New Overflow Bottle

I am replacing my water pump this weekend and I want to also replace my overflow. What aftermarket overflows are you guys using and what do you think about them?

Thanks


Geoff

I have an 88 and just ordered a resovoir bottle from quadratec for 20 bucks with the cap included. My old one keeps boiling over at 210 degrees. The stealership wanted 70. When I told the guy I could get one for 20, his eyes about fell out. I havent recieved it yet so I cant tell you how well it is constructed.

Much better deal. Has anyone ever used a standard bottle from Autozone or the like?

The Autozone standard overflow bottle does not accommodate a pressure cap. It is for the standard radiator types I think.

Thanks. I will go with the Quadretec model.

Geoff

I posted this fix a few weeks ago check it out it may work if you have a 90 or older XJ .

I was having problems with my 90 XJ pressure cap holding pressure, the local NAPA didn't have one in stock and I was noticing a crack forming in the bottle.
Of course there were none to be had at he local U-Pull-It, so I started searching for an alturnative to changing over to the 91 and later system (I had just changed the rad over to a new copper and brass 2 row unit. My search of the wrecking yard came up with 2 possibilities, late 90's Ford Crown Vic or Dodge Intrepid and its cousins, being an old MoPar guy I chose the Intrepid.

I removed the old bottle and the shelf it was mounted on, the Intrepid bottle fit like it was made for the XJ.

The lower hose was almost a exact fit, I didnt have to but I replaced it with a short piece of bulk 5/8" and it was a exact fit on both ends.

The upper hose was a little bit of a problem I had to adapt from 5/8" to 3/8", a trip to the hardware store and I found the brass adapters I needed.

The total project including the trip around the junk yard took me 2 hrs and loks like a factory installation

click this link for pix.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...LE/IM000465.jpg

geo78 said:

I am replacing my water pump this weekend and I want to also replace my overflow. What aftermarket overflows are you guys using and what do you think about them?

Click to expand...

According to your profile you have a '90 XJ. When asking questions it would be helpful if you specify the year and engine of your Jeep, because there are a lot of things that are year-specific and people trying to help you should not have to search out your profile.

A couple of posts have hinted at this by mentioning "pressure cap," but allow me a moment of pedantry to clarify that what you have is not an "overflow" bottle. The coolant bottle on the 87 thru 90 XJ 4-liter models is an integral part of the cooling system and it is under pressure. Whichi is why the result of a leaking bottle is overheating.

If you use a stock bottle such as sold by Quadratec, the bottle should be filled only halfway when cold, and do NOT remove the cap when hot. If you look inside you'll see a post with a notch in it. Do not fill higher than the top of the post. You need to leave some room for expansion.

If you go with adapting a bottle from another vehicle (there are several that will work), most will have an outlet for an overflow bottle, and you can use any generic overflow/catch bottle that you can find a space for under the hood.

jcnoble said:

I have an 88 and just ordered a resovoir bottle from quadratec for 20 bucks with the cap included. My old one keeps boiling over at 210 degrees. The stealership wanted 70. When I told the guy I could get one for 20, his eyes about fell out. I havent recieved it yet so I cant tell you how well it is constructed.

Click to expand...

My bottle blew one day and I had to have a replacement ASAP. Ended up buying one from the dealer the next day.

Think I'll order the Quadratec one with cap, just in case.

Eagle said:

If you go with adapting a bottle from another vehicle (there are several that will work), most will have an outlet for an overflow bottle, and you can use any generic overflow/catch bottle that you can find a space for under the hood.

Click to expand...

Confused by your statement. If one uses a bottle from another vehicle (which I assume you imply a bottle that uses a regular radiator type cap), and use a secondary overflow bottle (connected to the outlet of the first bottle), isn't that essentially converting to an open system?

If so, then if one caps off the overflow outlet of the first bottle (with the regular radiator cap), then does one still maintain a closed system, and if so, isn't the OEM post, inside the OEM bottle, lost and isn't it )the post) an important feature of the OEM bottle to maintain the correct coolant level?

-Maz

Maz said:

Confused by your statement. If one uses a bottle from another vehicle (which I assume you imply a bottle that uses a regular radiator type cap), and use a secondary overflow bottle (connected to the outlet of the first bottle), isn't that essentially converting to an open system?

If so, then if one caps off the overflow outlet of the first bottle (with the regular radiator cap), then does one still maintain a closed system, and if so, isn't the OEM post, inside the OEM bottle, lost and isn't it )the post) an important feature of the OEM bottle to maintain the correct coolant level?

-Maz

Click to expand...

Yes, if you use a bottle from another vehicle (or, as I did, a Moroso racing surge tank) that takes a regular pressure cap and has a fitting for an overflow bottle, you are effectively converting to an "open" system. If you do this, it would be counter-productive to cap off the overflow fitting. In the OEM bottle, the post shows where the fill level is. It has to be only half full to allow for expansion of the coolant (which compresses the air in the upper half of the bottle.)

In a system with an overflow catch bottle, there is no air space in the pressurized portion of the system. As the coolant expands any "excess" is forced out past the radiator cap and into the catch bottle. Later, as the system cools the design of the radiator cap allows this fluid to be drawn back into the radiator (or surge tank, in this case).

You are right Eagle. 1990 4.0 is the vehicle in question. I just spent the last half hour trying to loosen the fan/clutch assembly and did nothing but turn the pulley in place. First, I doubt that I should be able to do this without the bolts breaking loose first, so do I have a problem with my serpentine. Secondly, if my bolts are just super tight, how do I get them loose?

Geoff

What I do is take a long, thin pry bar and wedge it between two of the bolts, then put the wrench on a third and break that bolt loose while the pry bar stops things from turning. Then reposition the pry bar between two other bolts and repeat the process.

And if you don't have a pry bar?? How much would a shop charge for this job? I am running low on patience.

Thanks

Geoff

looks interesting, but can the restriction of the 3/8's outlet cause problems? can you post a pic of the overflow bottle or do you have one? along with this bottle, maybe I could get a '91 and up t-stat housing to change the sensor location and use a newer style heater valve as well to convert to an open system?

geo78 said:

You are right Eagle. 1990 4.0 is the vehicle in question. I just spent the last half hour trying to loosen the fan/clutch assembly and did nothing but turn the pulley in place. First, I doubt that I should be able to do this without the bolts breaking loose first, so do I have a problem with my serpentine. Secondly, if my bolts are just super tight, how do I get them loose?

Geoff

Click to expand...

This worked for me, once I got the electic fan out of the way I took a long 1/2 breaker bar with the correct socket on it, put it on the pulley and squeaked the pulley bolt to the 3 O'Clock position. Then took the heel of my left hand and pushed down on the swivel joint on the breaker bar or 1/2" ratchet while at the same time pulling up with my left, creats kind of a fulcrum and broke the bolts loose one at a time...
When it came time to tighten instead of pusing with my left I grabbed under the swivel joint and pulled up while pushing down only this time I used a long 1/2" torque wrench set at 24ft/lbs..

I bought the Quadratec bottle for my 87 4.0 and it was crap, the lid lid was very soft plastic and wouldn't hold tight so it would over heat. I think the material was very cheap. I don't know if you have heard of Foster Auto Parts before but I bought mine from them for $40.00 and I have not over heated once of had any leaks since the day I put it in. I would not recomend the quadratec one. Josh

I posted this a few weeks ago. This is how I fixed my 90 XJ Presure bottle problem.


I was having problems with my 90 XJ pressure cap holding pressure, the local NAPA didn't have one in stock and I was noticing a crack forming in the bottle.
Of course there were none to be had at he local U-Pull-It, so I started searching for an alturnative to changing over to the 91 and later system (I had just changed the rad over to a new copper and brass 2 row unit. My search of the wrecking yard came up with 2 possibilities, late 90's Ford Crown Vic or the older model Dodge Intrepid and its cousins, being an old MoPar guy I chose the Intrepid.

I removed the old bottle and the shelf it was mounted on, the Intrepid bottle fit like it was made for the XJ.

The lower hose was almost a exact fit, I didn't have to but I replaced it with a short piece of bulk 5/8" and it was a exact fit on both ends.

The upper hose was a little bit of a problem I had to adapt from 5/8" to 3/8", a trip to the hardware store and I found the brass adapters I needed.

The total project including the trip around the junk yard took me 2 hrs and looks like a factory installation.

PIX HERE. http://photobucket.com/albums/v83/BlackListWheelers/XJ PRESSURE BOTTLE/

Cool....stesul411!

What year Intrepid bottle is that? I have an '89 XJ I presume it will fit?

Is that an overflow I see? Does it go into a bottle or just out to the ground?

Thanks!

John V.

JONNY V

It should fit any XJ / MJ up to 1990.

The bottles from 93 - 97 are the same, if you are looking you could also use Chrysler LSH, Concord, or Eagle Vision from the same years as they are bacically the same car.

I just ran the over flow tube to the ground but it could be hooked up to a overflow bottle. I havnt had any problems with overheating or boiling over since installation even with the 90+ temps and the A/C running in traffic.