Coolant Resivor Q's

[Croan]

I bought a 1990 240sx and it doesn't have a coolant reservoir, I'm pretty sure i need one right . Ive searched around a bit and I still have a couple questions. I know i need to have the reservoir tube in coolant at all times, the bottom of the reservoir so i wont get air pockets. But my questions are does the bottle or the hose need to be at any certain hight, i.e. above the radiator cap, or below the radiator cap, does the hose have to droop down below the cap level before it goes into the reservoir? also I have a cool water bottle that would look good in my engine bay for a temp, external coolant reservoir, does the reservoir need to be any certain capacity or volume? is there a minimum or maximum amount of extra coolant that i should have. And lastly what are the potential risks of just not having a reservoir at all.. Thanks for your info, i appreciate it. and ill post a pic of how it turns out.Thanks -Lee

[AZhitman]

Hey Lee, welcome aboard!

Lots of questions.... let's see:

Try to replicate the OEM arrangement as close as possible. No need to be airtight, as the stock one isn't - it needs to vent (to let air out as coolant enters).

There's no real max or min volume, but again, try to stay as close to OEM as you can.

Do NOT run without one - You'll not be able to recover lost coolant after a drive, which is the same as a leak.

[Croan]

very informative thank you very much. ill just stick close to OEM volume, i wonder how hot the coolant that is filtered into the reservoir could get? kragen also has some cheap ones i hear. thanks again. ill try to remember to post a pic. thanks

[AZhitman]

Good call. You could also find an S14 one, and relocate it to the driver's side... I did that for a while, looks cool.

[Croan]

Good call. You could also find an S14 one, and relocate it to the driver's side... I did that for a while, looks cool.

that looks cool too, ive seen pictures of that, right now i have an aunt jemima bottle riged up, i was bored ill go to kragen and pick up a cool looking resivior, i need some new tie rod boots too, yup. thanks.

[gumby74]

My stock res. is held together by duct tape! I have been saving my coin change in a jar for a couple of months to buy the Circuit Sports aluminum can from FRSport. I should be pretty close too. Gotta be at least $80 in there.

[ishkabibble]

right now i have an aunt jemima bottle riged up

Classic!

[Croan]

so aunt J is holding down the fort until i can find a place for my little kragen universal resivoir. here are some pics...



photostitch kinda screwed up the pic,. u get the idea



haha.

[Defiant]

Except for the splashing, you could use a bucket. The height isn't crucial- stockers run about 6" or so drop from the high point of the cooling system. If you use a container that doesn't have a bottom tap, make sure the hose reaches all the way to the bottom of the container. A half-gallon is plenty of capacity.

[Croan]

Except for the splashing, you could use a bucket. The height isn't crucial- stockers run about 6" or so drop from the high point of the cooling system. If you use a container that doesn't have a bottom tap, make sure the hose reaches all the way to the bottom of the container. A half-gallon is plenty of capacity.

yea the universal one i bought is about a 6in drop, im confident with that one. thanks for all the info everyone. i do like my ghetto one though

[ricebike]

lol, nice ingenuity...

threadjack alert: what is that ducting behind the driver side headlight? ??

never saw that in my 1990...

[chicdriver240sx]

Croan thats got to be the most ghetto thing I have ever seen. Cant you make a ziptie work or something,lol. Anything other than the duct tape. But I guess it gets the job done

[carlitos26]

dude don't tell me , you're using the pankake, as a steering wheel..lol that thing looks funny, but if it does the work i guess is nice.

.... did you try junkyards.....