cooling question
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Senior User
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cooling question
I have a 77 F150 Trailer Special with a 460, air and auto.... The radiator has a vent that would go to an expansion bottle, however there is no expansion bottle to be found, nor is there a place that I can find to mount one.... I went to a radiator shop and dude said tofill it up all the way, and it will vent out as much as it needs to vent and I will be fine. The only problem is that when I did that, it ran cool (needle almost up to halfway) until it decided to purge, and after it did that it runs warmer (gauge over to about 3/4 of the way to HOT)...
So my question is, did these trucks come with an expansion bottle and mine is MIA? It is still cool where I live, but we do get pretty hot here, and this is my first summer with this (or any) truck....I want to get it resolved before I spend an August afternoon on the side of the road.
thanks,
ackus
So my question is, did these trucks come with an expansion bottle and mine is MIA? It is still cool where I live, but we do get pretty hot here, and this is my first summer with this (or any) truck....I want to get it resolved before I spend an August afternoon on the side of the road.
thanks,
ackus
New User
Joined: Jan 2008
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Likes: 24
cooling question
No expansion tank.
Fill it up to 1" below the rubber sealing ridge for the cap.
Because Ford gauges act weird sometimes you will be fine.
Mine does the same thing.
[b][i][font color=red]Dennis[/font][i][b]
[font color=red]Calgary,Alberta,Canada[/font]
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[font color=blue]78 F-150 429CJ,Silver,Explorer Pkg.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon [/font]
Fill it up to 1" below the rubber sealing ridge for the cap.
Because Ford gauges act weird sometimes you will be fine.
Mine does the same thing.
[b][i][font color=red]Dennis[/font][i][b]
[font color=red]Calgary,Alberta,Canada[/font]
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/Minimorleytruck.JPG
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/FordTruckCodes.html
[font color=red]If New Ford Parts Is What You're Cravin',
Then Buy Them HERE,At Motorhaven!
[/font]
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/Mil1ion.html
[font color =red] Please Don't Ask Me Any Tough Questions,
"I'm Saving My Memory For When I Develop Alzheimer's" [/font]
[font color=blue]78 F-150 429CJ,Silver,Explorer Pkg.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon [/font]
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,620
Likes: 341
From: Albuquerque
cooling question
My 77 did not come with one but I bought a kit with the two stage cap and recovery tank. It works great and keep the air out of the system witch is good. Also if it should belch it goes in the tank and gets sucked back into the radiator when it cools.
Bear Tracks
Bear Tracks
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 200
Likes: 0
From: Virginia
cooling question
I put one on my '74 360. I didn't think it was such a good idea to be purging all that ethylene glycol to the environment. Plus, now all I have to make up for is what leaks out (gotta find that darn leak).
Mark
Mark
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,613
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From: Gainesville, FL
cooling question
All,
The bottom line is these trucks did not come with expansion tanks. Add one, by all means. I used an old bleach container and it worked fine, until it fell into the fan. No biggy! I simply replaced it with another bleach bottle. Life is not that complicated when you drive a Ford truck. Enjoy it!
My Way is the Highway
KingFisher
The bottom line is these trucks did not come with expansion tanks. Add one, by all means. I used an old bleach container and it worked fine, until it fell into the fan. No biggy! I simply replaced it with another bleach bottle. Life is not that complicated when you drive a Ford truck. Enjoy it!
My Way is the Highway
KingFisher
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 112
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From: ATCHISON USA
cooling question
I agree, and disagree with the above. I do not believe any of these trucks came with any type of expansion tank. My 79' came factory with the heavy duty cooling package, and the hose simply runs down the right hand side of the radiator to the ground. The bleach bottle probably works, but seems a little crude to me. I would advise you to look through a StreetRod oriented magazine for a stainless or aluminum puke tank. Several companies offer them in a variety of shapes and sizes. Many are a long cylinder shape that is only a few inches in diameter, and come in various lengths. They mount easily, and you should be able to fit one along side your radiator. They are a bit more expensive than a plastic jug, but they are safer, and look a whole lot better. FOMOGO
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New User
Joined: Apr 2002
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cooling question
I have used the bleach bottle on my 65 Galaxie and it works, then I went fancy. For about $10 at Auto Zone you can but a plastic tank that sits inside a wire basket and can be mounted pretty much any where you have room with a couple of self tapping screws. The kit I bought came with the basket, tank, hose, and clamps. The clamps are the cheap kind that you install/remove with pliers. Just use the self tapping screws to mount the basket and set the tank in, hook up the hose and you are done. The only negative to this type of tank is that after 4 or 5 years the plastic is starting to get brittle. For the price big deal. The aluminum catch cans look pretty awesome under the hood in something fixed up. When you have old beat up hard working truck they look out of place. On a side note, found this site about a week ago. Awesome site, looking forward to sharing and learning with you all more in the future.
Streak O Lean
Recently departed 77 F250
Looking for another 70'S Ford Big Block
In AZ, e-mail the detail
Streak O Lean
Recently departed 77 F250
Looking for another 70'S Ford Big Block
In AZ, e-mail the detail
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 141
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cooling question
Check your radiator cap, make sure its the right poundage,which should be 13lbs. The way those systems are desighned, your engine would have to get real hot to purge water out of your radiator, or unless you have a head gasket problem, or another internal problem thats causing excessive pressure in the cooling system.
New User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 0
Likes: 24
cooling question
Why not just get a plastic recovery tank from a Ford car like I did.
Lincoln's,T-Bird's,LTD's,they all them.
[b][i][font color=red]Dennis[/font][i][b]
[font color=red]Calgary,Alberta,Canada[/font]
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/Minimorleytruck.JPG
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/FordTruckCodes.html
[font color=red]If New Ford Parts Is What You're Cravin',
Then Buy Them HERE,At Motorhaven!
[/font]
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/Mil1ion.html
[font color =red] Please Don't Ask Me Any Tough Questions,
"I'm Saving My Memory For When I Develop Alzheimer's" [/font]
[font color=blue]78 F-150 429CJ,Silver,Explorer Pkg.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon [/font]
Lincoln's,T-Bird's,LTD's,they all them.
[b][i][font color=red]Dennis[/font][i][b]
[font color=red]Calgary,Alberta,Canada[/font]
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/Minimorleytruck.JPG
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/FordTruckCodes.html
[font color=red]If New Ford Parts Is What You're Cravin',
Then Buy Them HERE,At Motorhaven!
[/font]
http://www.clubfte.com/users/mil1ion/Mil1ion.html
[font color =red] Please Don't Ask Me Any Tough Questions,
"I'm Saving My Memory For When I Develop Alzheimer's" [/font]
[font color=blue]78 F-150 429CJ,Silver,Explorer Pkg.
641/2-Mustang 260,Pre-World's Fair Car.
64-Fairlane500 S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang 289-Sunlit Gold 80,892Mi
78-Buick LeSabre 403 4V
84 Volvo DL Wagon [/font]
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 154
Likes: 0
cooling question
the radiator cap it is.......
I checked it based on the above post, and I have a 7 pound cap.....a quick trip (so quick I was able to buy it and immediately put it on without gettig a steam burn) to the parts store and a check of the specs there revealed that yes....I am supposed to have a 13 pound cap. So I replaced the cap, re-filled it with antifreeze and we will see what happens....I had a leaky heater core (presently by-passed)....I wonder if the previous opwner put on the lower cap cause of that....
I checked it based on the above post, and I have a 7 pound cap.....a quick trip (so quick I was able to buy it and immediately put it on without gettig a steam burn) to the parts store and a check of the specs there revealed that yes....I am supposed to have a 13 pound cap. So I replaced the cap, re-filled it with antifreeze and we will see what happens....I had a leaky heater core (presently by-passed)....I wonder if the previous opwner put on the lower cap cause of that....
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,620
Likes: 341
From: Albuquerque
cooling question
Under the heading good to know:
A catch can does only that, contains the overflow.
A recovery tank along with the two way radiator cap can return the coolant to the radiator.
Bear Tacks
A catch can does only that, contains the overflow.
A recovery tank along with the two way radiator cap can return the coolant to the radiator.
Bear Tacks
