I have a 79 F100 with 302 engine and it does not have a radiator overflow container. It just has a hose coming out of the top stem of the radiator and goes down the side of the radiator. There is a label on the radiator that says do not fill above this level, and that level is about 1-1/2 inches below the top of the radiator. Since I live in North Carolina and the truck has air conditioner, I thought it might be a good idea to add the overflow container and fill the radiator up to the top. Is that a good idea, or will it cause problems? Thanks!

Regards,
Bob

 

There isn't really a need for one on a vertical flow radiator.

 

I'm not sure if its required or not but I had the exact same situation on my 460 when I bought it and just to play it safe I snagged an overflow bottle at a upullit and hooked it up anyway. 5 dollar peice of mind.

 

That's why the tank on the top of the radiator is so tall. Room for expansion. If you fill them up they will just puke out untill they get to where they want to be, about 1 1/2" below the neck. Modern stuff dosen't have the taller tanks and so an overflow tank is required. Think about it, it will make sense!

 

It won't cause any problems. I put one of those $10 ones you get at the auto parts stores. I figured it would hold a bit more coolant in the radiator and I could monitor coolant level without having to take the cap off.

 

if you want to protect the environment and make sure your coolant does spill out onto the ground then it is a great idea. If you don't care about the environment and have no problem with coolant just going everywhere then don't worry about it.

Keeping your radiator at the proper level is always the best.

 

And to add to your point that is clearly a very good one , if you have ( PETS ) it helps keep

them safe , because if your pet drinks it off the ground for a few days , you will have killed

your dog,cat, goat, or what have you!


Wally Womack

 

There's no harm and no foul if one is installed. Be advised there are "catch cans" and "recirculating cans". The former connects the overflow hose on top and is equipped with a petcock on the bottom - typically installed for racers cuz track officials and tech inspectors don't like ya slicking up the race surface. Recirculating cans have a fitting at the bottom for the rads' overflow and the top is the vent. More often than not, it has a fitting for another section of hose which is the overflow.

I use a Jeg's recirculating bottle (in Ford blue!). For $19, it beats coming back to my rig and finding a puddle of coolant mix under it... For me it was a good idea cuz it keeps the California Enviro-Socialists from saying anything about my rig... Then again, its camo paint job and gun rack might dissuade them to do so anyway.. Btw, the temp range here where I live is 25 to 108 degrees... and low humidity.

 

Great! Thanks for all the information!!
Regards,
Bob

 

Another added benefit of a burp tank is to avoid needless input from the general public. If you're anything like me, and find most of the public somewhat annoying, you're not going to want to come out of the grocery store every time to someone standing next to your truck saying "I think something is wrong with your truck!" Granted, they're just usually trying to help, but you can get tired explaining how the truck actually worked from the factory, and even if you do explain, you'll invariably get the environmental attitudes that you didn't ask for in the first place.

A burp tank can look good (depending on how much you're willing to spend), it serves a purpose, protects the environment, protects animals, and helps to keep your patience with the public to acceptable levels.

 

There's really no need for the overflow tank on those older radiators. You just need to make sure you do not overfill them. If your truck runs hot when the A/C is on then you need to make sure there isn't some other problem, like the radiator being clogged, fan clutch not working properly, etc. Also, anti-freeze was reformulated years ago to no longer pose a threat to animals. Unless you are running really old coolant in your truck, killing dogs and cats shouldn't be an issue.

 

While I agree with you completely about not needing a burp tank if your radiator is filled appropriately, and your cooling system works well, I completely disagree with you about the harmful effects of antifreeze. Most automotive antifreeze products are still ethylene glycol based, and they can definitely kill you and your pets if it is consumed.

Now, there are antifreeze products available that are less harmful than the typical ethylene glycol based coolants, but that is only a small fraction of all coolants that are still available. Prestone offers a product called Prestone LowTox, which is propylene glycol based, and isn't supposed to be as harmful to animals as its ethylene glycol predecessor. That product, however, is only one out of a number of products that Prestone offers, and they're only one producer of coolant products. Most of their antifreeze products are still ethylene glycol based, and still carry the warning label "Warning: Harmful or fatal if swallowed. Keep out of the reach of children." I only use Prestone as an example, as most people are familiar with that brand (I am not advertising their stuff....what you buy is completely up to you).

I'm not trying to flame you or anything, but I figured giving advice that could potentially kill people's pets or kids was something that needed to be pointed out. If you want to know more about ethylene glycol poisoning, you can always Google it, but here's an article about it if you're interested.

Antifreeze Poisoning in Humans - Signs and Symptoms | Healthhype.com

 

No flame taken. I looked it up, and you are right. They still use ethylene glycol in anti-freeze, but they started offering a new type of antifreeze a few years ago that isn't poisonous to animals. I was thinking that all antifreeze had been replaced with the new stuff, but I was wrong.

 

Good info
For the guys looking to add a recirculating bottle you'll need to switch radiator cap
There is vented and non-vented caps which won't create the vac. needed to suck the coolant back in when needed

 

Is there a Ford part number for the radiator cap needed with the recirculating overflow bottle? Or is there some other specification so I know I have the correct cap? Thanks!

Regards,
Bob