I was just looking at the cooling system on my friend's 1995 Pontiac Grand Am and I watched my father finish putting a new thermostat on his 1979 Volvo 245 DL. Something struck me about these cooling systems that's different than the one in the other cars I work on. (Mainly my Honda and the RX-7)

The coolant resivour has the pressure cap on it, not the radiator. The highest point in the radiator has a tube that leads to the top of the resivour and there is a tube in the bottom of the resivour that goes to the lower radiator hose. (Or a fitting lower on the side of the radiator.)

This system in my opinion is much better than the system we have currently, where the pressure cap is in the radiator and vents to the resivour. They won't have to bleed the air out of the system, or worry about hot coolant spraying out if the cap needs to be removed while the engine is hot. Instead all teh air collects in the top of the resivour.

The only downside I can see to this system is that the resivour needs to be the top most component in the cooling system. Since the coolant resivour needs to be relocated to make a cold air intake anyhow, I was considering modifying the cooling system like this.

Has anyone else done this sort of modification? It seem's all I'd need is a T fitting to the lower radiator hose, a modified radiator cap, and a resivour that will handle the pressure and fits a pressure cap.

I am considering mounting it to the passenger side strut tower or where the sub zero starting resivour currently is.

 

Damn dude. It's been over 10 days. Nobody has thoughts on this?

 

Sounds cool. Post a pic if you do it.

 

I work on jags and they have the same kind of system your talking about. On the XJ8 when you open the coolant resivior coolant does spew out. On the S-type the resevior has a seperat chamber with a purge valve on it so that it doesn't spew when you open it. You can go to the parts store and get a radiator cap with a pressure relise lever on it that will let you purge the pressure into the overflow tank. I have one on my car and they work great.
Unless you want to do it just to be trick then I don't really see any reason to. Our cooling system works very well when in good shape.

Good luck,
Mike

 

See, that's the kinda **** I wanna hear. Don't waste your time, It won't be much better. Use the Stant Lever-Vent Instead. (One on both cars. Very useful. Can open when the engine's hot if Needed.)

 

pele,
the rx-2 came with that type of cooling system.

 

a pic would help

 

I'd be surprised if it turns out the majority of the people aren't already using the stant cap. It's all I've ever used on all of my cars. The factory cap is yesterday's product...

 

my dads cougar 4.6l 1996 has the same kind setup, really cool i think but im not gonna hach up my nice indigo rad to make it sorry.

 

I've been using the Stant-lever cap for a while now and I can open it while the car's hot & running if I need to. It works quite well and for like 5$ I can't imagine much of a downside to it If you really want to convert your system, go right ahead, but uh, the cost is gonna be more than $5

--matt

 

DUH!

a standt lever cap is just what every car needs. I wish I had remembered that from my wrenching days. I guess I killed those brain cells