Radiator Coolant Container Replacement? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

RedPhoenix · 05-24-2005, 10:39 PM

So... This is my 2nd coolant container that cracked up at the top.. this is everyones problem with these containers on gen 3's. My main one is marinetex'd. Its a fix, looks like ass though. What container could I replace this with? Im not going through another OEM pos that just wants to crack on me

. Any home remedy ones.. maybe even clear to show off the pretty fluid... or something? I have enough space over there to fabricate something if needed.

Thanks

Wintermute · 05-24-2005, 10:41 PM

check out Moroso...they make a good one. Don't go with the weapon-R one...it will break on you badly. If you go to JEG's or Summit, you need to look for them in the cooling section, and make sure they list it as a recirculating tank, and not just a recovery tank.

RedPhoenix · 05-24-2005, 10:54 PM

I just checked jegs and summit, even my jegs catalog and couldnt find it. Im probably looking at the wrong thing of course.

Wintermute · 05-24-2005, 10:55 PM

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...2&autoview=sku

That's just the moroso one...there are others around, if you look in my thread about the PWR radiator

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t79979.html

you will see it at the end of the thread in the pics of my radiator installed.

--Wintermute

Wintermute · 05-24-2005, 10:58 PM

I can also show you an interesting way to make a home one...it's quick and pretty...although kinda silly and cheap (in cost...it works though).

RedPhoenix · 05-24-2005, 10:59 PM

Bingo. nice replacement, a tad pricy for right now though. Any other replacements you know of?

RedPhoenix · 05-24-2005, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wintermute

I can also show you an interesting way to make a home one...it's quick and pretty...although kinda silly and cheap (in cost...it works though).

Show away

Wintermute · 05-24-2005, 11:00 PM

let me get together some pics...I'll show you the pretty and inexpensive homemade version...

RedPhoenix · 05-24-2005, 11:14 PM

Sounds good, thanks

N Somniac · 05-24-2005, 11:18 PM

theres a guy on ebay selling these tanks, brand new, there selling like hotcakes!!!

http://search.ebay.com/96-camry-cool...trypageZsearch

of course i've been trying to get one for a week now, but keep getting out bid, but im not paying more than $30 for one, I haven't looked anywhere else, so i dont know if that's highway robbery. Again I work at Toyota, and we charge a but load to customers, hell even my discount is ridiculusly (s/p) expensive!

Wintermute · 05-24-2005, 11:20 PM

Okay, so here's the short and quick of it.

1) find a suitable container (I used a camping fuel bottle)
2) go buy the following parts from your local well stocked autoparts store (or a good plumbing store)
a small "L" fitting that matches the size of the hose you are connecting to it
a fitting that will screw on to the other side of the "L" fitting
2 sealing washers (they are metal but with a rubber center on them so they won't leak)
one metal washer the same size as the sealing washers
some grey gasket stuff
drill a hole in the bottom of your container that is the same size as the threaded side of the "L" fitting. Drop one of the sealing washers into the container and center it up over the hole you drilled (a pencil works well for this). Slide the theaded side of the "L" fitting through the metal washer, then the second sealing washer, then the bottom of the container and the sealing washer inside. Use a little bit of something sticky (you figure that part out) to stick the second fitting to the inside of a socket with an extension on it...this will allow you to reach the fitting inside of the container and screw it onto the threaded side of the "L" fitting. Tighten everything up and then put a little bit of the grey gasket stuff around the fitting on the bottom just to make sure it is completely sealed. If you did everything correctly, the container shouldn't leak. Drill a small venting hole in the lid of the container so that it doesn't explode under pressure. Now find a mounting spot and hook the hose from the radiator to the "L" fitting at the bottom of the container. This will allow expanding coolant to fill up the container, and when it cools, the coolant will be pulled back in to the radiator because the fitting is at the bottom of the container. One thing of note...the container shown in the pics is a little bit small...you should use something about 1 quart in size.

Here come the pics:

Hope that helps ya.

RedPhoenix · 05-24-2005, 11:25 PM

Good idea, I just need to find a nice container.. that wont get weird under.. max of 300F or so? Ill see what I can find around here, thanks!

Somniac - I saw those, but instead I went to a junkyward, pulled a failry new one. No cracks, white as the ebay ones. Few months late it cracked in the EXACT same spot. So Im done with it, I dont know why its like that. Toyota wanted i think $125 for one.

Wintermute · 05-24-2005, 11:27 PM

yeah, a good aluminum container should work well for the temp. By the way, I made that one in 20 minutes during lunch because my third stock one had just cracked and I got tired of it the same way you did.

RedPhoenix · 05-24-2005, 11:34 PM

Excelent. Any idea where to look for one? Walmart calls I think.. lol

Im trying to figure out why it cracks, just weak in the plasic in that spot I guess.

Wintermute · 05-24-2005, 11:37 PM

well, a bigger camping fuel bottle would work...they make 1quart ones, you just have to find one that looks good online (or sand and paint one of the silly looking MSR ones that are available everywhere). Another option would be to go to a cooking store and see what they have in stainless that has a screw on cap...I thought about doing that after I made the first one.