Remote coolant resevoir

Hello,
I have seen mentioned in a thread somewhere regarding fitting a reservoir/expansion tank as a worthy upgrade to a 4cyl to increase the level in the radiator and improve cooling? I don't have a cooling problem generally although the needle does creep up if in traffic, i acknowledge that probably my sideplates could come off for a clean out at some point too.......Just wondered how people have done it and what reservoir they have used?
 
All it will do is allow the top part of the radiator to remain full, which of course is good. It won't prevent the temperature rising in traffic. That's just a function of an engine driven fan being pretty much the opposite of what you want. When you're moving, you don't need a fan at all, when you're stopped, it runs slowly....
 
I have one on my V8 as I do think it helps. If your engine gets hot it can push a pint or more of water out of the rad, then when it cools down, this is replaced with air. If you have a header tank, it is replaced with water so you effectivley have a pint or more of coolant in youe engine/rad.

IMG_3830[1].JPG

I use a flat cap on the radiator, and the original pressure cap on the expansion tank. The tank is connected to the original overflow on the radiator so the expansion tank becomes an extension of the rad.
 
All it will do is allow the top part of the radiator to remain full, which of course is good. It won't prevent the temperature rising in traffic. That's just a function of an engine driven fan being pretty much the opposite of what you want. When you're moving, you don't need a fan at all, when you're stopped, it runs slowly....

Ah yes that makes sense, perhaps another worthy modification is for an electric fan at some point. Thanks
 
I thought the brass one looked better at the time but it is much smarter to have the transparent one to see the coolant level. If I did it again I'd use the same one as @quattro.
 
I have one on my V8 as I do think it helps. If your engine gets hot it can push a pint or more of water out of the rad, then when it cools down, this is replaced with air. If you have a header tank, it is replaced with water so you effectivley have a pint or more of coolant in youe engine/rad.

View attachment 19708

I use a flat cap on the radiator, and the original pressure cap on the expansion tank. The tank is connected to the original overflow on the radiator so the expansion tank becomes an extension of the rad.

Thanks, that looks like a neat installation, would you mind telling me where you got your reservoir from?
 
Ah yes that makes sense, perhaps another worthy modification is for an electric fan at some point. Thanks

Already done that. (my thread: My cooling project).

It's not such a big deal with the 4 pot. The V8 has very little space and air around it so the cooling can be a bit marginal. I don't think the 4 pots have the same issues including fuel vaporization. The main benefit, surprisingly, it removing the fan gives a huge reduction in noise.

TBH the V8 needs an additional relay which kicks in when stopped or running at low speed to very slowly run the fan just to prevent the build up of hot air around the engine. For me this is easy as I already have an electric speedo driver for my ZF
 
They were used on BL cars back in the day, the first one I had came from an SD1, but I broke it :confused: so the one in the picture was from a Morris Marina. They did fit them to Austin 1800s and the like as well.
 
Already done that. (my thread: My cooling project).

It's not such a big deal with the 4 pot. The V8 has very little space and air around it so the cooling can be a bit marginal. I don't think the 4 pots have the same issues including fuel vaporization. The main benefit, surprisingly, it removing the fan gives a huge reduction in noise.

TBH the V8 needs an additional relay which kicks in when stopped or running at low speed to very slowly run the fan just to prevent the build up of hot air around the engine. For me this is easy as I already have an electric speedo driver for my ZF

Thankyou again, i will have a read of that, really useful.
Regards,
Adrian
 
They were used on BL cars back in the day, the first one I had came from an SD1, but I broke it :confused: so the one in the picture was from a Morris Marina. They did fit them to Austin 1800s and the like as well.

Thats great, thankyou, i will get on E-bay later and see what i can find.
Regards,
Adrian
 
I have exactly the same expansion tank with quattro fitted to my 2000 TC. I cannot offer results of a direct comparison before / after because my car is not standard in this department anyway (bigger radiator, A/C ) but i also think that it is nevertheless an improvement, for such a simple modification.
 
I have an expansion tank out of a series landrover in my P6b. It sits in the same place as Quattro's.
Its a compact metal one and more in keeping with that period of technology c/f a newer plastic type.
The fact I have to take the cap off to check the level doesn't bother me as Im under there checking oil and other weekly P6 stuff anyway.
Horses for courses
 
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Never understood why Rover deleted the expansion tank on the TC with the introduction of the cross flow radiator.
All early TC with the vertical flow radiator had the expansion tank a standard along with an engine oil cooler.
 
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