Coolant level in radiator

[niveketak]

66 Volvo 122S

Having installed a recon cylinder head and water pump I filled the system with antifreeze (premixed) and on warming up to correct temp and switching off antifreeze ejected via the overflow pipe twice in a few minutes. I topped it up and it did exactly the same thing. My question is how much above the visible fins in the radiator do people "top up" their rads. Mine is currently about half a centimetre above the fins with the engine cold which seems to me quite low.

[old fart]

That's about the same as mine. There's got to be some room for expansion, so if you fill it right up it's bound to chuck some out.

[arcturus]

Don't you have an expansion bottle fitted?

[Ron Kwas]

niveketak;

I think arcturus has touched on the important factor...if an Exp Tank has been retrofitted, post shut-off expansion will be into that (presuming a burped sys), as Rad is completely filled. The coolant has someplace to go, other than being lost.

If no ET is present, expansion can only occur into the volume available between fill level and top of Rad...if this expansion volume is insufficient, some overflow will occur. It sounds like you have no ET fitted, so I think your CS will spit out any extra and the situation will sort itself out...but just for your information and edification, when it does stop this post shut-off spilling, I'd open Radcap and note level...

See also: https://www.sw-em.com/Cooling_System...cooling_system

Cheers

[niveketak]

Originally Posted by arcturus

Don't you have an expansion bottle fitted?

Nope just an overflow pipe

[niveketak]

Originally Posted by Ron Kwas

niveketak;

I think arcturus has touched on the important factor...if an Exp Tank has been retrofitted, post shut-off expansion will be into that (presuming a burped sys), as Rad is completely filled. The coolant has someplace to go, other than being lost.

If no ET is present, expansion can only occur into the volume available between fill level and top of Rad...if this expansion volume is insufficient, some overflow will occur. It sounds like you have no ET fitted, so I think your CS will spit out any extra and the situation will sort itself out...but just for your information and edification, when it does stop this post shut-off spilling, I'd open Radcap and note level...

See also: https://www.sw-em.com/Cooling_System...cooling_system

Cheers

Thanks Ron. I went out in it today and the level hasn't changed and thankfully no overheating which was the start of all this. I think maybe I got a little confused as my old Simca (now deceased!) did have an expansion tank and was full to the brim in the radiator. I would fit an expansion tank but the afetr market remote servo occupies the only place it could go unless I go in the aperture between radiator and front grille.