, I'm on a budget here Thanks again chris!

 

Don't thank me till you get it sorted out!


You need a fairly large overflow container. Check out Jeg's or Summit, they probably have a generic one for cheap money. Even a local parts store might have one for another car that will work, but I have no idea what that car might be... A member here may even have one that will work and will sell you one for short money. As a guess I'd say my stock one holds more than a gallon. It's more or less triangular shaped so that as you go up and down hills and such, you will tend to always have the lower hose under the level of coolant. You want a fair amount of coolant in reserve to draw from while having enough available unused volume to allow the overflow to fill, and the top tube is important if only because without it, you will create enough positive pressure inside the tank to burst a seal or blow off a hose. Your seal to the top of the tank should be air-tight, but you need to allow the tank to 'breathe' through the top hose as well. there's no valve or anything.


Hope you feel better. I'm in the middle of kidney stones right now, I can appreciate how wiped out even the right medication can make a person.

 

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=MOR-63657

Something like that would work, I think... and its fairly cheap.

 

Jeff, I would use the term "drop in" lightly though, because I don't know how much of a direct replacement it would be especially at $180.

There are also differences in core supports from year to year so I don't think it's a cake walk. I've spoken to people that have had to cut their supports in order to get these things to fit properly. I know he said originality isn't a concern, btu I was just wondering about how easy it is to install these things, I think the ease increases with price. ou:

 

Corey,
Any luck yet? I'm having the same problem.
:ball:

baking

 

I've been too sick to walk out to my car for the past few days, much less actually work on it. I did see a generic overflow tank at the local auto parts store, I might just pick that up when i feel better, see how it works. And for the previous comment about originality, I'd rpefer not to hack up anything on the car too badly... if its a lot of cutting required to get a ncie alum. radin there, I would probably say no. I dont care if its an aftermarket peice, and obiviously not the correct rad., but i'd prefer not to cut up my baby too much. I had one guy at a local cruise night come over to me and say "Hey man, I'm sorry for being the bearer of bad news, but you have the wrong hood support bolts, they're supposed to have a different head design than you have on yorus" He was acting like he was telling me that my mother had jsut died I pretty much said "So?" o No: Some people take the whole resto/originality thing to far in my mind, I wanna drive it and make it look good. But then again, I'm young and poor, maybe when i get older and (hopefully) get some money, I'll think differently about correct date stamped hood support bolts

 

Cory, All I had to do was fab a top mount for the Alum rad. I did have to move the Rad all the way to the Pass side tho so the lower Hose outlet would clear. But you could still keep it centered with some rubber spacers or something. I wasn't worried about centering the Rad as I was using Elec. Fans. I had an old 84 Cutlass top plat to cut up and make fit... Total install was about 4hrs (with trips to the auto store for hoses, fitting, and trans cooler). I never did anything like that before so I didn't know what to expect. :gt: But I am very happy with the Rad.. Gonna hook up the low speed on the fans to I can get it over 180 while driving...lol. 190 seems to be where my engine likes things.

I recently snapped a pic if you want me to send you one.

 

The older cooling systems just leaked onto the pavement through that tube you mentioned. My 69 400 was the same way. It is NOT wrong or incorrect, just a waste of anti freeze and environmentally unfriendly. :laugh: You must constantly check your level because of possible loss of fluid.

I'm assuming your GS did not come equipped with an overflow tank either, but I'm sure one can be retro'd. I have not decided whether or not I'm going to use one or not yet.

 

..... like that was going to change your whole outlook on life?

I know someone like that. While they won't drive their cars because they are too worried about someone like themselves coming up and pointing out that they have the incorrect color window crank knobs, you are out there actually enjoying your ride. Oh well, it takes all kinds I guess.

I suppose it wouldn't be too bad if he phrased it differently, but, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news" is quite arrogant. As if you are an idiot and he's an Einstein.

 

Ken,

So I assume that means I have the stock 67 cooling system? I really dont know anything about the different types of cooling systems Buicks used back in the day, so forgive me if thats a stupid question. Keeping in mind that my car was originally a Special (not even the Special Deluxe ladies and gents, we're talking post-car here) if thats the original equipment cooling system, is it up to handling the 455 i have in there now, or will i probably have to upgrade to a later year or aftermarket radiator? Keep in mind that while i currently have a bone stock 72 mill in there, i plan to drop a 30-over 455 in there with 68 big port heads and a nice rumpy cam in the next 2-3 months, so whatever cooling system i use will have to be able to cool that beast down in 90-100 degree Florida summer weather :stmad: (makes me wonder again why i bought a black car.... with no A/C.... maybe because im young and stupid ou: ) Anyways, thanks for the help, nice to know my cooling system isn't totally messed up, its just old-school.