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Coolant recovery tank

Discussion in 'Builds and Fabricators Forum' started by Patrick, Jan 30, 2010.

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  1. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    I've been using one of the cheap universal plastic tanks from Autozone. It worked great, but it looked, well, cheap.

    I took a 36oz. MSR fuel bottle and put in some 1/4" pipe 3/8" nipple fittings in it and painted it. A piece of clear plastic tube for a sight tube. I cut the little handle off of the lid, drilled a hole, and put a knurled aluminum knob from a choke cable on it. Cut/ bent up a bracket out of some 1/16" plate. Certainly looks better than the cheap plastic tank, and ought to last longer....
    [​IMG]
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    Patrick, Jan 30, 2010
    #1
  2. jpflat2a

    jpflat2a what's that noise?

    that's purty
    cheap plastic one in use here still..
     
    jpflat2a, Jan 31, 2010
    #2
  3. nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

    Sweet!
    What is MSR if I'm showing my dumbness?:)
     
    nickmil, Jan 31, 2010
    #3
  4. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    It's the brand name. It was a backpacking stove fuel bottle. Not that it matters..;)
     
    Patrick, Jan 31, 2010
    #4
  5. Kman

    Kman Member

    Looks COOL!! I too was going to ask what MSR was, it looked like a paint ball gun bottle to me. Nice job.
     
    Kman, Jan 31, 2010
    #5
  6. mb82

    mb82 I feel great!

    Really cool Patrick.
     
    mb82, Jan 31, 2010
    #6
  7. duffer

    duffer Rodent Power

    Turned out really nice. Did you just tap and JB weld the fittings? I had the same problem with the cheap plastic reservoirs. Ended up buying a couple of aluminum ones from Summit for the radiator and power steering overflow systems, and fabed my own for the windshield washer out of 1/8" 5052 because I couldn't find anything close that fit the space I had available.
     
    duffer, Jan 31, 2010
    #7
  8. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    They pretty much tapped themselves. I ran them in, back out, then filled the threads with JB and ran them back in. After, of course, cleaning everything really well..
     
    Patrick, Jan 31, 2010
    #8
  9. 73cj5

    73cj5 Member

    Factory "puke the coolant on the ground" system here ;) How well does it work, are you able to keep the rad compleatly full of coolant?
     
    73cj5, Feb 1, 2010
    #9
  10. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    Yes. I've been running an overflow for years, and it works great.
     
    Patrick, Feb 1, 2010
    #10
  11. willys59cj5

    willys59cj5 Sponsor

    Nice catch can Patrick. I really like the clear tube so you can see what the level is.....Could probably do something similar with those new aluminum waterbottles that everyone is selling now adays.
     
    willys59cj5, Feb 1, 2010
    #11
  12. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    I'd been looking for a water bottle, but none that I found were as big as I wanted, and my Dad had this old aluminum fuel bottle. It's just over a quart, and it's barely big enough.
     
    Patrick, Feb 1, 2010
    #12
  13. aallison

    aallison 74 cj6, 76 cj5. Has anyone seen my screwdriver?

    What about an old, empty small fire extuingisher (darn I can't spell) bottle......
     
    aallison, Feb 1, 2010
    #13
  14. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    Though about that too....Almost emptied one.:D
     
    Patrick, Feb 1, 2010
    #14
  15. Davidleontruett

    Davidleontruett Member

    i have a stupid question. maybe a couple of them.
    first off, i have the pour on the ground hose. will this eventually make me run low on coolant?
    second, how does the bottle return the fluid to the radiator so it doesnt get low?
     
    Davidleontruett, Feb 1, 2010
    #15
  16. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    The radiator only pushes out what it can't hold due to expansion when the coolant heats up.. When the coolant cools down, it contracts, and sucks it back out of the tank.
     
    Patrick, Feb 1, 2010
    #16
  17. msarge

    msarge In Progress 1974 CJ5

    Now that is a mighty fine idea!!! How well does the sight tube handle the pressure? Any problems yet?
     
    msarge, Feb 2, 2010
    #17
  18. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    There is no pressure in the tank.
     
    Patrick, Feb 2, 2010
    #18
  19. kirk505

    kirk505 Member

    You still have a vent hose on the top of the puke tank so as patrick stated no pressure in the tank. Red loctite would seal the fittings as well or better then JB weld IMO.
     
    kirk505, Feb 3, 2010
    #19
  20. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    I wouldn't try loctite for this, the aluminum bottle is too thin to really get any threads in it. It needs the JB for structural integrity. Not sure loctite would seal "better", as there are no leaks.
     
    Patrick, Feb 3, 2010
    #20
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