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Old Holden Sheds Reapers Workguides and HR Shed Reapers Work Guides Cooling Systems Fitting Coolant Overflow Bottle
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Fitting Coolant Overflow Bottle

Date: 07/01/05
Owner: ReaperHR
Size: 25 items
P1010770

P1010770

This work guide is a basic one on installing a coolant overflow bottle to the car, I found the HR didn't really have a good place to mount it (except maybe behind the grill) so the mounting is a bit bodgey but it works.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 299
P1010771

P1010771

You can buy these overflow bottle kits from supercheap ($15 last time I checked) and various other automotive stores.

The kit comes with the bottle, a bracket for mounting, some screws and a flexible hose.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 245
P1010772

P1010772

The first thing to do is have a good look where you want it to sit, I thought next to the radiator would be a good call but there is no flat space there, and with the air horns being where they are there isn't really and other flat space either. I settled for mounting it next to the radiator but had to make some modifications to do it that way.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 222
P1010773

P1010773

The overflow bottle comes with two grooves for fitting the bracket, in the image above the bracket is sitting in the lower groove.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 212
P1010774

P1010774

Since I couldn't find any decent area to mount the bottle I've decided to bend the bracket so that it will wrap around the bottle and be held by a single edge, then I plan to fit that edge behind the radiator edge at the top, so the remove the bottle and tip any excess coolant back into the radiator all I have to do is loosen the upper radiator bolt a little. Having said that though, since I've put these bottles on the car I haven't had to top up the coolant in the radiator.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 212
P1010775

P1010775

This is the bracket after I have rebent it, the left hand side I will wrap around the bottle and secure with a screw into the bottle (you may wish to seal the screw hole, I didn't and it still seems to work fine). The other end will sit under the radiator edge which when bottled up tight holds it very securely.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 202
P1010776

P1010776

This is the bracket on the overflow bottle from the back, you can see how it wraps around the bottle.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 199
P1010777

P1010777

You'll need to loosen the bolt holding the radiator to be able to slide the lip of the overflow bottle bracket behind it.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 201
P1010778

P1010778

I've also loosened the bottom bolt on this radiator but later found I really only have to loosen the top bolt to fit the bracket edge in.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 176
P1010779

P1010779

An image of the bolt removed, you shouldn't need to remove the bolt completely to get the bracket beind there though.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 186
P1010780

P1010780

With the radiator ready to go I have put a screw through the overflow bottle bracket and into the bottle on that side. On my car I actually used two bolts, one where it is in the picture and another on the opposite side, this held the bracket to the bottle a lot more firmly. You may want to put some sealant on the screws or even a little thread tape as you screw them into the bottle but I made the holes a little undersized and when the screws went in the made a good seal themselves.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 198
P1010781

P1010781

This is the finishing touches on the placement of the bottle. I've got the bracket in about the middle of the radiator edge, on mine I mounted it a fair bit higher which is why I am able to only work on one radiator bolt to remove/replace it.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 260
P1010782

P1010782

A view of the bottle from the other side, it's very unobtrusive where it is but you could also have it behind the front grill if you want it completely invisible, or maybe even inside the guard behind the headlight.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 194
P1010783

P1010783

A closer look from the drivers side, you can see the bottle has a slight kick to it from only being secured on one side in this picture.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 199
P1010784

P1010784

Next we run the new overflow pipe through the seal a the top of the overflow bottle, I have the cap off so that I can make sure the hose is pushed right down into the bottom of the bottle, so that if it tries to suck any coolant back up through the pipe it will definitely be able to get any that has overflowed.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 190
P1010785

P1010785

Another shot from the drivers side showing the overflow pipe going into the bottle.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 208
P1010786

P1010786

The overflow pipe supplied in the kit is extra long which is good, but you'll need to trim it at the radiator cap end. In this image I am laying it out so that I know what length I will need to trim it at (the other end is still in the bottle).

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 197
P1010787

P1010787

Once the new overflow pipe is trimmed you only have to pull the old one off the little pipe at the radiator cap and push the new one on, there is a small spring clamp in the kit you can use to help secure it also.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 200
P1010788

P1010788

An image from the drivers side of the completed job.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 224
P1010789

P1010789

An image from the passengers side of the completed job.

Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 214
P1020403

P1020403

On my car the brake booster and electric water pump wiring makes the job even more tight than the wifes, I decided therefore to mount it in a similar position.

Date: 25/12/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 210
P1020404

P1020404

In this image I am checking the fitting of the bracket to make sure I am happy with doing it the same way as the wifes car.

Date: 25/12/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 189
P1020405

P1020405

I've decided to mount the bracket a lot higher on the bottle, then mount it higher on the radiator, so in effect the bottle will sit in about the same position as on the wifes car but the clamp will be right up below the radiator bolt.

Date: 25/12/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 198
P1020406

P1020406

This is a view of the other side of the bottle where I have run the screw through the bracket and into the bottle through a newly drilled hole. This makes the bracket hold the bottle very securely even though it is only really held by the one edge of the bracket.

Date: 25/12/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 205
P1020407

P1020407

Finally this is an image of the overflow pipe you get in the kit, as you can see there is heaps of length allowing you to have more options when choosing the bottle placement, I think it'd even reach the other side of the radiator if need be.

Date: 25/12/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 218
   
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