Should I have an overflow bottle?

NukeBass said
My 73 Duster didn't come with a bottle. It would spit water under two conditions (that I noticed, anyway): when I had too much in the radiator and when my head gasket was blown. The head gasket wasn't really a spit, it was a full on flow of water. I would put water in it every couple of weeks in the summer.

Damn, I hope I don't have a head gasket problem! But my oil was a qt. low, so I don't think I do...LOL

2 Darts said
If you have a radiator cap with two seals (one on the spring, the other on the cap itself) by all means install a recovery bottle. Most of the caps I've seen at the big box part stores are for closed systems, so they will work.

If you have only the cap seal, the system sucks in air. You'd probably need to spend $s @ YO or someplace with NOS parts to grab one of these.

Ideally the recovery bottle will have an overflow outlet that will allow you to protect the rest of your engine compartment. The recovery bottle will also need to have a tube that connects the radiator neck to the bottom of the bottle. Otherwise the recovery bottle becomes an overflow reservoir.

I have to look again. My cap did say 16lbs. I seen a rubber gasket on the bottom, with a spring above it. I am sure there is a gasket on the twist lid itself too. I think.

mopardude318 said
absolutely! i made a recovery system in this thread.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=201562

Checking that thread soon as I am done replying here. Thanks you!!

Johnny Dart said
Your car did not come with a recovery bottle,or do you need one,unless your going tithe track.
The reason your car is spitting all over the ground,is because you are filling your radiator to high. The top portion of your radiator is called the "expansion tank". You are only suppose to fill the tank an 1"or so above the cooling fins on the inside of the radiator. Or 2-3" below the top. This allows room for expansion when the car gets hot. You can either remove coolant from the radiator,or let it puke until it self levels to the proper height. Once you find the right level,it shouldn't puke again,unless your overheating.
Try it.

Okay, you make good sense. I checked it today. And it is about 2 inches below the top of the rad top. And is not spitting now. I kept topping it off of course right to the top, since I am used to doing that.
The rad, and water pump, heater core...etc. are all new.
No thermostat in yet, and it is flowing great! Its like a river flowing when the cap is off and I am running it and watching. I am sure you are right on the money with what I was doing to cause this.

roadrunnerh said
Exactly. Tony, you can purchase an inexpensive "catch can" or overflow from Summit. They have a valve at the bottom that you can open to drain out the water/coolant that flowed into it. Like this one....
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G1478/

Hey, thats pretty nice!!