Closed -> Open cooling system swap bottle mounting/temp sensor

I just finished swapping my '89 to an open cooling system using parts from a '96 donor vehicle I had. I figured everything out except for the recovery bottle mouting. I have read a few threads on here talking about a universal bottle from Autozone or Advanced auto parts, but neither company's website has any listing that I can find, and the morons behind the counter at both places are clueless. So I'm looking for a solution. I have a ton of room in the passenger's side rear corner of the engine compartment, as I eliminated the Bendix ABS that my truck had, but the recovery tank bracket won't work on my RENIX truck because the ignition coil and fuse/relay box mount right where the coolant bottle went on the '96. I read about aftermarket tanks going between the airbox and fender, but there are more RENIX bits there, so a bottle won't fit. Has anyone found another bottle that I could mount on the bracket that the closed system bottle mounted on? I looked around at the junkyard when I was there, but most of the bottles I found had additional hose fittings, and won't work.

Any help on a solution to the recovery tank issue would be greatly appreciated.

I also read alot about the temperature sensor. The closed system has one in the radiator, and the open system has it in the water neck. It seems that most people have either wired in a manual switch to turn on the fan, or used a GM temp sensor, or even a sensor strapped to the front of the radiator. All of which seem like a ton of work compared to just running 2 wires to the old harness plug, which is what I ended up doing. I cut a short piece of wiring off of the donor truck that I removed the rest of the cooling system parts from, cut the plug off of the old temp sensor, and made a harness between the two. Works perfectly.

'96 Water neck, sensor, and wiring pigtail:


'89 wiring connector and pigtail from the old sensor:


Harness running under the pcv hose coming off of the valve cover, and around the from of the airbox:



I also installed a power steering cooler while I had everything apart. I had the cooler lying around from another project, so all I used it. It's a little larger than necessary, but it worked out fine.

Try summit racing they've got what you need. All sorts of stuff!

File 05 said:

Try summit racing they've got what you need. All sorts of stuff!

Click to expand...

Yeah, I checked them out. All of their coolant recovery tanks mount vertically, which doesn't really solve my problem, as I already have a tank that does that(the stock one from the '96).

Any luck yet? I'm doing the same thing today. If you find out what to use please post it up.

Thanks

Art-

On using the fan switch from the 1996 on your Renix: the '96 is a sensor, not a switch- it works with the engine computer, with the computer turning on the fan. Your Renix system needs a switch-type sensor to turn on the fan. On my conversion to open cooling system, I left the fan switch in the radiator tank.
Overflow tank: I walked around the u-pull wrecker and found something I liked: I used a tank from a Chrysler mid-size car on my 1990, and from a japanese car (don't remember which one) on my daughter's 1989. Mounting was by removing the old pressure tank, screwing a piece of aluminum angle to the body lip, then fastening the new tank to the vertical arm of the aluminum angle (same location as the old tank).

4xBob said:

On my conversion to open cooling system, I left the fan switch in the radiator tank.

Click to expand...

How did you do this? My new radiator doesn't have a spot for the switch. I was just down at the stealership trying to figure this out. Is there a switch that will fit in the 96 t-housing? Or sould I just wire the fan direct with a pigtail in the cab to turn on and off? (which is fine with me) Any ideas on doing this?

Thanks.

Art-

Ok, I was hoping to not have to go that route. Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Art-

Stock 4cyl. jug from an early XJ/MJ fits between the airbox and the fender. The "bits" that you are concerned about, actually can be moved around just enough to get it to fit. I have this on my '88XJ and both MJ's.

Hey guys thanks fr all the info. I have it all done up now and it works great. Doesn't even get close to getting hot. I ran the fan to a switch on my dash and can control it from there. I'd post pics but I'm not allowed yet.

Thanks again,

Art-

I am about to do the same for the fan switch aswell. I will be cutting the pigtail off the old sensor that is in the radiator. Then lenghting those wires long enough to reach the new sensor in the thermostat housing, then put the right plug for the new sensor on that end. So you will have a plug on either end with a length of wire between them. The best way to connect the wire is to solder them and use heat shrirk tubing over the solder joint. Do youreslf a favor and donot use butt splices.
No it should not matter what wire to what side of each plug. The swith is a thermister, or temp controled switch. Power dead ends at the sensor then when at the right temp it allows a little piece of metal inside the switch to bend/move and connect, kinda on the same idea of the older chokes on carberatated motors, as far as movement went. Hope that helps.
Jay

Look into a mitsubishi raider or pick up recovery tank....it is small enough to fit practically anywhere.

ya thx for the info,is there a good write up on the closed to open swap that you know of? i want to compare,make sure all the hoses are right and stuff.