| Author | Message | ||
     Omar M. Shams Prolific User Username: omar Post Number: 138 Registered: 4-2009 |
The overflow tank on my 90 Turbo RL has failed (like they often do!!). To replace it will take the car off the road for about a week whilst I wait for Paul to send me a replacement tank. My alternative would be to do a repair on the plastic rather than replace the tank. Has anyone done such a repair? If so, what is the best glue to use? thanks Omar | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 606 Registered: 6-2006 |
Hi Omar - I've never had any joy with trying to seal them – mainly because they expand and contract quite a bit . You might try a body repair shop that does 'plastic welding' on bumpers etc. or a motorcycle repair shop that does farings etc. | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 1247 Registered: 4-2003 |
Well I have!! I had a Bentley 8 blow a split in the top of the top tank about 3 inches long. I was trucked home and having washed squirted scraped and dried the split I dosed it with one of those super glue kits guaranteed to stick a bull's arse to a gate post, fortified it (the split not the bull) with supplied black powder, more glue and half and hour later it was ready to go. That was 2 years ago and 14,000K and there is no problem. A month ago an '87 steamed into my place spitting water like an angry whale and the top hose had fallen off???? When I went to put it back on, it, the top outlet pipe appeared to be circumcised. The owner, a gynaecologist of international fame who is Christian by birth, denied any cult activities. Further poking around and I found the rest of the tube (the prepuce??) still inside the hose firmly held by the clamp! Rather than have the thing dripping over my drive I decided to do a bit of microsurgery again with the magic glue and powder and that my friends is still holding. Only last week when recovering an abandoned '89 Turbo that had been buried under the usual family detritus in a three car garage (their cars all sat outside)I noticed that it had a very respectable metal top tank. Typically until something goes wrong I never notice these things. Hopefully the author of the move to use plastic tanks is now strapped over a fast growing bamboo shoot in the Bahamas!!! | ||
| Omar M. Shams Prolific User Username: omar Post Number: 141 Registered: 4-2009 |
My Dear Bill, you have the answer to my prayers. I need the name of the bulls-arse-to-gate-post wedding priest. With his help I will be able to get my overfolw tank repaired with hardly a circumcission in the parish. Pray what be his name??? Is it something like Devcon? or Araldite? I have tried Rev. Araldite with little joy. | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 607 Registered: 6-2006 |
Omar - I think it's Q bond over here. If that's teh stuff Bill is using. Report back!  Top hose outlets do seem to be snapping off. Slide a tube inside it for extra strength. I'm very nervous of rad repairs, ever since seeing somebody melt an engine when a repair went wrong! Luckily it wasn't a repair we did - we just got the job of fitting a brand new R-R engine for the insurance company. Ouch! | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 1248 Registered: 4-2003 |
Spot on Paul. Q-Bond Ultra Strong it is! No bull has ever escaped it! Omar the Australian Distributors won't be much help but I googled it and the source seems to be at http://q-bond.co.uk/. Thanks for the tube idea Paul that would be good insurance. Is it a common diameter or would that be too much to hope for. And was that metal top tank on the Turbo I rescued a one off? | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 1249 Registered: 4-2003 |
PS Omar Araldite is a casein glue that is soluble in water. Stay back after class and write 100 times etc!! | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 608 Registered: 6-2006 |
Bill, Never seen a metal one since the Shadows went, so I'm guessing yes. No idea what size I'm afraid. I just noticed that some new ones have them in now. I ended up with a boiling anti-freeze shower about a month ago on a Spirit that some b******d had pushed the hose and clip onto the remainder of the top hose connection. As I put my hand on it to feel how hot it was, off it popped . . . a few choice words were used! | ||
| Omar M. Shams Prolific User Username: omar Post Number: 142 Registered: 4-2009 |
Dear Bill, Thanks for the link. Now I know what I am looking for. Aaldite was used only out of despair. Having said that, I will wirte out my lines tonight. Dear Paul, In case I am unable to find Q-Bond in Dubai, how quickly can you get me an expansion tank out to Dubai? You can send me an email if you wish with all the details. Thanks Omar | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 1250 Registered: 4-2003 |
Oh dear I am as usual a couple of paragraphs behind. You, Omar have been talking expansion tanks I am talking header tanks. Notwith standing both vessels are in much the same environment and operate at the same temperature and pressure. I actually have an expansion tank from an '87 Spirit which developed a pin hole. I have so many times gone to throw it out but as it has a built in level mechanism I have hoarded it. Depending on where the split is I would be tempted to apply a patch of similar material on the inside. Paul, these engines as a result of all this are a hazard. An acquaintance in Sydney who works on these cars all the time was showered with boiling coolant when the expansion tank exploded and was badly scalded. I now make it a practice to throw a old folded towel over the expansion tanks when I am in the vicinity. Dear me, I asked my local Lexus man about the problem as I did with the Toyota man - they looked blank and wondered what I was talking about! | ||
| Stefan Morley Prolific User Username: myupctoys Post Number: 204 Registered: 7-2009 |
Hi Omar, Fixed mine a few years back, split on the seam about an inch long. Used a soldering iron to melt the plastic. Bit of sandpaper to tidy it up, wouldn't know it had been touched. Worked like a treat. Stefan | ||
| James Feller Prolific User Username: james_feller Post Number: 148 Registered: 5-2008 |
gents.... I speak from direct expirence on this little issue.... I have done the header top tank on my Turbo RL... it split the plastic join where the top hose goes to the rad, thank christ this happened as I was putting it back in the garage after a fairly long run back from town. I did not notice it straight away. However when I came down to the garage the next morning I was greeted by a sea of green coolant... I for good measure ordered a new expansion bottle and pressure cap from flying spares not long after I bought the car a few years back as mine was looking pretty tatty. I fitted this myself, it was not hard at all a few nuts and hey presto brand new and no worries. These bottles to EXPLODE without warning!!! I reckon I was lucky as when I had removed the old one I looked at the underside and noticed a long and fairly nasty fracture in the plastic, I reckon it was not long before it would have erupted!!! Omar, with all due respect to Bill and others, my advice is get a new one!! they are not expensive ( I paid $200 dollars or thereabouts) far less than the cost of the heads being removed if you cook the engine and I now have no need to worry about it for the next 20 years... Cheers J | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 1251 Registered: 4-2003 |
James/ I quite agree but what Omar is concerned about is delay in getting one. Your system unlike the pre '87 one at least alerts you to loss of coolant. Then be aware that there was a crook batch of bottles some months ago which were much safer as they burst at a much lower pressure. I think 'they' have finally found a manufacturer who can make the things to last. And may I again point out that I was thinking header tanks and not bottles. Paul's remark about expanding and shrinking was as usual spot on. I have noticed that when these things are really angry they are noticably bulbous! | ||
| Omar M. Shams Prolific User Username: omar Post Number: 143 Registered: 4-2009 |
Dear Paul, I have sent you an email and a text regading a replacement overflow tank. I would apprecaite your usual swift response. Many thanks Omar | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 609 Registered: 6-2006 |
Omar, Sorry - been away. Will answer in the morning. | ||
| Lluís Gimeno-Fabra Prolific User Username: lluís Post Number: 119 Registered: 8-2007 |
Hi all, Don't shoot me nor glue me to a bulls arse, but in case these RR plastic tanks have a habit of explosion, what speaks against using an aftermarket stainless steel one, other than looks? http://shop1.actinicexpress.co.uk/shops/Rat_Sport/index.php?cat=Radiator_Expansion_Tank___Swirl_Pot Regards, Lluís |
