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Cracked Coolant Recovery Pressure Bottle

5K views 19 replies 12 participants last post by  ARNOLDCOP 
#1 ·
Group - Here's a crack that developed on my 2000 ES with 140,000 miles. The reason for showing this might be a minor correlation between the cracked radiator tanks on the passenger side and the crack shown below.

I bought an aftermarket Dorman tank, lifetime warranty from the local auto parts store. This one store had qty 3 in stock... Seems to be a high quantity for this item.

The temp gauge was jumping up and down and when I opened the hood, it was pretty easy to find this:

 
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#8 ·
Funny you mentioned that, I'm having issues with this new Dorman tank. It keeps letting air in the system. Everymorning I the coolant noise through the heater core. I've bled the system and add water (if needed) on a daily basis, still getting air.

Last night I put my old radiator cap on the new tank and added worm style hose clamps.

I'll give it a day or so to see if that fix stops air from getting into the coolant system.
 
#14 ·
Nobody is really sure which comes first, the coolant bottle leak or the cracked tank.

One theory is that air admittance due to a cracked tank or bad tank to filler neck seal (it's a 2 piece design with a gasket seal) causes a water hammer effect that cracks the tanks.

In my case, it was the filler neck seal that let go and it was such a small leak I never saw it until one very hot day out in the desert when I heard the leak and found that the noise stopped if I pressed on the filler neck at a certain point. A tiny speck of dried sodium silicate where the filler neck met the bottle indicated where the pinhole leak was. I mistook it for glue before I heard the noise!

I went through THREE radiators with that bottle....this rad is holding with the new bottle.
 
#15 ·
I'm going to have to inspect my coolant bottle too. I've been going through a large amount of rads with no explanation. I know my rear t-belt cover to block seals are leaking, I've been planing to change those. But the coolant bottle has always had a bit of coolant residue on it which I attributed to overflow from filling, maybe that wasn't the issue....
 
#16 · (Edited)
Steph, can't be certain that's your problem but I do think you said you went through 4 ~ 5 rads in your car. I'd change it for cheap insurance.

the Dorman tank had a ridge or lip on the radiator cap connector flange, both of them did. I ponder if that lip wasn't sealing properly.

As an update, the junkyard coolant res tank is working just fine. Temps are constant and at proper level (even on 95+ F days) and no air is getting into the system (swooshing noise).

Late!
 
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