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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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P1010785
Another shot from the drivers side showing the overflow pipe going into the bottle.
Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 208
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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
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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
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P1010788
An image from the drivers side of the completed job.
Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 224
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P1010789
An image from the passengers side of the completed job.
Date: 17/10/04
Owner: ReaperHR
Views: 214
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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