Cooling System

[lockyer89]

Has anyone got or can anyone help with a diagram of their cooling system on a 2.0 pinto including an expansion tank?

 

At the moment I've got the main rad pipes going into the water pump and through to the inlet manifold, the other pipe into the thermostat. The overflow from the rad going into the top of the expansion tank, then from the bottom of the expansion into the other side of the thermostat.

 

Do I need a pressure cap on the rad, or just something to cap it off?

 

 

Many thanks

 

Simon

[Bob Tucker]

Usually just a plain (blanking) cap on the rad & a pressure cap on the header tank given that it is (should be!)

the highest part of the system

[Guest snowy2]

it is better to use a radiator that doesn't have a radiator cap. some of the older systems are not capable of handling the pressures that a modern system can run at.

However my pinto engined car had a rover 214 radiator (with fan switch) top and bottom hose connected as normal. the bottom hose has a connector in it to connect to the bottom of the expansion tank (VW golf/polo etc.) the rover 214 bottom hose modified worked well.......the radiator had a small bleed pipe which goes to the top of the expansion tank. it was very reliable and lasted years.

[Knock-on]

What Bob says.

 

Ensure the Header is above the highest point of the engine coolant. The pressure cap goes on the Header and blank the rad. Wont be any more pressure as it's regulated by the header cap. I've located my header in the scuttle where the old Sierra master cylinder servo was (running floor mounted pedal box with separate cylinders) and it's fine even with the slightly taller zetec.