Coolant Recovery tank

[Chaseman]

Are we supposed to have a Coolant Recovery tank in our bumps? I have a 1971 360 with no tank. Also I'm the only bump I know or else I would just look at others then bug you guys.

[sideoilerfe]

None of my bumps ever had one. My Slick had one though.

[fordman]

i think they had them but i dont remember. i have nnever seen one on a bump before that was original.

[69rangerman]

Back when I was diagnosing a coolant leak and keeping track of usage and levels, I installed an overflow bottle. This is different than a recover bottle on closed systems that actually pulls fluid back into the system as the engine heats up or cools down.

The leak was caused from a loose cap.

The bottle was basicall just a sports drink bottle with the pop up valve. I removed the valve and the hole was a nice snug fit for the overflow hose. I poked a hole in the top of the bottle to relieve vacuum and pressure then filled the bottom quarter of the bottle with coolant. The hose stops just short of the bottom of the bottle.

For the record, after I fixed the cap I had no more coolant loss.

[Chaseman]

ok thank you.

[Dragon]

No they weren't on trucks for a couple of more years.

[FORDification]

IIRC these overflow jugs were readily used on the medium-duty trucks (like the F600). A while back a forum member (I believe it was mk) donated a spare factory overflow jug to be used on my '67 project. Here's some pics I took of it. It's about 13" tall.



Another forum member sent these pics, which show the same factory overflow jug, along with the decal affixed to the radiator support:





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Just a little add-on: A while back I found this in a vintage Ford factory 'Shop Tips' magazine in the July 1970 issue in an article about coolant recovery systems:



It's not a pickup in the pic, but it says the kit will fit them.

...and something else I found interesting.....the last line of the article stated "The system can be checked for air bubbles by observing the sight tube in the upper radiator hose." (Note the funky addition to the upper hose in the pic above!)

[fordman]

is that what that add on to the top hose is. i thought it was a gm jerry rig. since the radiator looked like a gm crossflow too.

[Dragon]

It is a Galaxie/LTD radiator.

[Thunderfoot]

I bought an inline filter for the radiator hose for my mustang that looks like that. It is clear and has a cone shaped screen inside to catch particles before they get to the radiator and plug up the cores. Got mine from here. https://www.mustangsplus.com/xcart/prod ... stseller=Y

[sideoilerfe]

Thunder, Is that a custom air cleaner?

[Thunderfoot]

Thunder, Is that a custom air cleaner?

Yep
Not much available for dual four setups that flow lots of CFM, so I used a K&N filter for a late 80's corvette and built the housing and a base plate (what the housing is latched to) for it you see there. Works great!
I added the base plate modification later, so that I could take the housing and filter off easier. I also built one to go along with the sheet metal intake I built for my buddies Dodge and did it a little different on the housing shape, the next one I do will be a combination of the two.

[sideoilerfe]

That's pretty cool.

[mk]

I just scored another one of those jugs a couple of weeks ago. That makes five at one wrecker over a few years time, never seen them anywhere else. The Ford master catalog seems to place them as a six cylinder option in 71-2, maybe because of the extra room beside the narrow radiator.

mike

[fmartin_gila1]

The use of a overflow/recovery tank(available most any parts store) on our older vehicles will eliminate the air space at the radiator top tank, and will thusly eliminate the possibility of air bubbles trying to circulate through the system. Well worth the ten or so dollars they cost. Also seems as if rust does not form as fast with the lack of air in the system.

Fred