may be a dumb question but i wanna make a new coolant overflow. stock is hideous. how big does it actually have to be. the factory one seems a bit overkill. thanks. any pictures of other engine compartments welcome!

 

Sorry - no pics - but I swapped in the coolant/washer setup from a 1995 Ford Explorer into mine - it's the same size as a battery, and I located it on the driver side opposite of the battery. It looks nice (it's black on top so it doesn't fade/yellow), it's balanced with the battery geometrically, and a brand new one is about $40 IIRC.

But - anything will do. I've even seen Budweiser cans used

 

yea, that sounds good. i was gonna use a monster can and tuck it in under the core support behind the headlight next to the battery but my dad was saying that with the pressure blowoff radiator cap you cant just use a can. idk he was saying some other stuff but i kinda zoned out while he was talking haha. so far just to get my car on the road i painted my stock overflow black and it doesnt look horrible. still looking for more options though... maybe a NOS energy drink bottle haha

 

The factory one isn't too overkill, try releasing the pressure from your pressure relief radiator cap when the temp is about 250* Fahrenheit.

 

yea, i know it shoots out but what im saying is if the stock overflow was designed to work with that. unlike a soda can. or does it not matter?

 

The size does matter. I swapped in an Explorer overflow bottle as was mentioned by camaronewbie. While I was working on my engine earlier this week trying to troubleshoot a cooling fan issue, it overheated to the point the coolant was boiling. From empty, it filled that container to within a 1/2" of the top so I wouldn't go much smaller than the Explorer overflow which is about 1/2 the capacity of the stock Camaro bottle.

 

TPiS sells a really sharp aluminum overfow can.
http://tpis.com/index.php?module=cat...ing+Components

it's manyfactured by Canton..so may be able to get from other places for less.

 

im using the one that canton makes. Its a direct fit, look really good, but its a bit pricy.

 

Yeah, definitely could just weld your own for the $175 Canton wants. I ordered a universal red overflow from Summit about two years ago. Never installed it cuz I started driving a Grand Prix GT (and started modding it) and then flipped the GP back in February and I think the bottle was in the trunk So gotta come up with something else now. I think Im just gonna get a new one from hawks or something though.

 

things like a 175.00 alunimum overflow for a radiator is something you need when eveything else is done. when you have the engine built, the suspension done, the interior done - they you blow money on an overflow for your radiator.

 

Yea that aluminum overflow would look great but i dont have that kind of money right now. since im finishing up an engine install and build on a fairly tight budget. i made a AC blockoff out of a piece of sheet metal i cut to shape and painted. looks pretty good too. so that would kinda go against the whole budget thing but deffinately something to keep in mind for future.

 

you can get one of those aluminum racing ones from jegs or something, you will have to drill holes but if you want one like the size of a can u should get that, the link for the one stroked_n_blown is too expensive or i would just get one myself! haha, Does anyone on here know how to clean the overflow bottle?? It just gets all faded and ugly looking, Ive tried alot to get them clean but i guess from the heat the color just bakes into the plastic. There are some brand new ones on ebay for 40 dollars and they have the windshield washer resiovor in a lot with the coolant bottle for 80 dollars and like 30 dollars for shipping. id realy rather not pay 80 for a plastic bottle, but is there anyway to get em clean?

 

OK - never got a chance to get a pic of mine in the car yet, but this is the Ford Coolant/Washer reservoir I used in my Camaro - like I said I mounted it just opposite of the battery (of course I have no evap canister there now, and although this one looks dingy, a new one looks great!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/91-Fo...Q5fAccessories

 

i have a 91 rs and an 85 v6 with no engine right now. i just noticed yesterday that the overflow bottle in the v6 is much smaller then the one in the v8 idk if its a year thing or if its maybe a engine size that makes the older v6 car smaller. but its an option