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Coolant Return System on a 41- 62 Coupe?

Started by Tom Douglas, September 03, 2005, 10:51:39 PM

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Tom Douglas

Would a coolant return system help with overheating? If I were to block off the bottom nipple on the overflow reservoir would that force the water/anti-freeze to return back into the radiator rather than spew out onto the ground?

If so should I fill the radiator up to the very top and the reservoir up to the fill line?

The shutters and (thermostat?) had been removed before I purchased the vehicle. Ive been reading the other comments regarding overheating and vapor lock. Mine doesnt vapor lock even in 95+ heat here in Northern California but it will boil over. The Temp gage usually doesnt go above half way as long as I keep the waters level up close to the top. If I fill it all the way up it boils over to below where I can see the water.

Doug Houston

This over heating thing is more permanent than Gibralter. I might assume that your radiator has a good (new?) core. Also, is your ignition timing set properly? Todays fuels permit a bit more timing advance than originally. ALso, a weak ignition coil can cause overheating. Especially in hot areas where you are, its made worse, so there may not be just one answer for you. There were coolant recovery systems in 1941, but not sold by Cadillac. I have a 41 Chevrolet, and the firewall was punched for a coolant recovery tank, and I found one, NOS for it. If you want to do a coolant tank, it would seem best to use one thats sold for aftermarket use. I have four 41s and, while Ive driven them in some hot temperatures, they dont overheat. Two have recored radiators. One with the original radiator has factory air conditioning. The radiators on those cars were the same as on the other cars, except possibly the 67 and 75 series. Even that one doesnt overhest.

Bruce Reynolds # 18992

Gday Tom,

I take it that you are running the initial water level in the radiator around 1 to 2 inches below the top of the filler hole?

Any fuller than that, and you will always have the excess water being dumped out of the system.

These systems were designed to run with the correct thermostat in place, so I would be recommending that one be re-installed.

As far as the placing of a recovery tank, you will be required to replace the filler neck with one that is from a modern radiator that is designed to run the special caps that the recovery systems utilise.

An original cap doesnt have the sealing around the outer part of the cap internals, and therefore cant be used for what you want, unless you are simply going to use the recovery tank as a recepticle to catch the excess overflow.

If you compare an old cap with a recovery one, you will see that they are of differing heights and that in itself necessitates a deeper filler neck.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV