Re: New IC Tank Design
Originally Posted by waldig
I have been very involved with cooling changes and have to ask, does your change allow for the two lines to flow into and out of the tank to promote the expulsion of air?
No - a surge tank only allows water to "surge" into the tank when it heats up (expands); (and return when it cools) which also allows the air to escape as the pressure builds. Plus it's the single location to add coolant to both systems.
The stock tank has two lines out and the one inlet to purge the twin circuits and I find that watching the fluid, there is a lot of bubbles that have to get out of the system after it is opened for any changes or service.
I also want to ask if the larger tank should not be for the engine fluid instead and the smaller one for the smaller circuit of intercooler fluid, especially in light of the much lower operating temperatures (120 versis 190 for the motor) thats it operates at?
No - I considred using a black plastic surge tank from a BMW that was about the same size (volume) and about the same price - it just wouldn't mount right and clear the intake tube. Mine has worked fine so far. No overflows or overheating.
The air temperature next to the "surge tank" is above 140 and that heat gain due to the size of the tank would be therefore greater than the smaller tank.
Personally I have instrumented the tank and found that the H/E circuit does not flow into or out of the tank, the pump does not cause much flow and the vent is for the passage of the air.
This is true - but no fluid actually flows thru the stock tank - our stock plastic surge tank is made up of seven isolated chambers with small holes on the bottom of the walls to interconnect the fluid - this is why it would not work in my application as a "flow" tank.
Six chambers are on the bottom and one small chamber on the top where the over flow tubes connect. if you look at the diagram below - the seventh chamber is the one with the orange hose connected to it. According to the maintenance manual - you must remove that hose and drain that chamber manually (if) when it becomes full. Usually during boil over.
If you seperate your IC coolant and radiator coolant by adding the 28OZ tank on the radiator shroud like I used and keep the stock surge tank for the IC coolant, the above diagram is exactly how your separated IC coolant system will look.
Missing from that diagram (how it all works stock) is the second orange overflow hose from the driver side of the car that runs over the radiator and second red hose on the bottom of plastic surge tank that runs to the bottom of the radiator on the passanger side.
Both of those hoses would now route to the new (added) surge tank.
PLEASE NOTE:
THe hose across the top of the radiator starting on the driver side and going into the wye pipe on the passenger side DOES flow significant amounts of HOT water and is for venting the radiator.
EDIT** I put my air blower up tight to the small tube on top and blew - and low and behold - with enough pressure - air flowed into the bottom section - not sure if mine was clogged or if there is some sort of valve - but it did flow
For my purposes, I have restricted this rate of flow AND ADDED FILTRATION TO THIS PATH of the water system. In my experience there is a lot of crud and or crap in the water system, I seek conformation on this point from others that have checked the water as IT COMES OUT OF THE RADIATOR DRAIN.
Something must have gotten into your coolant. Both my IC and Engine coolant is clean as a whislte. I can watch my IC fluid flow in my new tank and its always clean.
Woody Party on
I will answer any questions and I still owe you a reply to the questions you asked me in your PM you sent to me today.
But I have another concert to go to tonight and lunch time is over so I'm back on the bike and back to work.
Tell then...
Last edited by BrianBrave; Aug 13, 2008 at 04:24 PM.