Saxo - refill radiator

saxo45 · Post by **saxo45** » 18 Sep 2004, 03:00

Any advice on how to fill the radiator after a drain. Haynes says need tube to give a head of water. Suggest anything easily obtainable? Want to change the antifreeze.
Chris

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 18 Sep 2004, 15:07

I have found that the neck on a Ha****ds anti freeze bottle is a bout the right size. A small amount of PVC tape is required to get it to fit. Cut the bottom off and use as the manual says as a 'header tank'. To refil open all the bleed valves and keep pouring until air bubble finish at the first one then tighten and repeat at all bleed points. When full and bled run the car until the rad fans cut in then allow to cool with the rad cap on. When cool check and top up if needed. Keep heater open as well (on hot) make sure that the header tank dose not become empty. Personally I've found that when the engine is running a sqeeze of the rad pipes helps the air in the syaytem out. Hope this helps.

saxo45 · Post by **saxo45** » 19 Sep 2004, 13:54

Thanks, as it happens my new antifreeze is in one of those bottles.

saxo45 · Post by **saxo45** » 24 Sep 2004, 01:58

Thoughts, You fill the system with a header, but are you then left with a column of water in the header that is way above the radiator top?
Chris

carl · Post by **carl** » 24 Sep 2004, 04:06

If you put the cap on after bleeding before the engine gets hot won,t you run the risk of a massive air lock in the system when the thermostat opens?

bikeboyz · Post by **bikeboyz** » 24 Sep 2004, 04:19

Did this on my old 106 diesel. Recall driving it up on two a couple of concreate blocks to make getting to the drain bung easier. Made a header tank from a 5L antifreeze bottle with the bottom chopped of, and a length of rubber hose from an old washing machine. Hook it up with some string to the top of the bonnet. You may think its a waste of time, but it does work, and near the end of running the engine for some time to purge the air, I got a massive exit of air up through the bottle, it proves the presure it gives does force the air out.
Make sure the heater is on hot! and you dont forget to close the block drain and rad, and the use the bleed screws on the hoses.

carl · Post by **carl** » 24 Sep 2004, 04:30

I would agree with bikeboyz method 100%. Does Stuart mean to run the car from cold to hot with the cap on or fit the cap when hot? please excuse my thickness.

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 24 Sep 2004, 13:48

Sorry meant to say, run the engine cold to hot untill the fans cut in with the rad cap off and the header tank in postion.

saxo45 · Post by **saxo45** » 24 Sep 2004, 15:36

whats the washing machine tube for?

bikeboyz · Post by **bikeboyz** » 26 Sep 2004, 22:36

The w/m tube can be streched over the head tank and up to the can which is about 1/2 metre above the tank at this point. The distance above the header tank is important so the gravity and weight of the coolant do their job of presurising the system. I'd also add that I would reconmend readymixed 5 year "green colour" coolant. Saves an extra few years before having to mess about again and has higher boiling point than blue.

madasafish · Post by **madasafish** » 30 Sep 2004, 02:54

I did none of the above on my wife's 106 diesel. Just opened the bleed screws on top hose and water pump. after I had filled up normally. Expelled all air. Started and idled for 5 mins. Bled again. After 3 times no problems. After 20k miles still ok,

rotodiesel · Post by **rotodiesel** » 30 Sep 2004, 03:49

The diesel is quite different from the petrol engines. The TUD is mostly self-venting, having narrow bore tubes running from the top of the cylinder head and radiator, to the header tank. If you rev the engine with the cap off, you can see the head vent pipe working.
On the later iron block engines, the only vent screw is on the feed pipe from the header tank to the water pump inlet, where it contorts its way over the RH engine mount.
Perhaps this is why later TUDs seem to need fewer head gaskets than the XUD. The Al block 1.4l TUD was hopeless.
rotodiesel.

bikeboyz · Post by **bikeboyz** » 07 Oct 2004, 01:09

It doesn't take much time to high level fill the TU engine, and for the sake of a head gasket it worth doing!