MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MG Y Type - Radiator Expansion Tank

Prompted by an excellent article by Alan Wakefield in the May Octagon Car Club Bulletin, p24, I decided to upgrade the Heath-Robinson trial expansion tank I had lashed up last year. The clever suggestion from Alan was to use a bicycle drink bottle and holder.

With £27 spent at Halfords and Wickes and a couple of hours of work with the tools one might have when living in a 1 bedroom city apartment, without workshop, I completed what I consider a vast improvement on the previous arrangement.

I purchased the largest bottle on sale, 1 litre (2 pint USA)to maximise the storage before it vents to the overflow pipe.

Everything is reversible and no holes were drilled in the car to allow the fitting of the vertical aluminium strap that holds the drink bottle holder.

The bottle is mounted as high as possible to minimise the suction required for the return flow.

It will be interesting to see the results on the trip to the Spring Run next weekend.

Picture attached.

Murray Grainger

Hi Murray

Something similar is in the Hints and Tips page!

:-)

Paul
Paul Barrow

Granted, and a whole heap more professional looking, but you can't achieve that result without a workshop and more technical resources than I have at my disposal. The bike bottle is a readily available resource, giving a result that can be achieved with a minimum of time and tools.

So, I was simply offering another approach to the same problem. I had read the Hint & Tips approach when overheating first became a problem but there was no way that I could have, realistically, hoped to achieve it.

So while my result may not be as discrete, it is totally reversible in about 10 minutes should some future owner not approve.

Murray
Murray Grainger

True enough

Have fun - that is the name of the game. Let us know how it makes out

Paul
Paul Barrow

Murray, For what its worth I routed the radiator over flow tube to a second-hand MG B pressure tank and so the system could be pressured to 15 lbs. The tank is secured with a simple strap to a position on the side valance just below the distributer. I can only say that the engine has been run only on test for a few hours and that it could reach, with the electric fan disconnected, 110C [indicated] without boiling. I can send some pictures if it would be of any use. It was a very cheap mod and just as suitable for the belt driven fan. Bryan
B Mellem

Murray,

Nice creative work; there are lot's of other bicycle parts that are usefull for us.

The centrebolt holding the crank is a very high grade 8x1 bolt, useable in many places on the XPAG even if it has a metric head.

The teflon lined brakecables make excellent throttlecables for smoooooth operation.

The clamp that holds the saddlepin in position yields a very usefull bolt and lever that can replace the bolt in a modernish batteryclamp, making it a quick release batteryclamp, usefull when tinkering and storage.

For the expansiontank you could also have sourced an aluminum container for a slightly more period look?

On the subject of cooling problems I'd like to say that since I have had the radiator recored (€€€) my cooling-problems are history. On a very steep run in sunny Switserland almost all of the 200+ MG's overheated, Y5888 only spilled some of it's coolingfluid when I stopped it at the summit, and probably only because I overfilled it. Recoring the aging radiator solves most cooling-problems.
Neil Cairns ones said; why fit an expansion tank to the expansion tank? The big tank on top of the radiator IS your expansion tank. My advise is "when you can see the fluid the level is OK". When you accept this lower level you'd be surprised at the very small amounts of topping-up needed.
Willem vd Veer

The reason for raising the internal radiator pressure as I understand it is to provide a greater temperature gradient to the ambient air and so raising the radiator efficiency. The 53 MG TF is so pressurised which I suppose is for this reason. Taking my dear old Ford Anglia for an example the radiator is only half the size of the Y Type yet can cool a 1200cc engine. Clearly a good clean set of tubes in the radiator must be the first requirement, but for such a small cheap and simple mod as I describe the gain is worth a try. As I have told before I have thrashed a YA over the Swiss and French Alpes with a caravan but now that the modern fuel burns so much hotter I doubt if I could repeat that trip without pressurising the rad or without an electric fan. As MG had fitted such a system to an XPAG it looked a good idea to me for the YA.
B Mellem

A follow up regarding the fitting of an MG B pressure tank is shown below, the system can be restored to atmospheric just by disconnecting the overflow. [only when the engine is cool].
A cheaper stop gap for overheating problem is to fill the cooling system with 90% antifreeze. Apparently it has a higher boiling point and transfers heat better than water so making the radiator more efficient. it can however show up any leaks in the system.
On the subject of radiator re-core, ask if a triple core can be fitted, this will make a very significant contribution to the cooling system. I fitted a 1500cc engine to my Anglia in the 70s and ran for years on the original rad designed for a 1000cc unit. When unleaded petrol was introduced the car started overheating problems, I was advised to have the radiator triple cored which Im pleased to say did the trick. Bryan

B Mellem

Murray,
I don't really care if you use a bicycle drink bottle, a baby's bottle, a cocktail shaker or a hot water bottle; as long as you get Clara to Ledbury on Saturday!
Good luck, see you there,
Peter
P S Sharp

Yes - safe and happy touring on Saturday and Sunday to all you UKers who are going on Jerry's Spring Run - that is one of the best fun runs going and I do miss it over here. If the weather is decent I may take my YA out for a blast to celebrate with you all.

Paul
Paul Barrow

As a footnote to Peter's comments I do hope that I make it. I have an iffy starter motor which had I had the time I would have replaced. However, a delayed return to the UK due to VD (volcanic dust!)left me little time to undertake some work for a client and then take off the starter and go to Mansfield and back to exchange the item and then return andreplace it.

So it will be a push start and a wind on the handle!

The TA is also experiencing chraging problems. However, having finally got a Y Type then there is no excuse. We will get there by hook or crook!

Sincerely

Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

Thanks for the clarification there Jerry - otherwise you may have been quite lonely tomorrow!

Happy day,

Paul
Paul Barrow

I fitted an overflow tank to Y7207 a couple of years ago, which is less obtrusive than a plastic bottle. attached is a picture of the completed tank in place.

It was made from a piece of 35mm copper pipe, a hacksaw. a drill, and a soldering iron, so no high-tec here!

I must admit that the radiator always failed to suck back the overflow and I guess that the radiator cap was not a hermetic seal, but I sold the car last year and never got round to solving the problem. I never lost enough water to be a problem; the job was just to keep me from drink and loose women during the winter.

If anyone wants more pictures, email me.
Michael

j m nicholson

This thread was discussed between 15/05/2010 and 25/05/2010

MG MG Y Type index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MG Y Type BBS now