overflow hose to reservoir connection

[harriw]

Hey folks,

On my '94 4.0 Ranger, the overflow hose from the radiator goes along the front of the engine bay to a 90 degree fitting that pops into the coolant reservoir. I assume that this connection should be air-tight as I see the remains of an old gasket there, but mine spits coolant a little bit around the 1" or so diameter fitting where it goes into the reservoir.

Before I pull this thing out and then regret it, does this fitting just pull right out? Screw out? What can I replace that gasket with? Would an O-ring do the trick, or should I cut my own out of gasket material? Or am I better off just leaving the thing to spit a little?

Thanks!

-Bill

 

[Big Jim M]

You need an air tight between the radiator cap and the coolant in the bottle. Nothing else matters. Air must get into and out of the bottle. If there is a leak in the hose or fittings the system won't work correctly.
Silicone glue can be our friend in these matters.
Big JIm

 

[harriw]

OK, makes sense - as coolant cools down and contracts it has to syphon back from the reservoir into the radiator. A leak won't allow it to do that. Right?

But there's a lot of air space at the top of the reservoir. SO, there HAS to be a tube going from that fitting down to (near) the bottom of the reservoir to suck it back up, right?

I'm thinking my "leak" is actually a good thing, as it allows air to be expelled as the level in the reservoir rises, and air to come back in as it falls. Sound right?

For what it's worth, it looks like everything works properly - the level in the reservoir is almost an inch higher once it's warmed up, then goes back down slowly as it cools. The fact that I see that means it's working right and I should stop worrying, right? If I did have a "bad" leak, the level in the resrvoir would go up as the coolant warmed up, but would never syphon back as it cooled, right?

Also, the level is always the same at hot and cold, i.e. no coolant loss.

Thanks for bearing with me!

-Bill

 

[Big Jim M]

Bill you seem to have a handle on what is happening. Everything you wrote sounds like a correctly working system. I'd wipe the dirt off of the connection and leave it alone.
Big JIm

 

[harriw]

Great - thanks for setting my mind at ease.

-Bill