Radiator Question

[j0rd4n]

my first question, does the 4 cylinder and v8's come with the same radiator? my car is a converted 4 cylinder and for some reason the person i bought it from removed the reservoir for the coolant.

so im wondering, do i have the right radiator? also where does the reservoir sit in the engine bay?

the person i bought it from cut the reservoir off right at the hose to the radiator so now when it warms up the coolant pours right down next to my battery... not sure what he was trying to do lol

 

[j0rd4n]

ok i figured out they use the same radiator, now i just need to know where the reservoir went?

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

ok i figured out they use the same radiator, now i just need to know where the reservoir went?

4 cyls, and V-8's do NOT use the same radiator. A 4 cyl radiator would be inadequate to cool a V8 as the core thickness of the radiator would be insufficient for the larger displacement engine.
Coolant overflow happens regardles of displacement. A 4cyl0r a V8 engine (w/ it's appropriate radiator) would still have times when coolant would escape from the radiator. (due to an overheat situation) W/O the benefit of a coolant overflow tank, or recovery reservoir would just blow right down beside the battery as you are describing.
As long as you are not running "hot" then typically the radiator doesn't blow it's oats into the recovery tank. If your cap is weak, or insufficent to contain the rated pressure of your system (14-16 lbs) then you may have a cap that needs replacing.

Regardless,...it is a good idea to install a coolant catch can of some kind so that you don't dump coolant on the road ,...under your tires.

 

[theconductor]

The coolant reservoir bolts to the drivers side of the fan shroud.

 

[JD1964]

I like to run with 0 pressure radiator cap. I remove the lower cap seal and sometimes drill small holes in the underside of the cap center (but still screw the cap all the way on). You must always have a reservoir when doing this. I keep the coolant/water mixture at 50/50 to reduce boil over risk. Also, you must have a more than adequate radiator. As the engine coolant fluid increases in temperature it expands and send the fluid into the over flow tank. As it cools, it draws it back out.

You might ask why I would do this. I use this trick on older cars with higher mileage. It reduces surprises like blown hoses, blown engine gaskets, leaking radiators and heater cores etc..... It keeps the coolant system pressure from building up thereby reducing leaks and blowouts that can leave you stranded. I'm using it as preventative measure on my 5.0. I've used it as remedy on Pontiac with cracked block and Jeep with leaking heater core. It's always worked for me and is currently working with my 92 LX.

One point to remember. You need a radiator with more than enough cooling capacity for your application. The reason is, un-pressurized cooling systems will have a boiling point at a lower temperature. So, if your rad can keep the temps down, you can use this trick to keep the pressure from building and thereby reducing the surprise loss of coolant by pressure related failures.

 

[j0rd4n]

I like to run with 0 pressure radiator cap. I remove the lower cap seal and sometimes drill small holes in the underside of the cap center (but still screw the cap all the way on). You must always have a reservoir when doing this. I keep the coolant/water mixture at 50/50 to reduce boil over risk. Also, you must have a more than adequate radiator. As the engine coolant fluid increases in temperature it expands and send the fluid into the over flow tank. As it cools, it draws it back out.

You might ask why I would do this. I use this trick on older cars with higher mileage. It reduces surprises like blown hoses, blown engine gaskets, leaking radiators and heater cores etc..... It keeps the coolant system pressure from building up thereby reducing leaks and blowouts that can leave you stranded. I'm using it as preventative measure on my 5.0. I've used it as remedy on Pontiac with cracked block and Jeep with leaking heater core. It's always worked for me and is currently working with my 92 LX.

One point to remember. You need a radiator with more than enough cooling capacity for your application. The reason is, un-pressurized cooling systems will have a boiling point at a lower temperature. So, if your rad can keep the temps down, you can use this trick to keep the pressure from building and thereby reducing the surprise loss of coolant by pressure related failures.

4 cyls, and V-8's do NOT use the same radiator. A 4 cyl radiator would be inadequate to cool a V8 as the core thickness of the radiator would be insufficient for the larger displacement engine.
Coolant overflow happens regardles of displacement. A 4cyl0r a V8 engine (w/ it's appropriate radiator) would still have times when coolant would escape from the radiator. (due to an overheat situation) W/O the benefit of a coolant overflow tank, or recovery reservoir would just blow right down beside the battery as you are describing.
As long as you are not running "hot" then typically the radiator doesn't blow it's oats into the recovery tank. If your cap is weak, or insufficent to contain the rated pressure of your system (14-16 lbs) then you may have a cap that needs replacing.

Regardless,...it is a good idea to install a coolant catch can of some kind so that you don't dump coolant on the road ,...under your tires.

thanks for the replies. i ended up installing a universal reservoir from napa until i can get one of the original reservoirs. the reservoir came with no hole in it so we drilled a very small hole in the top of the cap to release pressure