Cooling system

[RynoMJ]

I did my heater core this past weekend and in the process determined that the rest of the system, thermostat housing and probably the water pump should be replaced as well as the radiator. I'm looking at getting a 3 row aluminon radiator and in the process of getting all the other replacement parts.

 

Can someone school me on all this open and closed system stuff? I'm pretty confused/lost.

[Jerry]

The 'Open' and 'Closed' system title makes it sound loads more complicated than it actually is.

It should be called 'normal system with radiator cap' and 'kooky, unreliable, leak & overheat prone system' :D

 

Converting to an 'open' or 'normal' system simply means junking the pressurized expansion container (passenger side at back of engine bay). This in turn means you now need to modify the pipework, get a radiator with a cap or add a pressure cap somewhere else in the system, like the upper hose.

 

FWIW I re-used the old pressure bottle for my new expansion/catch tank and modified the existing heater pipework to re-use the existing heater control valve.

 

Forum wisdom says that if you're going for an ally radiator, a two row will be more than enough cooling, better even than a three row copper(?) rad.

 

Hope that helps a bit :wrench:

[ParadiseMJ]

The 'Open' and 'Closed' system title makes it sound loads more complicated than it actually is.

It should be called 'normal system with radiator cap' and 'kooky, unreliable, leak & overheat prone system' :D

 

Converting to an 'open' or 'normal' system simply means junking the pressurized expansion container (passenger side at back of engine bay). This in turn means you now need to modify the pipework, get a radiator with a cap or add a pressure cap somewhere else in the system, like the upper hose.

 

FWIW I re-used the old pressure bottle for my new expansion/catch tank and modified the existing heater pipework to re-use the existing heater control valve.

 

Forum wisdom says that if you're going for an ally radiator, a two row will be more than enough cooling, better even than a three row copper(?) rad.

 

Hope that helps a bit :wrench:

 

 

:agree

[RynoMJ]

So simply adding a capped radiator to the system will eliminate the need for the expansion container?

[ParadiseMJ]

In the simplest of terms, yes. But, since the tank is plumbed for expansion you have to modify the plumbing a bit. The OVERFLOW on an open system is not pressurized, per se...aka OPEN. It allows the coolant to expand and contract through the cap.

 

When the engine is hot and coolant expands the cap allows some coolant from the radiator to be released in to the overflow...when the engine cools off the coolant get's sucked back into the radiator...instead of air...to replace what expanded out.

 

If you're using a sealed tank (CLOSED) it doesn't suck and flow as easily and with a compromised cap, radiator, bottle etc. your system will suck air.

 

IMHO, just adding a cap with an inline adapter is lame. If you want eliminate the CLOSED system, replace it with all the proper OPEN system parts

[RynoMJ]

Thanks for clarifying that!