What's the difference between a cooling system:1.catch can 2.recovery tank 3.expansion tank 4.overflow tank? I need to determine what I need for my system (it keeps puking out the overflow tube). I've been looking thru Jeg's, Summit,and Speedway and I see some are vented, some have a radiator style cap on top, some have a drain petcock on the bottom, etc. I know that expansion tanks need to be mounted at the highest point of the system so that's out (ugly). Should'nt the can be sealed so the vacuum will suck the overflow back into the system as it cools down? What are you running and how do you like it? Thank's in advance!
Catch as catch can?
- Thread starter hotrodman
- Start date
donsrods
Member
A catch can does just that, it only catches the coolant and keeps it from going onto the track (used in drag racing generally)
A recovery tank holds the overflow, then when the temp goes down after shut off, it feed it back into the system.
Expansion tanks as I remember them were in the main radiator hose system and simply took excess coolant as it expanded as the temperature rose.
Finally, I think an overflow tank is just like a catch can, unless it returns the coolant back.
Bottom line, make it easy on yourself. Get a recovery tank with the cap on top, that is what most of us are using. If you were to look inside it you would see two tubes, one higher than the other. The coolant comes out of the shorter tube and rises in the tank. If it gets as high as the taller tube it spills out onto the ground, but generally it only goes up part way, then when the temp goes down it gets sucked back into the radiator.
As part of the system you will also need a cap designed for closed systems.
Don
A recovery tank holds the overflow, then when the temp goes down after shut off, it feed it back into the system.
Expansion tanks as I remember them were in the main radiator hose system and simply took excess coolant as it expanded as the temperature rose.
Finally, I think an overflow tank is just like a catch can, unless it returns the coolant back.
Bottom line, make it easy on yourself. Get a recovery tank with the cap on top, that is what most of us are using. If you were to look inside it you would see two tubes, one higher than the other. The coolant comes out of the shorter tube and rises in the tank. If it gets as high as the taller tube it spills out onto the ground, but generally it only goes up part way, then when the temp goes down it gets sucked back into the radiator.
As part of the system you will also need a cap designed for closed systems.
Don
putz
Member
Billet Specialties
This is the one I have works great One long tube almost to top inside for overflow and one tube flush with bottom hooked to radiator overflow.
This is the one I have works great One long tube almost to top inside for overflow and one tube flush with bottom hooked to radiator overflow.
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