Hot Rods Coolant catch can????

I'm running a stock non pressureized model A radiator on my '30 tudor with a mild 292 Y block and I need to stop bolwing so much antifreeze on the ground. I would like to come up with some type of catch can but I don't think I can do the beer can thing. Of course I don't want something modern looking container, any ideas? how about a canteen? or is that too rat rod?

 

I have made some out of aluminum drive shaft tubing you can polish it or not.
But I am thinking that you will want a pressure system on that 292.

 

well I made it through the worst of the summer without any problems...other than refilling the radiator. You may have a point, the catch can may have to be so big to save much of the antifreeze.
I bet that 84 year old radiator would not last long with any pressure on it. and that would mean a $700 radiator.

 

A catch can will only siphon back to the radiator if the system is closed.

 

I have a tendency to use a gallon gas can in most of my cars, you [probably can't get away with that.
If you are running a Y block you really need a pressurized system, maybe it is time to bite the bullet and jump into the '50s with your build.

 

your gonna have to get creative. maybe an old glass washer bottle or old oil can. set it up so you can easily remove the can and pour the coolant back into the radiator. being a non pressured system it wont pull the coolant back in but at least your not dumping it onto the ground everywhere you go.

 

I have a stock 1938 Buick radiator and inline eight, with a windshield washer bucket for a over flow, and it sucks the antifreeze back into the radiator.

 

I am using a round gas tank off a small lawnmower or gas engine, Hold about 1.5 quarts. If you have a good seal on your radiator cap it will pull it back as it cools down.

 

You don't have to spend $700 on a radiator if you don't want to. There are much cheaper alternatives available such as Champion Radiator, etc.

 

As long as you have a good seal on the rad cap it should pull it back in. Ive been toying with the idea of using an old butane torch bottle mounted upside down on the firewall of my A.

 

A old polished WWII canteen would work or a old small brass pump fire extinguisher. HRP

 

Made from a Huey fuel pressure reservoir and DC3 airframe clevises. Sits on top of the spring hanger for the suicide axle

 

1940 overflow with 15 lb. cap works great!

 

Blackjack that's a slick catch can right there.

 

A 3-4 pound recovery cap should keep your rad from exploding. A copper miners canteen would look ok doing the job.

 

If you would stop overfilling your radiator you wouldn't have the dump at stop problem.
In a no or low pressure system the radiator has a fill point below the filler neck which will eliminate the "freeze" dump problem. It just takes a little experimenting to find that level, then the problem stops.

 

Pasadena, Yes for the most part once you find the level that it likes, it does not blow out too much but some more does come out after a hard pull.
Blackjack's idea is great! looks good.
I like the copper canteen thing, bet they are hard to find.
HRP, I guess the canteen may be the thing, a copper would be neat i'll have to check e-bay for a wwII one or the copper one.....I was planning on having to remove it and pour it back in.

 

My 37 Chevy Ute has the same problem, an unpressurized system. The problem is the coolant gets hot and the water steams out, especially after the engine is hot or a long pull. Sure a can may help condense that and if the level is above the hose when it cools will pull some back. But over time it is a net loss since it does not all condense back to liquid and is not all returned to the radiator.

What I and the OP 46International need to do is put a modern cap fitting on the radiator that has the two seal surfaces, with the overflow hose between the two surfaces. Then seal off the orig overflow hose. This will provide 2 things:
1) most important a basically sealed system, and
2) pressurized system that actually works better for cooling

....now just to get around to pulling the radiator and getting the changes done.

 

Here's a better pix

 

Thanks guys - I like to do something different. It looked like this before polishing looked like this before polishing;

 

Back in the day, your radiator was filled correctly if the coolant just covered the core when cold. The upper tank was shaped so that there was plenty of expansion room in it. After the switch to horizontal flow radiators the separate overflow tank became necessary.

 

Tough to see the oil can on the radiator support rods on my coupe. It is an old Tydol Flying A can with some copper plumbing. The one on my roadster is an old heavy glass Squeeze soda bottle with copper epoxied in. Both work fine.

 

Learnt from someone on here that British Leyland stuff like 77-80 MGB's, some Sprites, Austin Healys, Midgets etc have a really cool brass tank that works well.

 

ctl1932ford, nice setup with the bottle. looks like you kept the cap also.
Blackjack, do you have a picture of your tank on the car? just so we can see how it will look. I'm running a spring -in-front axle set up and the raidator shell is in front of all of that so no place to mount it execpt the spreader bar.

so I got a WWII canteen from e-bay today, when I get it we'll see what I come up with.

 

Front end is in bits at the minute but I will see what I can do later

 

I don't run a catch can...I've always filled the radiator and run the car a few days...ad water back...and repeat this process for a week or two and let the car set it's water level itself....the only reason I keep refilling for the first couple weeks is to make sure all the air has gotten out.......Drove 4400 miles to LA Roadster show and back...didn't ad one drop and it ran 218 across the desert out and back with ac wide open...never puked out a drop.........................I like simple....the more we ad, the more can go wrong.

 

Mine before I finished the brackets, added foam to protect the bottle.

 

Make yourself a note that say
"Check when hot"

Fill it, drive it, let it puke out what it doesn't want and leave it there.

 

Johnnie Blue Label.........Do you have any Grey Poupon?

 

That is exactly why I chose it! A little bit of irony in my old truck.