Expansion Bottle

[patsy]

I'm wanting to move my radiators expansion bottle from the righthand side of the rad and over to the left next to the power steering fluid bottle. If I move the power steering bottle around a wee bit on its mounting and then magically squeeze in the expansion bottle with a diy effort bracket. I was thinking of maybe ditching the expansion bottle for a smaller bottle. Along the lines of a large (1.5l min) thick-ish plastic sports bottle, mounted in a bicycle bottle holder or similar. Is there any size or volume sort of issues that would knock this idea on the head?

Car is a 2002 wrx wagon.

Ryan

Edited September 27, 2010 by Patsy

[wrxmania]

I'm wanting to move my radiators expansion bottle from the righthand side of the rad and over to the left next to the power steering fluid bottle. If I move the power steering bottle around a wee bit on its mounting and then magically squeeze in the expansion bottle with a diy effort bracket. I was thinking of maybe ditching the expansion bottle for a smaller bottle. Along the lines of a large (1.5l min) thick-ish plastic sports bottle, mounted in a bicycle bottle holder or similar. Is there any size or volume sort of issues that would knock this idea on the head?

Car is a 2002 wrx wagon.

Ryan

Not sure it's a great idea changing the size. I assume it is that size for a reason - either (a) that size of bottle is made for every car in Japan and it was cheap or ( it needs to be that size to allow for excessive heat etc in the cooling system...

Someone with a brain will be along shortly

Brian.

[patsy]

Not sure it's a great idea changing the size. I assume it is that size for a reason - either (a) that size of bottle is made for every car in Japan and it was cheap or ( it needs to be that size to allow for excessive heat etc in the cooling system...

Someone with a brain will be along shortly

Brian.

Yeah, I had similar thoughts to yours. Someone will know if it's possible swap or what? Hope it is, because it will be more straight forward than trying to reinstall the standard bottle.

Ryan

[frankyboy]

yeah i would say it was a bad idear to.

the bottles are desined so that they can hold in high pressure so using another kind of bottle may not hold the pressure as good and may cause the car to leak water which then may lead to over heating ect ect

[patsy]

I don't think they hold high pressure. I might be wrong though! I mean it looks just like the windscreen washer bottle- same type of snap on plastic cap and just a rubber hose going in through the cap. This is not sealed etc. So wouldn't hold much pressure in, I don't think?

Ryan

[rig-pig]

it doesn't hold high pressure but high heat yes and its that size for a reason, sorry to put a dampener on your ideas, you can still move it tho if it fits on the other side or find one off a different car that would fit ??

[frankyboy]

it doesn't hold high pressure but high heat yes and its that size for a reason, sorry to put a dampener on your ideas, you can still move it tho if it fits on the other side or find one off a different car that would fit ??

maybe totaly wrong here but if you open up the bottle while the engine is hot does the water not come to the top boiling hot with steam. so to me there is pressure inside that bottle including all the pipe work too im no expert and could be way off. as for it being the same as a washer bottle i thinker the washer bottle is a lot thinner and doesnt have a screw cap because it doesnt have to hold any pressure so theres my theory prob totaly wrong but thats what these forums are here for to help and advise

[patsy]

maybe totaly wrong here but if you open up the bottle while the engine is hot does the water not come to the top boiling hot with steam. so to me there is pressure inside that bottle including all the pipe work too im no expert and could be way off. as for it being the same as a washer bottle i thinker the washer bottle is a lot thinner and doesnt have a screw cap because it doesnt have to hold any pressure so theres my theory prob totaly wrong but thats what these forums are here for to help and advise

Think you are a little off. This expansion bottle has identical plastic and clip on cap to the washer bottle. Nothing to do with holding hot, steamy water. Maybe just warm, but no pressure involved. I think it takes the hot water from the cooling system as it expands. As for pipe work, it is rubber hose around 8-10mm and is just popped in through a hole in the top, losse. No other pipes or hoses going in or out! But surely any abs quality plastic bottle would do. If it can be whacked in a dish washer and steamed, then a little hot water wont bother it. The bottle on the car looks to hold roughly 1-1.5L of coolant. With a max an min markings, should be easy enough to measure and remark another bottle with similar markings.

Someone on here has got to have used a non standard bottle in a similar way?

Ryan

[frankyboy]

Think you are a little off. This expansion bottle has identical plastic and clip on cap to the washer bottle. Nothing to do with holding hot, steamy water. Maybe just warm, but no pressure involved. I think it takes the hot water from the cooling system as it expands. As for pipe work, it is rubber hose around 8-10mm and is just popped in through a hole in the top, losse. No other pipes or hoses going in or out! But surely any abs quality plastic bottle would do. If it can be whacked in a dish washer and steamed, then a little hot water wont bother it. The bottle on the car looks to hold roughly 1-1.5L of coolant. With a max an min markings, should be easy enough to measure and remark another bottle with similar markings.

Someone on here has got to have used a non standard bottle in a similar way?

Ryan

i must be thinking of the wrong bottle if a am i have just confused my self thik i need to go check mine before i say anything else

[patsy]

if you have a bugeye, then you'll have the same setup. The radiator has no filler cap on it. The header tank or whatever you call it for this is next to the airbox area. The small rubber hose comes out from the top of the filler neck just under the cap and goes along the top of the rad to the mentioned expansion bottle. If you don't have a bugeye, I assume that the radiator will have a filler cap on and there will be a similar hose that leads from the top of the rad to an expansion bottle? I'm no expert or even half an expert either. But going by an educated guess, I think I'm going to source a suitable 'bike bottle' and 'bike bottle holder' and give this a bash. Run it for a few days around town and if everything goes okay I'll make it a new fixture to my engine bay, via the power of some pop rivets!

Unless anyone puts me right before tomorrow....?

Ryan

[frankyboy]

if you have a bugeye, then you'll have the same setup. The radiator has no filler cap on it. The header tank or whatever you call it for this is next to the airbox area. The small rubber hose comes out from the top of the filler neck just under the cap and goes along the top of the rad to the mentioned expansion bottle. If you don't have a bugeye, I assume that the radiator will have a filler cap on and there will be a similar hose that leads from the top of the rad to an expansion bottle? I'm no expert or even half an expert either. But going by an educated guess, I think I'm going to source a suitable 'bike bottle' and 'bike bottle holder' and give this a bash. Run it for a few days around town and if everything goes okay I'll make it a new fixture to my engine bay, via the power of some pop rivets!

Unless anyone puts me right before tomorrow....?

Ryan

go for it mate if you dont try you'll never know good luck with it

[patsy]

Got myself a 1.1L bottle and mounting cage for it. Day off work on Thursday, original bits coming oot and new effort going in. Pics to follow after its done.

Ryan