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Header tank....
JohnH - 2/8/15 at 12:38 PM

Morning, I'am fitting a 1.8 blacktop zetec to my Aries. I have fitted the rad and piping, i'am going to fit a alloy header tank. The header tank I have only has a fitting at the bottom........... So do I run the over flow from the rad and the water rail to the bottom outlet on the header tank ? 😁


daniel mason - 2/8/15 at 12:46 PM

That sounds like a expansion tank. Not a header tank!


JohnH - 2/8/15 at 01:05 PM

Oooooo, can it still be used ?


blakep82 - 2/8/15 at 01:10 PM

Have you got a pic? It does sound like a header crank or expansion tank to me?


[Edited on 2/8/15 by blakep82]


CosKev3 - 2/8/15 at 01:16 PM

A header tank needs to have coolant flowing through it, so you need coolant pipes in and out.


JohnH - 2/8/15 at 01:37 PM

I think it's a expansion tank. It has a pressurised lid. Sorry, don't know how to put pictures up,plus I don't have a picture. Its an alloy tank one outlet/intel at the bottom and an outlet / overflow from lid. If that helps ?


blakep82 - 2/8/15 at 01:40 PM

quote:
Originally posted by CosKev3
A header tank needs to have coolant flowing through it, so you need coolant pipes in and out.


Yep, and a pressure cap on the top

An expansion bottle has an inlet at the top, with a pipe going down to the bottom, and is not pressure sealed and is not part of the pressure system


JohnH - 2/8/15 at 01:57 PM

There selling them on eBay,item number 191648698869. I got it cheap.


britishtrident - 2/8/15 at 03:20 PM

I think perhaps you have fallen into a bling trap not just once but twice, most arrangements of cooling systems can be made to work but it pays to keep it simple.

The most suitable header expansion tanks are generally ones from small hatch backs Rover 25, MG Tf, GM Corsa or Renault Clio, they are have 2 or three connection which allow circulation through the tank and allow trapped air to bleed out the coolant.
Brand new Clio tanks with cap are very cheap on ebay.

Water rails (especially the Raceline) are also best avoided if space permits as they are well known to cause overheating issues unless some work around or bodges are applied.


blakep82 - 2/8/15 at 03:33 PM

I agree, the eBay one looks badly designed, and by that picture, looks poorly made :/ the weldings not great, and nothing looks straight.

A header tank needs an outlet at the bottom to go to your bottom hose, and at least one on the top into the side of the tank to bleed air and coolant from the radiator and cylinder head.

The eBay one looks somewhere between a header and expansion tank, and not really suitable as either in my optinion
I'd send it back, and contact this guy to make you a suitable header tank
http://www.alloyracingfabrications.com/alloy-budget-header-tank.html
His work is very good quality, and he can adjust the size and outlet positions as required

I'm a happy customer of his


JohnH - 2/8/15 at 03:38 PM

I didn't get if from eBay. Think I got it off one of the 7 style Facebook pages. I also want it to look the best it can I've been building it for a long time now. 😁


tims31 - 2/8/15 at 09:24 PM

I bought a renault Clio one for my Zetec Blacktop for £8.00 off ebay. Has an in and an out port a pressure cap and tabs to mount on a bulkhead

Description
Description


[Edited on 2/8/15 by tims31]


daniel mason - 2/8/15 at 09:37 PM

That's exactly what you need ^^^ unless like me you like alloy


JohnH - 2/8/15 at 09:47 PM

Oooooo, yes. Like alloy. 😁😁😁😁
Oooooooooooo, all shiny


snapper - 3/8/15 at 05:39 AM

I was told that you don't want circulation through a header tank just the ability to bleed air
I've fitted a tank with 1 bottom outlet to the bottom radiator hose and one air bleed from the old radiator expansion pipe to the higher smaller side inlet on the tank


britishtrident - 3/8/15 at 06:45 AM

The laat production car I can think of that didn't coolant circulating through the header tank was the Allegro. ..........

Honda and some other Asian manufacturers used non-pressurised expansion catch bottles but they used vertical flow radiators where the radiator had a built in top tank.