Hi, I'm new here and would like to ask some questions after spending all night reading the forum...very good stuff.

I have an xflow with a lowered radiator in the nose cone. I have a 2" high thermostat housing tube which has a tube to the top of the rad, a fan switch and rad cap top. I've just bought it , in the car. At present after a run (not hard) it will spit water / steam out of the rad cap overflow from the rad cap on the rad and none from the rad cap on the thermostat. when it cools down I presume it is sucking in air from the overflow pipes ( both pointed to ground) and so when it is stone cold, you open the rad cap on the thermostat (highest point) to find it dry which can't be particularly good for starting up again. the bloke I bought it from used to refill it before a run but I don't like this idea. I tried the method of putting the overflow tube from the rad cap on rad into a bottle to collect and reuse water...seemed to be ok but the thermostat area can still draw in air from its exposed tube so I'm back where I started. I tried putting this into the same bottle as the other overflow but it didn't like it one bit. instead of pushing the water down the (definately clear) overflow pipe, it pushed it past the rad cap top (bayonnet area and onto the block), is this because of the water pressure in the bottle was too high / hard for it?...What should I do, if I leave it the thermostat runs dry, should I put an expansion bottle on it?.....if I tap it into the inlet manifold to water pump line, can I just "T" it in or do I have to run from inlet manifold to exp bottle and then exp bottle to water pump? Any suggestions / diagrams please. the highest point in my system at present is this 2" high thermostart housing thing, the radiator is inclined an 2" lower. Thanks Gaz

I'm not sure what this one is. I run a pinto with an escort rad and I use the breather from the rad to an expansion bottle same as you. I left the header tank off as an experiment and it works. I would try blanking the stat breather or put a header tank on and plumb it into a bottom hose pipe, less turbulence and cooler water if you top up while out.
There should be no pressure in the expansion bottle but the end of the pipe to it should be in a few inches of water so that the water is drawn back when the rad cools down.

yours, Pete

Gaz ,

Do a search on "plumbing again" - - this will show you my same question recently that was answered by Stu . It works !!!!

Try it . Thanks again Stu

Only too glad to be of assistance mate...

Cheers, Stu.