Recovery tank on a Big Block
10-17-2010, 05:32 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Recovery tank on a Big Block
As most of you know I put a 427 in my '67 convertible last winter. In as much as I was going for a stock look I removed the coolant recover tank and hardware. Car does not overheat but sometimes when I turn it off it pukes. It happend yesterday at a local car show. (Took first place C2 BTW). Car was on a slight down hill and here comes the antifreeze. Spent the whole day explaining it was nothing and that is what it is suppose to do. Sooo this morning I am out in the shed looking for the tank and hardware. Started to install but thought I'd get some feedback from my buds here on the forum. Outside of the fact it will look totally incorrect what is/are the down side?
Earl
Earl
10-17-2010, 06:49 PM
#2
Team Owner
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2015 C2 of Year Finalist
tell em its a L88. if you are going to lie, lie big time
10-17-2010, 08:43 PM
#3
Burning Brakes
Not sure of this on a C2 BB, but on newer favtory cars, there is an "expansion tank" that allows coolant to go there when the hot block expands, then when the system cools, making more room, the coolant is pulled back into the block/heads. So that little tank liquid level goes up and down, but under a slight vacuum, not atmospheric.
If it works this way on a C2 BB, then you would not "puke" coolant when stopping as the tank would hold it untill cool, then suck it back.
If it works this way on a C2 BB, then you would not "puke" coolant when stopping as the tank would hold it untill cool, then suck it back.
10-17-2010, 09:19 PM
#4
Are you saying you want to use the small block expansion tank with a big block brass radiator? I don't see why you couldn't use it as just a puke tank, if you want it to be able to pull it back into the radiator, than you would have to change to a radiator cap that was designed to do so.
10-17-2010, 09:53 PM
#5
Safety Car
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What kind of radiator do you have?
If it's a stock BB radiator, there will be a "fill" line about 4" or so from the top on the passenger side of the radiator. If you over fill it - it will puke.
I use a Be-Cool and keep it filled to about 3" from the top. My car doesn't overheat, but it did puke until the coolant found its proper level.
If it's a stock BB radiator, there will be a "fill" line about 4" or so from the top on the passenger side of the radiator. If you over fill it - it will puke.
I use a Be-Cool and keep it filled to about 3" from the top. My car doesn't overheat, but it did puke until the coolant found its proper level.
10-17-2010, 10:20 PM
#6
Le Mans Master
Not sure of this on a C2 BB, but on newer favtory cars, there is an "expansion tank" that allows coolant to go there when the hot block expands, then when the system cools, making more room, the coolant is pulled back into the block/heads. So that little tank liquid level goes up and down, but under a slight vacuum, not atmospheric.
If it works this way on a C2 BB, then you would not "puke" coolant when stopping as the tank would hold it untill cool, then suck it back.
If it works this way on a C2 BB, then you would not "puke" coolant when stopping as the tank would hold it untill cool, then suck it back.
Are you saying you want to use the small block expansion tank with a big block brass radiator? I don't see why you couldn't use it as just a puke tank, if you want it to be able to pull it back into the radiator, than you would have to change to a radiator cap that was designed to do so.
10-17-2010, 10:50 PM
#7
Burning Brakes
10-17-2010, 11:32 PM
#8
What kind of radiator do you have?
If it's a stock BB radiator, there will be a "fill" line about 4" or so from the top on the passenger side of the radiator. If you over fill it - it will puke.
I use a Be-Cool and keep it filled to about 3" from the top. My car doesn't overheat, but it did puke until the coolant found its proper level.
If it's a stock BB radiator, there will be a "fill" line about 4" or so from the top on the passenger side of the radiator. If you over fill it - it will puke.
I use a Be-Cool and keep it filled to about 3" from the top. My car doesn't overheat, but it did puke until the coolant found its proper level.
10-17-2010, 11:39 PM
#9
Drifting
Great minds think alike...I pulled my L79 327 and put a L89 427 into my '67 last winter too. And I used my expansion tank as a recovery tank. It works as advertised. Takes some practice to have enough coolant in the recovery tank to keep things cool, but not puke it out the overflow when the rad does it's thing. Yeah, it looks "different," but who says different is always bad...you should see the underside of my BB stinger hood...I painted it exactly the same as the top side of my hood...body color with white stripe...everyone who sees it loves it...looks like it should have been stock...try the tank, I think you'll be glad you did...Nick
10-18-2010, 01:01 PM
#10
Team Owner
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What kind of radiator are you using?
10-18-2010, 01:17 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
here's my set up
look closely at the bottom of the tank. one nipple is plugged and the other goes to the rad over flow tube, the upper vent tube goes to atmosphere and there is a modern vented rad cap at the rad....works like a charm and the tube from the rad must go to the bottom of the tank for recovery....
look closely at the bottom of the tank. one nipple is plugged and the other goes to the rad over flow tube, the upper vent tube goes to atmosphere and there is a modern vented rad cap at the rad....works like a charm and the tube from the rad must go to the bottom of the tank for recovery....
10-18-2010, 03:30 PM
#12
Le Mans Master
Earl:
I use a Meizre recovery tank on my car. It is darned near invisible when installed.
I use a Meizre recovery tank on my car. It is darned near invisible when installed.
10-19-2010, 02:37 PM
#14
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Next time it "pukes", don't top it off - just leave it alone; the side tanks provide the required space for normal expansion of hot coolant; if you keep topping it off, it'll keep puking. Leave it be and when it reaches its "happy level", it won't puke any more. 
10-19-2010, 06:56 PM
#16
Le Mans Master
do what you like but remember, if you go the modern route, there is no pressure on the cooling system until you really heat up like with a long idle a parade or after shut down and heat sink, which is pretty cool when you think about it......jmo....good luck....
10-19-2010, 07:08 PM
#17
This statement is not correct. There is no air in the system, but the cap still vents at the set pressure with the excess coolant flowing to the recovery tank. This happens during every normal thermal cycle of the engine and long before the after post-shutdown heat soak (not heat sink) The coolant returns to the rad during cool down.
10-19-2010, 08:47 PM
#18
Le Mans Master
This statement is not correct. There is no air in the system, but the cap still vents at the set pressure with the excess coolant flowing to the recovery tank. This happens during every normal thermal cycle of the engine and long before the after post-shutdown heat soak (not heat sink) The coolant returns to the rad during cool down.
there are many rods out there running a vented cap on a closed system by mistake and the owners are always wondering why the mill pukes everytime they shut it down, of course until it pukes enough to lower the level waay low...
Last edited by midyearvette; 10-19-2010 at 08:55 PM.
10-20-2010, 10:33 AM
#19
Don't think so. If we're talking in the context of old Corvettes, the upper hose on my '73 (first year with a factory coolant recovery tank) remains hard(ish) with the engine stopped and cold. The vent to the recovery tank is most certainly not open.
On my two new generation cars (a Honda and a Jag) the hoses go rock hard as soon as the engine starts- even when stone cold.
If the systems worked as you state the coolant would be at ambient pressure until approaching an overheat condition- this would lower the boiling point by about 45F and is completely the opposite of what is needed.
On my two new generation cars (a Honda and a Jag) the hoses go rock hard as soon as the engine starts- even when stone cold.
If the systems worked as you state the coolant would be at ambient pressure until approaching an overheat condition- this would lower the boiling point by about 45F and is completely the opposite of what is needed.
10-20-2010, 11:33 AM
#20
Le Mans Master
Don't think so. If we're talking in the context of old Corvettes, the upper hose on my '73 (first year with a factory coolant recovery tank) remains hard(ish) with the engine stopped and cold. The vent to the recovery tank is most certainly not open.
On my two new generation cars (a Honda and a Jag) the hoses go rock hard as soon as the engine starts- even when stone cold.
If the systems worked as you state the coolant would be at ambient pressure until approaching an overheat condition- this would lower the boiling point by about 45F and is completely the opposite of what is needed.
On my two new generation cars (a Honda and a Jag) the hoses go rock hard as soon as the engine starts- even when stone cold.
If the systems worked as you state the coolant would be at ambient pressure until approaching an overheat condition- this would lower the boiling point by about 45F and is completely the opposite of what is needed.
check out a jeep grand cherokee v8 say a 99 or so..."open" system and soft hoses during warm up
im not saying all the manufacturers have gone with this system but the smart ones have
go to your flaps and check out the rad caps, you will find some of them in marked packages that say "vented"..they are for open systems and sometimes they find their way on a closed system rad, that makes for some but not all of the puking issues that are posted here
we are both on the same page here mike and agree that it better to capture overflow instead of letting it run on the ground, in my case i thought it best to drill my inner fender for a small block tank and convert it so it looked stock and larry johnson posted a pic of my set up earlier in this thread. it may appear stock looking but carries a few modifications in plumbing to convert the system....the neatest thing to me is the total lack of pressure on the hoses most of the time ..good luck to you my friend.....