i have to agree with larry when he says that with the proper valving the
radiator will self bleed into a coolant bottle.  this is what i initially
attempted to do with my conversion but i ran into problems trying to come
up with valving.  i was able to find valving to vent the tank as pressure
built up but, i was unable to find valving that would allow the system to
draw coolant back into the radiator from the over flow bottle as the
system cooled and the system experienced a vacuum.  if any one knows of
such off the shelf valving i would be interested to know about it.

jonathan

On Mon, 8 Mar 2004, Larry Alofs wrote:

> George Goff wrote:
> > In a message dated 3/8/04 9:36:47 AM, gull@GULL.US writes:
> >
> >  The technical problem is there's no room for an expansion bottle
above the radiator in the Vanagon. ;)
> >
> > David Brodbeck, N8SRE >>
> >
> > Finally, the plain and simple truth!
> >
> > George
> >
>
> I question this "simple truth".
> My '92 Ch*rokee has an expansion bottle that is lower than the radiator.
>   The radiator has an old fashioned Stant type cap.  When the coolant
> expands with temperature and the pressure gets high enough, the excess
> coolant goes thru a tube to the bottom of the expansion tank over on the
> other side of the engine.  This tank is at atmospheric pressure and is
> normally kept about half full.  When the coolant cools and contracts in
> the engine and radiator, coolant is drawn back in from the tank.  This
> system is generally agreed in the J**p community to be superior to the
> older "closed" system which had a pressure bottle with an air space.
>    It seems to me that if there was some way to attach the proper
> pressure valve at the bleeder opening on the radiator, an overflow
> bottle could be mounted anywhere within a reasonable distance and the
> exact height would not be critical.  This would make the air self-bleed
> from the radiator.
>
> Larry A.
>