Radiator overflow tanks? Suggestions Please...

My 51 Ford is finally coming along and I am going to need to get a radiator overflow tank. Problem is, I don't necessarily dig the standard after market stainless tanks that are so plentiful nowadays. I guess I'll use one if I can't come up with something better, but thought you all might have some ideas I havn't thought of. What do ya'all think? I kind have a polished/finned aluminum fetish if anything exists. Thanks for the help!

G

 

PBR can....unless you're Rocky, then it's gotta be a Diet Dr Pepper container!

 

or tuck then its an "old school" glass bottle dr pepper bottle lol

 

find an old aluminum army canteen. a hole in the cap for the hose, a simple mount, your done. polish to taste.


jerry

 

I used a bicycle water bottle and the rack on the fly.

 

haha
this is ROCKY RACE WARE
guarenteed not to break below 160mph in a Rambler
this what your talking about Mr. Tim?

 

the night before the hamb drags i installed one on clarence. a lone star can courtesy of flat top bob.

thanx bob.

 

Ok, Cool! I guess if holds fluid, then the skys the limit!

Jerry, I like the old canteen idea, it'll match that tri-power rig I got off ya' way back when. I polished the snot out of it last winter and ya' wouldn't even recognize it. I'll post some pics soon.

Thanks all....

 

Rusty church key beer can, an not neccessarily in that order!

 

If you're not stuck on beer cans or soda bottles, I always liked the vintage look of a metal Marvel Mystery Oil can. Maybe a small military or aircraft type hydraulic fluid container?

Kinky6

 

How about a glass Heinz Ketchup bottle?

 

Weird, just put this one on tonight. Decided to use a Permatex knee action shock oil can.

I mean............

 

I used Jerry's canteen idea on my Ranch Wagon and my F1. Another idea would be a martini shaker (that idea is courtesy of go-kat-go).

 

Another neat idea would be the old desert water cooler that used to attach to the grill of a car to keep it cool.It would look especially cool on a salt buggy.

 

AV8 (Mike) came up with this: Running a sheet of aluminum thru the bead roller, and then welding it up in the back. He may have better close ups...

 

I used the alum canteen thing on my 27, but made it a coolant recovery unit instead of just an overflow. Easy to make with any of the suggestions here, even the glass bottle (need a diamond drill bit that wil drill glass). You will never have to add water/coolant again if you go with the recovery thing.

 

An small old fire extingrisher works great, brass one if you can find one,has brkt and everything

 

thatd be the one tuck

 

I found a glass <font color="red"> FLATHEAD COLA </font> bottle to catch my 255 belchings.

 

Local guy Rodney (from Bruce's Rod Shop and one of the Outkasts) built a nice tank out of a large brass shell casing (40mm?) capped by a brazed-in freeze plug and with brazed-on hose nipples. Looks sharp and could be polished up nice!

 

Hotwater bottle/douche bag/enema bag

 

I'm running a 2"x2" glass olive oil bottle about 10-12" tall. I like seeing that florescent color green. Tucked in nicely next to the radiator.

 

Jack Daniels bottle?

Jay

 

go to your favorite schmancy bar and grab an empty Heradura Tequila bottle or any other ornate and durable bottle.

I use an old glass hospital piss bottle on the Ford.

 

A douche bag, AHAAA! There we go, oh god......

The recovery tank is of interest. Anything special need to be considered, or is it as easy as redirecting the fluid back through a cap. Dumb question, but I have never given this much thought.

 

Small Marvel Mystery Oil can

 

Coolant recovery is easy - two tubes into the BOTTOM of whatever your going to use. One only goes up about 1/2 inch - this is the one you connect the radiator overflow to. The other goes almost all the way up. This is the new overflow to the ground in case whatever you use fills up. What happens is any coolant the radiator pukes goes into the recovery and stays there (assuming its not enough to fill it all the way). When the engine cools down natural siphon action reverses the flow back into the radiator. You must have a cap on whatever your using or it won't work. You should plan on using something that at least holds a quart so it doesn't overflow, though you can try something smaller and see if its ok.

 

I did my recovery tank slightly differently, but it still works.

Cut a 45 degree angle on the overflow tube from the radiator and push it into the tank from the top till it touches the bottom of the tank. Doing it this way, you can leave the cap open so if it gets too full it justs overflows.


Paul,
I think you might be wrong about the cap being required. Mine is open on the top and it sucks back into the radiator just fine. And when you think about it, your can isn't sealed either because of the second tube that allows it to overflow ?

 

Dont run a grille, get an old Moon pressure fuel tank, mount it in the hole where the grille goes. Screw air flow!

 

Doesn't have to be sealed, but the tube end must be submerged.