New Renix Coolant Bottle and Cap problems

Doesn't an aluminum tank cost as much as a radiator upgrade? And I seriously doubt that a closed system is FAR superior to a open one. If it is all working right (on a rare occasion), it MIGHT be slightly more efficient.
 
I just paid something like $22 each, delivered for the plastic bottles. IIRC the metal tank is like $160 or so, that is the cost of 8 plastic tanks, and there is no assurance it would fix an overheating problem. I don't like the opaqueness of the metal tanks.

If I had a choice between a new radiator or a metal tank, I might switch to the open system (new open system radiator) rather that buy the metal tank.

Another option for those wanting to switch to the open system is to eliminate the tank, and install an inline filler neck that uses a standard radiator cap in the upper radiator hose. That would be the least expensive way to switch from closed to open. Cost about $40.

Now, back on topic.
 
My issues on three occasions now is not the cap but the bottom of the plastic bottle cracking. When the system heats up the plastic swells and the leak turns in to a hemorrhage.

I now know I need to lower my bottle mounting shelf, but I'm leery of more plastic bottles, especially after reading all the woes in this thread, hence my wanting the ALU bottle.

I just don't feel I can trust the weak link with more plastic failure.
 
So I just recieved and installed my Macs reservoir in a preemptive strike of don't want problems in the desert. It came with a 16# cap and its spewing fluid out the relief nozzle. I put a hose on it for now running down beyond the starter so it wont spew on the evap or starter or other stuff in the general vicinity. But I am wondering if I should have a coolant reserve bottle now. Or do I need a stronger cap?

year 89
 
Muad'Dib said:
Since those bottles use a standard radiator cap, you basically converted yourself to the open style system. I would think an overflow bottle would be in short order.

That is unless you completely filled the tank up..
Click to expand...

If he filled the tank all the way up, then yes he is trying to run an open system and needs an open recovery bottle. If he only filled it half way, he either has a head gasket leak, air in the engine/radiator still, or some other serious overheating problem that is running the system pressure over 16 lbs. Ops, or he has a bad cap.

Test the cap. Leave the cap off, and let it run long enough to breath all the trapped air out. Read up and follow the other threads on getting trapped air out of the radiator and block, like the adding 2 drilled holes in the thermostat trick. Make sure the radiator, fan clutch, electric fan, thermostat, and so on are all working. Make sure you don't have a blocked exhaust.....
 
its not really running hot though as far as I can tell and I there is any head gasket leaks (no antifreeze in oil, no oil in antifreeze, no exhaust in coolant) I may have just overfilled it initially I did make sure there were no air pockets though, well pretty sure. anyway thanks guys.
 
This is kind of funny, because I have been telling you guys to dump your closed systems. Yesterday, my "Coolant Low" light came on in my '97 Mark VIII, as it does about every 6 months. Not really a coolant use issue, as the surge tank was still 7/8 full, but it takes about a cup or two of coolant to keep the light off.

What shocked me though was that this has a closed system with no problems whatsoever. The tank isn't very big, and would fit easily in an XJ. It's not the fact of a closed system that FU the XJ's. It's the execution of the concept and the piss poor quality of the parts.
 
winterbeater said:
This is kind of funny, because I have been telling you guys to dump your closed systems. Yesterday, my "Coolant Low" light came on in my '97 Mark VIII, as it does about every 6 months. Not really a coolant use issue, as the surge tank was still 7/8 full, but it takes about a cup or two of coolant to keep the light off.

What shocked me though was that this has a closed system with no problems whatsoever. The tank isn't very big, and would fit easily in an XJ. It's not the fact of a closed system that FU the XJ's. It's the execution of the concept and the piss poor quality of the parts.
Click to expand...


Only now do you begin to understand the power of the dark side!:D
 
winterbeater said:
What would I need to convert my 2000 to closed system? I can get a bottle from a junkyard Mark VIII and a copper brass radiator. LOL. Don't answer please.
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Going off the deep end is continuing to work on your "closed" system. EcoMike is doing it more as a challenge and he likes to flagellate himself. (No offense intended.) I admire him for pursuing this challenge. By the time you mess with all of the bottle modifications and replacements, as well as the heater valve issues, you could have paid for and installed an "open" radiator with upgraded capacity and rehosed your heater core to run all the time
Click to expand...


:soapbox:


Hasta


:cheers:
 
Hit Pay Dirt today!

I stumbled into a interesting cap in the radiator cap section at Advanced Auto. Looked just like the Volvo cap Muad'Dib posted below. Grabbed my spare bottle, and hot dam* I had a winner for $8.95.

It is a STANT brand # 11244 radiator cap. It fits the Renix POS bottle threads perfectly. I had the counter guy look up the part number for a Volve **** 95 and sure enough it came as the 11244 Stant cap!
So to review, we have three options that work (I think).

The Ecomike (8Mud) worm gear clamp on the junk cap solution, costs about $3

The Maud'Dib Volvo cap (OEM) for about $45

or the Stant Volvo style cap for $8.95, #11244.

OH, and wait for it, the BIG, BIG, Big news!
The Stant cap claims to be a 22 PSI cap!:yap:

If that doesn't make the coolant bottle blow up first nothing will.
 
More good news. I found another brand Volvo cap for $8.99, at Autozone, #7033, by CST, Inc., Coolant Systems, Technology, Inc. This one is made in Israel, also a 20 lb cap. The valves in the cap are a different design. It is the same as the OEM Volvo cap (it is a cap for Volvos), and it also fits the Renix bottle, and is also a low profile.

I will be testing the Stant and CST Volvo caps on 2 different Renix jeeps, with the new bottles and the brass 3/8" pipe nipple inserted in the bottom nipple.

I tested the new bottles with the Volvo style caps today, and the profile with the Volvo caps are lower. Low enough so that the bottles do not hit the hoods and crush the bottles with these caps, while the Crown bottle caps that come with the new bottles, and the German XJ bottle caps I recently found at Autozone, are too tall and hit the hood, thus crushing the bottles! So I am leaving my OEM bottle shelf as is for one more test, thinking the old OEM caps may have been shorter too. The height difference is nearly 3/8".
 
Ecomike said:
More good news. I found another brand Volvo cap for $8.99, at Autozone, #7033, by CST, Inc., Coolant Systems, Technology, Inc. This one is made in Israel, also a 20 lb cap. The valves in the cap are a different design. It is the same as the OEM Volvo cap (it is a cap for Volvos), and it also fits the Renix bottle, and is also a low profile.

I will be testing the Stant and CST Volvo caps on 2 different Renix jeeps, with the new bottles and the brass 3/8" pipe nipple inserted in the bottom nipple.

I tested the new bottles with the Volvo style caps today, and the profile with the Volvo caps are lower. Low enough so that the bottles do not hit the hoods and crush the bottles with these caps, while the Crown bottle caps that come with the new bottles, and the German XJ bottle caps I recently found at Autozone, are too tall and hit the hood, thus crushing the bottles! So I am leaving my OEM bottle shelf as is for one more test, thinking the old OEM caps may have been shorter too. The height difference is nearly 3/8".
Click to expand...

Update. Installed a new Crown brand bottle yesterday. Used the CST brand Volvo style cap. Tried to get the cap tight, just hand tight, and it pops off! :rattle:
Does the same thing on the slightly used Crown bottle on the other XJ also. The other brand (Stant!) Volvo cap still gets good and tight and will not pop off. I am using the CST cap temporarily, trying a sweet spot on hand tightness to see if the bottle threads swell out a little making the cap stay tight, but I am not holding my breath. Will order several Stant brand Volvo caps now.
 
The Stant brand Volvo bottle cap is still working perfectly on the renix bottles on both our DDs! Cost about $7 at Autozone. Also this cap lowers the profile just enough so that the hood does not push on the cap and bottle thus damaging the bottle over time! Seems the old Renix dealer caps were not as tall as the current China caps that are coming with the new Crown (china) import bottles.

The CST brand (made in Israel) Volvo bottle cap failed to tighten properly right out of the package!
 
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