Re: [DML] Re: Coolant Bottle Failure Mode

[mike clemens <rmclemns@xxxxxxxxx>]

Now another question has been raised---is the plastic
bottle a 'piece of crap', designed to last only 20+
years, or is the part that is breaking down really the
seam that joins the two halves together??  I've seen
several dozen of these plastic bottles and I have yet
to see the plastic in the bottle 'come apart'.  In the
two leaking cases I have seen, it is always the seam
that separates.  This is where the leaks develop.  In
both those cases, the cars were driven until they
overheated, which if you think about it, caused the
pressure in the bottle to exceed the intended design
limits.  Why didn't the bottle cap relieve this
pressure??----because in both cases, after market cap
was used and the pressure rating was too high.

Now, in this same vein, has anyone ever seen the seam
split on the top of the bottle and start to leak?? 
The only ones I am aware of were on the bottom, where
the liquid rests, which leads one to assume that maybe
the corrosive effect of the liquid is eating away at
the seam.  Just a thought.  :-)

Mike     1630    TPS


--- David Teitelbaum <jtrealty@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> The plastic header bottle IS a ticking time bomb.
> They were not meant
> to last this long. Between the heat and the aging
> the plastic is
> breaking down and it is just a matter of time to
> failure. Some vendors
> offer a S/S bottle and some offer aluminum. As far
> as use matters they
> are equal, it is only a matter of looks which one to
> chose, the S/S
> one is also more expensive. As for checking the
> level, it is pretty
> hard to see the level in an old, plastic bottle
> anyway. If you want to
> see the level I recomend adding an overflow bottle
> attached to the
> header bottle as used on all new cars. Another
> option is to just check
> the level by removing the radiator cap when the
> motor is cold, once a
> week. My guess at what really kills the bottles is
> if you ran the
> coolant level too low because of slow leaks
> eventually the motor will
> shoot superheated steam into the header bottle. This
> is not what the
> plastic bottle was made for and it will blow it
> apart. If you look
> closely at the plastic bottle you will see all
> little lines in it.
> They look like stress cracks in the plastic. It
> could be a sign of
> overstress and/or aging and it is scary. That's why
> I put a metal tank
> on my car.
> David Teitelbaum
> vin 10757
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "drdhdmd"
> <doctorDHD@...> wrote:
> >
> > Is there any trend in the way coolant bottles
> fail?  I thought I 
> > previosly read that the ones that failed, did so
> early.  Does that mean 
> > mine that has 80 - 100K miles is relatively immune
> to failure or is it 
> > a ticking time bomb?
> > 
> > Are there any replacements still out there other
> than the stainless 
> > steel models?
> > 
> > Any known  / documented cross references to
> plastic one so you can 
> > still view the water level without opening the
> cap?
> > 
> > Thanks,
> > 
> > D² & 6530
> > Dave Delman
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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