1955 Installation of coolant recovery tank.

zeroroadkill

zeroroadkill

BlackBird Fly
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Mar 2, 2020
Thunderbird Year
1955
Has anyone on a '55 ever installed a coolant recovery tank/canister? I noticed that the overflow tube is metal and brazed to the side of the tank brace. If so, where did you locate it?
 

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zeroroadkill said:
Has anyone on a '55 ever installed a coolant recovery tank/canister? I noticed that the overflow tube is metal and brazed to the side of the tank brace. If so, where did you locate it?
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One question... Why? Unless you have a constant boil-over situation which is a bigger issue I wouldn't mess with it unless you are going to replace the radiator that doesn't have the tube.
 
Ward 57 said:
One question... Why? Unless you have a constant boil-over situation which is a bigger issue I wouldn't mess with it unless you are going to replace the radiator that doesn't have the tube.
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If you use a recovery cap and the overflow can the Radiator will stay full to the top and wont overflow onto your garage floor. I usually add them to my cars.
 
zeroroadkill said:
Has anyone on a '55 ever installed a coolant recovery tank/canister? I noticed that the overflow tube is metal and brazed to the side of the tank brace. If so, where did you locate it?
Click to expand...
The probably easiest possibility is an after market plastic tank mounted on the passenger side inner fender apron. This is a generic product. the hose to the tank is attached to the overflow tube usually by cutting it before it goes down the side of the tank core.
 
Interesting that this question was asked...I am just in the process of installing an Evil Energy unit in my '57...very nice looking...it can be mounted to an existing bolt right next to the original overflow tube that will be left in place...I'm fabricating my own mounting bracket in order to use this bolt...if you check their website it gives you details on the dimensions...fits just fine...I am not fond of the orange rubber tube...so rather than spending the extra money for the black tube that is available...I will just buy a black one locally ...hope that this is helpful...Ken
 
My '55 has a rebuilt 292 and appears to have the original (cleaned & flushed) radiator.
I filled the radiator to about an inch below the neck after putting a replacement engine back in and it hasn't overflowed since.

I have a cheesy looking plastic 'T-Bird' overflow tank on a shelf that came in a box with some other parts, but I don't like the way it looks and have no need for it.
Once the initial fluid expansion took place it's been fine.

If yours is continuing to overflow it may have another problem.
.
 

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Ward 57 said:
That has never happened to me and 1/2-1" from the lip is the normal allowing natural expansion in the system.
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I think I’m over filling it. I filled it to the top and after a 200 mile jaunt it was down about an inch from the top.
 
zeroroadkill said:
I think I’m over filling it. I filled it to the top and after a 200 mile jaunt it was down about an inch from the top.
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That's exactly what the system likes. Let it be. Some of the newer cars have high spots that don't like to fill with coolant and often have bleeders in the system to remedy. Not with our old simple systems The only air is in the top of the radiator and in old days was called the expansion tank.
 
Thanks Ward. I guess I am being over OCD!?
 
zeroroadkill said:
I think I’m over filling it. I filled it to the top and after a 200 mile jaunt it was down about an inch from the top.
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When you look inside the radiator neck you should see a baffle with a hole right below the opening. The fill level is to the baffle and visually helped by the hole in the baffle to check the level. the fill is not supposed to be to the brim. When you fill to the very top of the neck you will expel coolant when you next stop because you have overfilled the radiator.
 
jack-in-sac said:
When you look inside the radiator neck you should see a baffle with a hole right below the opening. The fill level is to the baffle and visually helped by the hole in the baffle to check the level. the fill is not supposed to be to the brim. When you fill to the very top of the neck you will expel coolant when you next stop because you have overfilled the radiator.
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Just over the baffle usually works fine too. It's kind of interesting that the system will spit out any overfill until it reaches it's preferred level as Zeroroadkill discovered. Oh and a proper cap is important too.
 
This setup from CASCO is easy as loosening a few bolts and plugging in the tube. Could be for cruising and then removed for show.

casco.PNG
My original radiator has the overflow tube
20230416_215818.jpg

You know where your coolant level is, I think it looks smart
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Ward 57 said:
Just over the baffle usually works fine too. It's kind of interesting that the system will spit out any overfill until it reaches it's preferred level as Zeroroadkill discovered. Oh and a proper cap is important too.
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I’m positive my cap is not the original (no psi noted) and I noticed when I did overfill it coolant was around the tank top below the cap as well as out of the overflow tube. The manual on page 338 says “cooling system is pressurized to 6 1/4 to 7 3/4 pounds on all cars”(?) and on page 98 it says “the cooling system of the passenger car is pressurized at approximately 13 psi”. CASCO & NPD show 13 lbs replacement caps for the’55.
 

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