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overflow bottle help

T

tinbender

NAXJA Forum User
Location
canby
I have a 89 xj and the overflow bottle is trash and i saw a diamond plate overflow bottle on craigs list in a pix of a xj.Do any of you know were to get this bottle. i e-mail the guy and he told me he got it off ebay but i can not find it thanks for the help
 
I don't recall who made it, but I do recall it being rather spendy - something on the order of $200...

However, if you call up Morris 4x4 Center (www.morris4x4center.com) and order one from them, a replacement bottle and cap should only be about $30 or so. That's where I get them - because even with shipping, it's still loads cheaper than anything locally...

5-90
 
I think a Ford Windstar bottle will work as well(they use the closed system also). I have'nt tried it yet, but the bottle is much larger and heavier duty than the stocker and it is clear so its easy to keep up with the coolant level. The caps are much better quality as well(16 psi). Some mods will have to be made to the mounting brackets.
 
One of the GM cars (mid 1990s Pontiac, from memory) used a pressurized overflow bottle like the Jeep closed sytem, only it is said to be considerably more durable. Sorry I can't find the file, must be on the other computer. If you have a pick-a-part near you, it might be worth a look. I converted both our 1990 XJs to open system, and used overflow bottles from a u-pull wrecker.
 
They are actually called surge tanks and are made by a variety of manufacturers, especially for the hot rod and custom car industry. Eagle here put one in that he got from Summitracing, it is about a 1/2 litre bottle shape, it takes a standard radiator cap, is made of aluminum and looks pretty good.

Here are a couple, lifetime types not plastic.
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_744425_-1_10127
 
While I'm not an advocate for modifying your cooling system to the so-called "open system" found in 4.0L XJ's after 1990 (?), based on my experience (bad) with the coolant expansion bottles, both OEM and after market, I would give serious consideration to the modification before I spent $200 for an all-metal one. I beleive you don't have to replace your current radiator, unless it's clogged or leaky, but would have to buy and install a readily available fill-spout in the top radiator hose, as well as an inexpensive overflow bottle on the fire wall. Pretty simple, actually.
 
Mid 90's mid-sized Mopars had a nice bottle with a 16 lb radiator cap..if you remove the bracket that holds in the stock bottle and drill 2 holes in the shelf where the stock bottle mounted, they fit really nice.....
 
Another option: Volvo 240-series bottle. Capacity's about the same as the XJ bottle, but they seemed to have been made from plastic that doesn't break down nearly as frequently. Cheap in the junkyards.
 
xjbubba said:
While I'm not an advocate for modifying your cooling system to the so-called "open system" found in 4.0L XJ's after 1990 (?), based on my experience (bad) with the coolant expansion bottles, both OEM and after market, I would give serious consideration to the modification before I spent $200 for an all-metal one. I beleive you don't have to replace your current radiator, unless it's clogged or leaky, but would have to buy and install a readily available fill-spout in the top radiator hose, as well as an inexpensive overflow bottle on the fire wall. Pretty simple, actually.
Click to expand...

I totally agree, there is nothing wrong with the closed system except for those cheap assed plastic bottle and the plastic mixing valve. By all means at the prices of some of those surge tanks you could do an open coversion with a new radiator and steel mixing valve for about the same price.
 
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