Radiator overflow water loss

F

fisher

Junior Member
I have been having problems with my model A chucking out water.
I changed the head gasket and put a better seal on the Quail cap on the
Radiator but water still pours out the over flow when engine reved .IT does not loose water overnight. Any ideas please

Donald Fisher
 
Most "A's" run with the coolant just covering the top of the tubes. If overfilled they will run the coolant out the overflow tube. My 3 cars run with about 3/8" over the tubes and I never have to add to that, and they never go below that.
 
How full are you keeping it? As many others will chime in the A will find her own water lever and stay there as long as there is a sufficient amount of water (covering the tops of the tubes) you should be fine. Mine sits between the baffle and the tops of the tubes. Do a little research on here as well and you will see this is common and talked about frequently.
 
Just drop a loose fitting, large head nail into the top of the overflow tube!!!
On a cold engine, just enough water to cover the tubes AIN'T enough! Think about how much capacity you're losing from a tank full of AIR!
Theoretically, Henry's high mounted overflow tube "should" maintain that high level, even after some is dumped out the overflow, due to expansion. BUT, with the water really churning around, at speed, "splash over" into the overflow will gradually lower the water level, until it gets HOT! Just look in the radumator & rev er up & you'll be SURPRISED at how the water churns around in there!!! THE OLD, SIMPLE NAIL THINGY KEEPS THE WATER IN THE RADUMATOR, WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE! They ain't AIR COOLED! Worst thing in the world, is to have a cooling system FULL of air bubbles! If one of you would splice in a piece of clear plastic tubing into the top hose & rev 'er up, you'd see what I mean.
I have a 2 quart overflow tank, hooked to Vermin's overflow tube & with that, he will maintain the tank level clear up to the top of the overflow tube at the filler. Filler caps MUST be sealed totally, even if you have to take off your ART DECCO goodies & go back to a stock cap.
As soon as I get an early Volvo expansion tank, with a 5 # cap, VOILLE, Vermin will have a pressurized system! My contribution to our EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS, HERE!
Bill W.
 
Might consider back flushing the radiator and the block separately. Did this just start? If so, what changed? You get cold weather in Scotland so do you store the car for the cold months, or use antifreeze? I suspect your cooling system needs to be backflushed. The top of the tubes in the radiator can get plugged up with rust from the block. If you run straight water add some soluable oil, or water pump lubricant when you refill the cooling system. Bob
 
BILL WILLIAMSON said:
Just drop a loose fitting, large head nail into the top of the overflow tube!!!
On a cold engine, just enough water to cover the tubes AIN'T enough! Think about how much capacity you're losing from a tank full of AIR!
Theoretically, Henry's high mounted overflow tube "should" maintain that high level, even after some is dumped out the overflow, due to expansion. BUT, with the water really churning around, at speed, "splash over" into the overflow will gradually lower the water level, until it gets HOT! Just look in the radumator & rev er up & you'll be SURPRISED at how the water churns around in there!!! THE OLD, SIMPLE NAIL THINGY KEEPS THE WATER IN THE RADUMATOR, WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE! They ain't AIR COOLED! Worst thing in the world, is to have a cooling system FULL of air bubbles! If one of you would splice in a piece of clear plastic tubing into the top hose & rev 'er up, you'd see what I mean.
I have a 2 quart overflow tank, hooked to Vermin's overflow tube & with that, he will maintain the tank level clear up to the top of the overflow tube at the filler. Filler caps MUST be sealed totally, even if you have to take off your ART DECCO goodies & go back to a stock cap.
As soon as I get an early Volvo expansion tank, with a 5 # cap, VOILLE, Vermin will have a pressurized system! My contribution to our EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS, HERE!
Bill W.
Click to expand...


Excuse me for saying this again. But, Bill, you saved my Engine with the "nail" advice. A million thanks.
 
Does your radiator have a baffle in it? If now install one. I had a similar problem with my original radiator which didn't have a baffle in it. Even when I kept the water level just above the core, the water flow exited the overflow when things warmed up.

When I replace the radiator (the new one also didn't have a baffle), I had the radiator shop install a baffle, problem solved.
 
BILL WILLIAMSON said:
Just drop a loose fitting, large head nail into the top of the overflow tube!!!
Click to expand...

Bill, can you explain exactly what this accomplishes?? Is the nail acting as a baffle or restrictor in the overflow tube? I'm new to the Wonderful World of A's and a little thick at times...:eek:
 
Y-Blockhead said:
Bill, can you explain exactly what this accomplishes?? Is the nail acting as a baffle or restrictor in the overflow tube? I'm new to the Wonderful World of A's and a little thick at times...:eek:
Click to expand...
NAW, it's just that the weight of the nail head that acts as a SHIELD, to prevent splash over into the tube. The nail WON'T pressurize the system at all, it just sits there & does a "little dance" from vibrations. If you want to get "fancy" use a stainless or a brass nail. The nail was a common old time fix, when Chief had a gas station in the '40's, he kept a can of nails near the water & air hose post! (The nail trick worked on most old cars, if their overflow tube was easily accessible)
Bill W.
 
Thanks Bill Williamson, Guru of Stuff! I have watched your posts for a couple of years and you haven't steered me wrong yet! My 31 Coupe has been using a lot of water for the pst few years and that's after flushing the system etc. So I just went out and put a galvanised roofing nail in the overflow tube and I suspect the excessive water consumption problem will be behind me. Thanks for helping out tin horns like me!
Cheers
 
Bill is the mayor and as such he is expected to know these old tricks and that he does ! Thanks once again my friend !
Wayne
 
Chief taught me a lot of TRICK STUFF, he learned a lot from his Buddy, Bill Ogan, owner of our small local Ford dealership.
HEY! just had a brain fart, I'll solder the top end of my overflow shut & run a new overflow out the center of the top tank, with a short 90 degree bend & run it along the tank & down the side, won't even have to yank the radumator & the hood's off, as I haven't found it yet??
With the overflow out the top, "splash over" won't exist & the level in the top tank will be higher. When the water contracts after cool down, I'm sure the level would be higher than in the past & you wouldn't have to add water every time you drive. On the next drive, the water expansion should bring the tank level back up to FULL.
Bill W.
 
tbirdtbird said:
and next time u have water pump out grind some off the corners. pump is too exhuberant
Click to expand...

I agree and do this with my water pumps. The model A water pump, pumps more than most radiators can flow. I also agree with Bills nail trick, try it untill you get ready to remove the pump.
 
How much are you actually losing? Are you adding the same amount each time?

You can also add a piece of rubber hose to the tube raising the level to the inside of the cap.

The service bulletins call out for bending the tube towards the cab of the vehicle as well.
 
Along with all these good suggestions, just remember that a sleeved thermostat, installed in the upper end of the upper hose, helps monitor & control water flow. Seems that modern thermostats RARELY fail! Most failures I've seen, seem to make them run TOO COOL, like when one of the side straps break. If that happens, change it QUICK, before the other side strap breaks, cuz then it will get HOTTER than HADES!
Bill W.
 
fisher said:
I have been having problems with my model A chucking out water.
I changed the head gasket and put a better seal on the Quail cap on the
Radiator but water still pours out the over flow when engine reved .IT does not loose water overnight. Any ideas please

Donald Fisher
Click to expand...

I had the same issue with a Quail cap. I replace the gasket under the Quail cap with one from Synder's which worked but the upper one was too thin, so I went to Sear Hardware got a few large rubber washers and just cut it to fit... Buy a few, they're cheap and it took me two attempts to get it correct... yet to have any coolant out of the top in 4 months... You do not want a wash so thick it put too mush stress on the Quail hinge but enough to make a good seal..

20140405_191620.jpg
 
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