[30Tudor]

After trying to find the right level of fluid in my radiator and after watching my fellow club members spew gallons of glycol onto the road during tours, I decided to try putting a coolant recovery system on my car. This set-up works fabulously and cost me less than $20.00. The following is an excerpt from an article that I wrote for our club magazine.

Here is what you need:

• 1 coolant recovery bottle (eg. Dorman 603-001)
• Approximately 6 ft of 5/16” rubber fuel line – don’t be cheap like me and have to go back to buy a longer length later because you were 6” short the first time. Measure twice, cut once, buy once!
• 1 - ½” hose clamp
• Black and white plastic tie wraps

I picked up most of this stuff at NAPA.

Start by attaching the hose to the end of your radiator overflow tube (on the back of the radiator left hand side) with the hose clamp. After checking the level of fluid is safely below the top of the tube inside the radiator, put the radiator cap on and suck on the end of the rubber hose. You should be able to create a small vacuum that will hold your tongue on the end of the hose for at least 15 seconds. If you can’t create a small vacuum then you have to check the seal of your radiator cap – assuming there are no major leaks somewhere else. It is very important that the system be air tight except for the vent on the recovery bottle. If there is the slightest air leak, the fluid will not return on cooling. I have a quail hood ornament cap so I had to remove the top rubber seal and shim it up slightly on the bottom with a paper gasket I cut out of a file folder. I also ultimately ended up replacing the lower cap gasket about a week later which resulted in a dramatic improvement in the system’s operation.

Next – drill a hole in the bottom of the recovery bottle outlet as described in the instructions that come with the Dorman bottle. Then mount the bottle to the left radiator support rod with the white tie wraps. I have a hood prop kit installed on my car which runs across the two support rods so I used this to secure the bottle to stop it from swinging back and forth. This was accomplished with a couple of tie wraps wrapped around the bottle and the hood prop support.

Now with a small loop at the bottom of the hose coming out of the overflow tube, so it won’t kink, run the hose up the left side of the radiator to the top and then along the left support rod to the bottle. Secure the hose with the black tie wraps. Connect the hose to the recovery bottle again using a black tie wrap to secure it.

If the fluid in your radiator is at the right level – just above the top fins - then add about an inch of additional fluid in the bottle. Now take your car for a drive. After your engine cools down (an hour at least) you should find that the fluid in the bottle has been sucked back into the radiator. I suggest you check that the fluid level has indeed being raised in the radiator or you may have a leak somewhere. Next time when you go for a drive and the car is sufficiently warmed-up, you should find fluid back in the bottle. Now when you are on a big hill climb on a hot day, most of the radiator overflow should end up in the bottle, unless of course you have a serious boil over.

One last consideration: If you don’t have a thermostat installed in your upper radiator hose, you should consider this addition as well. The thermostat makes sure the engine warms up properly which should help to prolong its life. All the Model A parts suppliers carry a thermostat that will work for around $15.00.