Cooling System Pressure Question

Author Topic: Cooling System Pressure Question  (Read 1075 times)

Offline solarguy

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Cooling System Pressure Question
« on: November 17, 2014 - 09:28:22 AM »
The car, 70 Cuda, 340, auto, 26" rad, shroud, 180 thermostat with small bleeder hole drilled, fan clutch, tranny cooler, stant 10231 Vented cap and coolant recovery tank.

The scenario, yesterday, after a 2 hour long cruise, I pull in the garage and looked under the hood.  The upper Rad hose was not Not firm at all and I could see coolant transferring from the Rad to the recovery tank as it is connected with a clear piece of tubing.  I shut the car off and again verified NO pressure in the cooling system.  I removed the cap, no burping sound or anything and stuck in my thermometer it read 200 degrees.  I restarted the car and temp goes down to 180. 

My question is, should there ALWAYS be pressure in the cooling system when your running a vented cap or is this the normal operation of the cap when it is passing coolant to the recovery tank? 

Here is a link to stant regarding the operation of a vented rad cap and this seems to be normal?  I always thought the pressure in the cooling system was supposed to be a constant.  The car was not overheating just had no cooling system pressure after a 2 hour cruise.   

http://www.stant.com/index.php/english/products/consumer-products/caps/radiator-cap-reservoir-caps/




Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: Cooling System Pressure Question
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2014 - 10:22:33 AM »
it should pressurize & hold the coolant in the rad not bleed it out to the overflow

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Offline solarguy

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Re: Cooling System Pressure Question
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2014 - 11:17:31 AM »
Thanks Chryco

So I guess my 1 week old cap is bad already?  At operating temp, with a vented cap, system should have pressure, correct? 

Taken from the stant link above....

" VENTED Radiator CAPS

There is one coolant cap that is quite different others: Stant #10231. Some people think this cap is broken when they first see it because the part that goes into the fill pipe to seal the system “wobbles.” This is a vented coolant cap. A “Vented Coolant Cap,” sometimes referred to as a “Partial Pressure” cap, may not immediately let the system realize pressure upon thermal expansion (warmup).

The cap has a small disc at the bottom of the cap that is a vacuum valve. That vacuum valve hangs down in the open position until the cap is subjected to rapid expansion of coolant or steam, which closes the valve in a sealed position. At that point, the system is pressurized and helps control overheating and enhances system efficiency. This also means the vehicle can be idling without having a pressurized cooling system and could be “venting” vapor into the overflow reservoir." 

So what does this mean....

"This also means the vehicle can be idling without having a pressurized cooling system and could be “venting” vapor into the overflow reservoir." 





« Last Edit: November 17, 2014 - 11:24:01 AM by solarguy »

Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: Cooling System Pressure Question
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2014 - 08:54:30 AM »
sounds like rapid temp increase will seal it but otherwise just balances pressure into the over flow & back
 if you are not having problems I assume you are OK

Challenger - You`ll wish You Hadn`t