Is your expansion tank "loose"?

[excelguru]

For those of you with FE engines, if you grab the passenger side of your expansion tank and try to wiggle it up and down, what happens? My tank has about 3/8" of play. The curved pipe underneath does not move at all and the connection to the block is solid, but the tank itself can rock back and forth. The movement occurs at the connection between the curved pipe and the tank.

This seems VERY wrong to me. Please advise.

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars (http://www.uniquecobrareplicas.com)
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[Brent]

Most of the original style tanks either leak or will leak in the near future.Chances are you will be able to adress that soon enough.)-: Does your tank have a metal bracket soldered front and back that supports the tank?

[Brent]

Most of the original style tanks either leak or will leak in the near future.Chances are you will be able to adress that soon enough.)-: Does your tank have a metal bracket soldered front and back that supports the tank?

[excelguru]

Mine does have the metal bracket. I had a chance to call Lewis at Southern Automotive today and we verified that the tank needs repaired. I may mail it to them or just have someone local repair it. Shouldn't cost much. It figures that this would happen on the nicest week we've had in months.

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars (http://www.uniquecobrareplicas.com)
Southern Automotive (http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com)
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My Photo Album (http://members5.clubphoto.com/keith355593/owner-429c-1.phtml)

[excelguru]

Mine does have the metal bracket. I had a chance to call Lewis at Southern Automotive today and we verified that the tank needs repaired. I may mail it to them or just have someone local repair it. Shouldn't cost much. It figures that this would happen on the nicest week we've had in months.

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars (http://www.uniquecobrareplicas.com)
Southern Automotive (http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com)
Bruce Bunn (the painter) (http://www.jodecoautobody.com)

My Photo Album (http://members5.clubphoto.com/keith355593/owner-429c-1.phtml)

[pgermond]

I purchased a polished aluminum expansion tank from Southern Automotive. I have no idea if Bill has any left, but it sure is a nice looking unit - and it's NEW!

http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/pgermond/Head-on.JPG

Phil

427 Roadster
Southern Automotive FE
Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[pgermond]

I purchased a polished aluminum expansion tank from Southern Automotive. I have no idea if Bill has any left, but it sure is a nice looking unit - and it's NEW!

http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/pgermond/Head-on.JPG

Phil

427 Roadster
Southern Automotive FE
Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[excelguru]

Yeah, I'm thinking about it... I'd have to sneak it in under the wife-DAR.

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars (http://www.uniquecobrareplicas.com)
Southern Automotive (http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com)
Bruce Bunn (the painter) (http://www.jodecoautobody.com)

My Photo Album (http://members5.clubphoto.com/keith355593/owner-429c-1.phtml)

[excelguru]

Yeah, I'm thinking about it... I'd have to sneak it in under the wife-DAR.

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars (http://www.uniquecobrareplicas.com)
Southern Automotive (http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com)
Bruce Bunn (the painter) (http://www.jodecoautobody.com)

My Photo Album (http://members5.clubphoto.com/keith355593/owner-429c-1.phtml)

[Brent]

The tank is actually polished stainless and for the money I think it is the best alternative out there. Plus it looks bad a$$.

[Brent]

The tank is actually polished stainless and for the money I think it is the best alternative out there. Plus it looks bad a$$.

[pgermond]

Stainless yes - aluminum no (I knew that!). Thanks for pointing that out Brent. Must have been a long day after a couple brews [^]

Phil

427 Roadster
Southern Automotive FE
Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[pgermond]

Stainless yes - aluminum no (I knew that!). Thanks for pointing that out Brent. Must have been a long day after a couple brews [^]

Phil

427 Roadster
Southern Automotive FE
Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[Brent]

I understand the brew thing[^] The term "Beer Goggles" used to apply to women :D but after marriage and a couple of kids I think it means a late night in the garage when my work starts to look better to me than it really does and the next morning [:O] I find myself standing in the garage thinking " what was I thinking?" [V]

Brent

[Brent]

I understand the brew thing[^] The term "Beer Goggles" used to apply to women :D but after marriage and a couple of kids I think it means a late night in the garage when my work starts to look better to me than it really does and the next morning [:O] I find myself standing in the garage thinking " what was I thinking?" [V]

Brent

[ToyCollector]

Keith, mine did the same thing. The stresses on that thing must be significant. My advise--weld it until you can stash the cash for a stainless one. Southern usually buys a pallet load at a time, so they are usually in stock. I went stainless on the new motor after my experience with the "stock" one.

[ToyCollector]

Keith, mine did the same thing. The stresses on that thing must be significant. My advise--weld it until you can stash the cash for a stainless one. Southern usually buys a pallet load at a time, so they are usually in stock. I went stainless on the new motor after my experience with the "stock" one.

[excelguru]

Tell me if this makes any sense... I opened the fill cap and (gasp) the tank was full of coolant! (???) So I cranked the car and got it up to temperature & pressure... no leaks! (???) I lifted the safety lever on the cap to make sure there was indeed pressure in the expansion tank... ***PSSHHHHH!!!*** Yep, there's pressure. (???) Drove it a good distance and checked the coolant again when I returned home. No coolant loss. (???) Totally confused now.

Either I mis-diagnosed the problem, or I have the only loose expansion tank in the world that can hold pressurized water.

(I still want one of those polished tanks, though. :D )

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars (http://www.uniquecobrareplicas.com)
Southern Automotive (http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com)
Bruce Bunn (the painter) (http://www.jodecoautobody.com)

My Photo Album (http://members5.clubphoto.com/keith355593/owner-429c-1.phtml)

[excelguru]

Tell me if this makes any sense... I opened the fill cap and (gasp) the tank was full of coolant! (???) So I cranked the car and got it up to temperature & pressure... no leaks! (???) I lifted the safety lever on the cap to make sure there was indeed pressure in the expansion tank... ***PSSHHHHH!!!*** Yep, there's pressure. (???) Drove it a good distance and checked the coolant again when I returned home. No coolant loss. (???) Totally confused now.

Either I mis-diagnosed the problem, or I have the only loose expansion tank in the world that can hold pressurized water.

(I still want one of those polished tanks, though. :D )

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars (http://www.uniquecobrareplicas.com)
Southern Automotive (http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com)
Bruce Bunn (the painter) (http://www.jodecoautobody.com)

My Photo Album (http://members5.clubphoto.com/keith355593/owner-429c-1.phtml)

[brfutbrian]

kieth, the bracket being loose wont make a tank leak. the tank will flex quite a bit on the spout without the bracket. the bracket in my opinion is only there to make a semi fragile part more heavy duty. maybe given enough time it could develop a vibration crack around the spout in the bottom of the tank. ive had a couple of older tanks apart for polishing and if the soldering is good i think you could use the tank without the bracket i should try that with one of mine. looking at the picture of phil`s tank it doesnt look like it has a bracket. does it phil? later brian

[brfutbrian]

kieth, the bracket being loose wont make a tank leak. the tank will flex quite a bit on the spout without the bracket. the bracket in my opinion is only there to make a semi fragile part more heavy duty. maybe given enough time it could develop a vibration crack around the spout in the bottom of the tank. ive had a couple of older tanks apart for polishing and if the soldering is good i think you could use the tank without the bracket i should try that with one of mine. looking at the picture of phil`s tank it doesnt look like it has a bracket. does it phil? later brian

[Poorboy]

The tank on Phil's car does have a bracket, it just doesn't show. Unique just got 2 engines from Southern Auto, they both have the tanks.

Poorboy

[Poorboy]

The tank on Phil's car does have a bracket, it just doesn't show. Unique just got 2 engines from Southern Auto, they both have the tanks.

Poorboy

[ToyCollector]

Keith, I agree, you could have a loose bracket where it is welded to the tank, but the tank itself may not be leaking. Take it to a radiator repair place, tell them it is off a 427, and they probably will spend more time talking to you and probably charge you $5 to fix it. That's what happened when I repaired the one on the SPF.

[ToyCollector]

Keith, I agree, you could have a loose bracket where it is welded to the tank, but the tank itself may not be leaking. Take it to a radiator repair place, tell them it is off a 427, and they probably will spend more time talking to you and probably charge you $5 to fix it. That's what happened when I repaired the one on the SPF.

[Brent]

Two cool aspects of the stainless steel tank is that it has a air bleed tube built in it. On the upper right hand side of the Griffin radiator there is a petcock to release air when filling the system. When you install the stainless tank you remove this petcock from the radiator and install a hose fitting then run a hose to the air bleed fitting on the tank. NO AIR!
2nd cool thing is the tank will withstand alot more pressure therefore you can run a higher pressure cap and a high pressure system runs cooler. The stock tank is only trustworthy up to about 13 lbs.

Brent

[Brent]

Two cool aspects of the stainless steel tank is that it has a air bleed tube built in it. On the upper right hand side of the Griffin radiator there is a petcock to release air when filling the system. When you install the stainless tank you remove this petcock from the radiator and install a hose fitting then run a hose to the air bleed fitting on the tank. NO AIR!
2nd cool thing is the tank will withstand alot more pressure therefore you can run a higher pressure cap and a high pressure system runs cooler. The stock tank is only trustworthy up to about 13 lbs.

Brent

[excelguru]

I run a 16-pound cap on mine, but I never get anywhere near that press or temp (a 16 psig cap will open at about 121 C, give or take). Heck, I almost never get to 100 C. Beyond 100 is where you really start building pressure. Any appreciable pressure created before 100 C is simply the trapped air expanding, and Brent already discussed how to get most of that out. Good God, all this Centigrade talk makes me sound like a Brit!

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars (http://www.uniquecobrareplicas.com)
Southern Automotive (http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com)
Bruce Bunn (the painter) (http://www.jodecoautobody.com)

My Photo Album (http://members5.clubphoto.com/keith355593/owner-429c-1.phtml)

[excelguru]

I run a 16-pound cap on mine, but I never get anywhere near that press or temp (a 16 psig cap will open at about 121 C, give or take). Heck, I almost never get to 100 C. Beyond 100 is where you really start building pressure. Any appreciable pressure created before 100 C is simply the trapped air expanding, and Brent already discussed how to get most of that out. Good God, all this Centigrade talk makes me sound like a Brit!

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars (http://www.uniquecobrareplicas.com)
Southern Automotive (http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com)
Bruce Bunn (the painter) (http://www.jodecoautobody.com)

My Photo Album (http://members5.clubphoto.com/keith355593/owner-429c-1.phtml)