Expansion tank alternative

[Hans Efde]

I saw this on Ed Darwinkel's car but since he has again a virus on his computer (just downloading too much porn), he is not able to post it.
I copied it because I think it's a good idea. I used to have a mk1 expansion tank because I blew up 2 mk2 expansion tanks, due to a clogged cap (the mk1 uses a metal cap, the mk2 a plastic cap).
But my Metro expansion tank was in poor condition and I was fed up with the Rover expansion tanks. So got one from a Seat Ibizia (in the 2000-2001 series I think) that has the pipes pointing in the good direction. I made a simple bracket and it's ready to go into the action.



If you ever need such a tank, they are much easier to get and (I hope/expect) more reliable.

[Moneypit]

Looks very neat Hans.
Have you run it with it on?
Do the levels stay ok?

[Hans Efde]

Looks very neat Hans.
Have you run it with it on?
Do the levels stay ok?

No, still waiting for the engine. But Ed has done thousands of miles and it works without problems.

[DavidL]

I saw this on Ed Darwinkel's car but since he has again a virus on his computer (just downloading too much porn), he is not able to post it.
I copied it because I think it's a good idea. I used to have a mk1 expansion tank because I blew up 2 mk2 expansion tanks, due to a clogged cap (the mk1 uses a metal cap, the mk2 a plastic cap).
But my Metro expansion tank was in poor condition and I was fed up with the Rover expansion tanks. So got one from a Seat Ibizia (in the 2000-2001 series I think) that has the pipes pointing in the good direction. I made a simple bracket and it's ready to go into the action.


If you ever need such a tank, they are much easier to get and (I hope/expect) more reliable.

That's a typically VW shaped expansion tank, I'd think you'd find it under quite a lot of VW/Seat/Skoda bonnets. My VW Transporter's tank is very similar, although they may well be different sizes or have the pipes pointing the wrong way.

[Hans Efde]

Yes they all look alike but differ in the way they are mounted and the direction of the pipes. I visited a breakers yard that specializes in VAG and this Seat Ibiza model seemed best to me. But there may be more alternatives that fit. Ed spoke about an expansion tank from a Golf but I could not find one that looked suitable to me. It's a older modelwith the coolant spray deflector as a separate part (the black plastic piece). Newer models have an intergrated canal that points down.
In both cases much better than my old mk1 tank. One day I got a coolant overpressure situation and the cap sprayed coolant all over the engine bay. It took me a day to clean the mess.

[Howard]

I've got a Clio one on my Mk1 it sits nicely in the corner behind the cross member and subframe mounting bolt.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/51A10-RENAULT ... 5011wt_756

Ebay is great for checking out various alternative components, you could just search "radiator tank" and browse through the photos, sellers can often be persuaded to do some measuring too.