Coolant recovery bottle on dash?

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Bob, Wayne and Grant

"...but what is that urine collection bottle doing on the left hand side of the dash??"

So as to not side track the POW thread intent, started a new thread.




The Pat 12 doesn't have a urinary problem it has a drink problems and likes to drink grass hoppers.

But actually it is a diagnostic tool to see what is happening with the cooling system. Having just installed the missing left side under fender well panel want to keep an eye on the was really going on.

If you look closely at the bottle picture you can see the coolant in the tube. The temperature gauge tell you how hot the rear of the engine is. But if the system is completely air tight (this one is) with the only vent through the bottle it tells you a lot more.

With the tube sub merged in the coolant in the bottle then the following can be observed:

Constant bubbling- your in trouble boiling or blown head gasket

Coolant level in the bottle rising- engine is warming up

Coolant level in the bottle falling and coolant being sucked up the tube- engine is cooling off.

The bottle and tube also allows me to fill the coolant recovery tank to the appropriate/optimum level. Extra coolant in the bottle cycle through the heat range a couple of times with the tube down to the bottom. Which will draw extra coolant into the recovery tank. Then pull the tube in the bottle up to the top and get the engine up to full temperature and the excess is recovered in the bottle with no spilling on the fender.

Cheers Phil

If I had someone ride along and mark the level of the coolant in the bottle at various engine temperatures I guess you could use it as a temperature gauge.

Back when I was having real cooling problems with this truck it would be blowing bubbles a lot. Since I installed the 235 engine it gets up to 212/100 F/C on the gauge at High air temperatures like 90/32 F/C on long grades. Now it gets hot but no over heating.

Also have a simple fix for a radiator cap neck sealing surface that will no longer seal, so that the coolant recovery tank can work properly.

Cheers Phil