Afternoon all,

Does anyone know if I'll be able to use this as an expansion tank on a zetec 2.0l silvertop cooling system?



Thanks in advance,

Chris

[Edited on 16/8/11 by ChrisLeary]

Yeh I dont see any reason why not.

So what's the difference between a header tank and an expansion tank??


Chris

If it is the highest point of the system then you can using both inlet and outlet pipes, in this instance its considered a header tank as it sits at the head of the system.

If you want to use as an expansion tank then block the top inlet and just use the bottom tube, this goes to the highest point of the system although the tank can be lower than this as water will just fill under pressure and vent back from where it came from when cold, an expansion tank.

To use an expansion tank you need a high fill point, if you look under the bonnet of a early classic range rover or SD1 rover you will see expansion tanks fitted as the radiator does not have a header top, p38 range rovers and beyond have header tanks.

Regards Mark

Hi

yep should be OK.

A header tank is usually situated at the highest point of the cooling system and is part off the main system under pressure with the coolant flowing through and separating out any air in the system whilst also providing room for expansion within the main system.
An expansion tank can be mounted at a lower height than the highest point in the system and is not under pressure. It collects the water that has been expanded out off the main system and drawn back in to the main system as the main system temperature return back to cool.

Cheers Matt

Thanks for the replies,

This is the diagram I've saved from another post regarding zetec cooling, and to clarify, I'll be able to use the tank in the system like below?



Thanks again,

Chris

anyone know?

Cheers, Chris.

as far as i'm concerned, what you have is a header tank. think a lot of people use both names for header tanks, but i call it a header tank.

the bottom pipe should go to the water pump/bottom radiator hose, and the top hose on the tank is used to bleed air out the system, so connect to the small connection on the top of the radiator and the small connection on the thermostat.
the connection right under the pressure cap will let air andcoolant out if theres too much pressure in the system




I would say an expansion tank is used where you have a radiator which has a pressure cap on it, and just under the pressure cap is a small hose connection, which coolant expands out of when it gets hot, past the pressure cap and out that hose, you put a expansion bottle on the end of that hose to catch coolant. the hose goes to the bottom of the bottle, when the engine cools, coolant can be sucked back in to the radiator. 2 very different things as far as i'm concerned

bad picture, and different engine, but here's mine

Description
there is a small black hose out the bottom of the tank you might not make out straight away
its only sitting there temporary

[Edited on 17/8/11 by blakep82]

Exactly what he ^^ said