Where does the coolant go in an expansion tank?
When this temperature is reached the liquid expands and is forced out of the radiator through the radiator cap. This is where the expansion tank comes into play. It stores the excess coolant to ensure that the necessary fluid level remains within the system.
How does a radiator coolant overflow tank work?
The radiator coolant overflow tank is fairly simple device but it can save you a lot of money by preventing rust formation in the cooling system of your car. When the engine is running at its optimum performance, it needs the engine coolant to keep it within the operational temperatures.
How does a radium coolant tank work on a Mustang?
Radium’s Coolant Expansion tank for ‘15+ S550 Mustangs. The kit for our ’11 S197 Mustang simply has a different bracket. Source: Radium Engineering. As coolant heats up, it expands. If we limit the volume of this coolant (by sealing the system), we can build pressure in the system.
Where does the coolant go in a radiator?
This is where the second bit of coolant system magic occurs. The radiator has a cap or pressure valve which, when the pressure reaches around 15psi, opens, allowing the coolant to flow into the expansion tank mentioned earlier, so relieving the pressure.
Can a radiator be used as an expansion tank?
If an expansion tank is overfilled it will discharge coolant when the system is at operating temperature. An expansion tank can also be used as a fill point for the system. When an expansion tank is used the radiator doesn’t require a pressure relieving cap.
How does the expansion of a coolant tank work?
As coolant heats up, it expands. If we limit the volume of this coolant (by sealing the system), we can build pressure in the system. A coolant system is pressurized to increase the boiling point of the water and squeeze any steam or air in the system into smaller bubbles to increase the available surface area of the coolant.
Radium’s Coolant Expansion tank for ‘15+ S550 Mustangs. The kit for our ’11 S197 Mustang simply has a different bracket. Source: Radium Engineering. As coolant heats up, it expands. If we limit the volume of this coolant (by sealing the system), we can build pressure in the system.
Where is the expansion tank on a car?
To fix this issue, most modern cars have started using a Coolant Expansion Tank . Essentially, the coolant expansion tank moves the “top” of the radiator to another location in the engine bay. This allows the use of a shorter radiator “below” the top of the engine while still enabling air and steam to be purged.