Coolant water level

[chris a]

Don't know if I'm worried unnecessarily....On checking water levels of the past few weeks in my 1700 crossflow, I notice that when cold, the water level in the filler is below the top hose. I fill it up, go for a run and it goes back below again. From my phsyics days, I know that the water expands (into the expansion tank) when hot, but why does it not refill from the expansion tank when cool. And yes the pipe in the tank is below the water level. No other symptoms except a small amount of jelly type stuff under the filler cap.

 

Any advice gratefully recieved

 

Chris A

[Paul Turner]

Chris

 

I presume the water level in the expansion tank is higher after it has cooled down as the water is not being sucked back, if this is the case it is normally because air is being sucked in as the engine cools and this is possibly from a leak anywhere in the system but not wanting to panick you could be the beginning of a head gasket problem. If the level in the tank is not rising the water is being lost elsewhere and if there are no signs of a leak it possibly indicates the beginings of a head gasket problem. I ran the suck type bottle on my Caterham x-flows for 13 years and it always worked fine refilling the engine as you suggest, the only exceptions were caused by slight leaks or gasket failure. Suggest getting the system pressure tested in the first instance. At least changing the head gasket on a x-flow is simple, should take 3 hours max.

 

Paul

[ashaughnessy]

I think this might be one of those "they all do that" occasions. However, I'm not an expert and I'd be very interested to hear the experts' opinions.

 

I have noticed that if you fill the filler neck right up to the top then some of the water gets spat out of the filler cap when the engine gets warm. I have seen this when I have filled the engine and then run it until hot and seen the water come out of the filler cap all over the floor. I rang an expert (possibly James Whiting) who said this is expected. He said you should fill slightly less, perhaps to a level an inch above the thermostat.

 

I have also read on old threads here (search the archives) that the expansion bottle doesn't work the way it should. Roger King has said it isn't effective at putting the water back into the system. Hence his recommendation to convert to a fully sealed system with a pressurised header tank.

 

I don't know what the jelly stuff under the filler cap is, though. How does your oil look?

Anthony

[chris a]

Anthony,

 

The oil looks fine, that was my first check. Just to be clear, the stuff under the filler cap is a little more like wallpaper glue. Is that better or worse!!

Chris

[Graham Sewell]

Just think of the plastic bottle as being a coolant catch tank so that you don't lose the liquid - you just need to pour it back. In nearly 8 years, I have never found water being sucked back from the catch tank, so as the water must expand, I have got used to allowing a small amount of air to remain (about 1" above thermostat as previously mentioned).

 

Low tech luddite - xflow and proud!

[F355GTS]

Chris..... Jelly, Wallpaper paste it's not more like Mayonaisse (grey/white in colour) is it?

 

if so that would suggest a possible head gasket problem as it suggests a mixture of Oil and Water (this may also be visable on the base of the oil filler cap)

 

If it's clear as your description suggests it may just be a by-product of the coolant

 

Mark

[ashaughnessy]

I've never had wallpaper paste under my filler cap! I'd clean it off and monitor the situation. See if the paste/jelly keeps returning. Keep an eye on the oil as well. Try taking the rocker cover off and look at the state of the oil on the rockers. It will probably be black but there shouldn't be anything gelatinous, glutinous, or otherwise thick - just oil.

I probably wouldn't worry about it unless the oil looked wrong or the water started looking more wrong or you started to get other symptoms.

Anthony

[Casbar]

Mine used to do exactly the same thing. In the end, I installed a sealed system, with an expansion tank, that can be fitted in various positions around the engine bay.

 

Don't loose any coolant now, and don't have to re-fill it

[Big Brother]

Chris

Just think of the plastic bottle as being a coolant catch tank so that you don't lose the liquid - you just need to pour it back

 

Excellent advice, I have to do the same all the time on my 1700cc Supersprint.

 

As already remarked upon, the only way to really sort the problem is to swap to a completely sealed cooling system. I am currently in the process of getting all the bits together to do this.

 

My Question.....

Can anybody tell me what vehicle the "sealed system" expansion tank is taken from?

 

 

Steve

www.Se7en-Up.co.uk

id=green>

 

[Casbar]

Steve,

 

You can either buy all the bits from Roger King or source your own.

 

I already had an expansion tank, but the rest I sourced myself:

 

Submarine for bottom hose - Caterham

Sealed thermostat housing with two outlets - Ford Part, off an early Fiesta (xflow)

 

Tank itself is also off an early Fiesta along with the pipe that goes from the tank to the Submarine.

[chris a]

Thanks everyone,

 

Rocker cover OK and it is definitely wall paper glue and not mayonaisse. So it looks like I'm in the clear and something new added to the list of things to do.

[Big Brother]

Casbar,

Many thanks for the info.

 

 

Steve

www.Se7en-Up.co.uk id=green>