ditchdigger
ditchdigger HalfDork
5/20/11 10:01 a.m.

A flange mount radiator filler. Is there a junkyard source for something similar? Something that uses cheap off the shelf caps?

It would be over $40 to buy the filler and cap from summit racing.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork
5/20/11 10:06 a.m.

How about $21? http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Garage-Sale-Water-Neck,52419.html

Caps are $6 to $20 at NAPA

tuna55
tuna55 SuperDork
5/20/11 10:06 a.m.

Well, you could always cut one off of a radiator and weld it to a flange you make. It ain't easy, but it sure would be cheap.

ansonivan
ansonivan Dork
5/20/11 10:07 a.m.

Could you just use an expansion tank from another car? They're usually $5 from the yard.

ransom
ransom GRM+ Memberand Reader
5/20/11 10:13 a.m.

Hrm... It's not as much cheaper as I'd have liked ($16, no cap), but if you're comfy welding aluminum (and IIRC you are), you could add your own flange to these.

Aluminum or brass radiator? Weld-on or solder-on, respectively? Does it need to be a bolt-on?

Seems like the grassrootsiest way would be to cut the needed section out of a junkyard radiator and weld or solder it into its new home. Yeah, it scares me, too, though after watching the roadside radiator repair on Bangla Bangers, I'm as sure it should...

EDIT: man, I think/type slow...

Brotus7
Brotus7 Reader
5/20/11 10:13 a.m.
ansonivan wrote: Could you just use an expansion tank from another car? They're usually $5 from the yard.

That's from a MK4 VW TDI. I got one from the junkyard for a whole $5.

16vCorey
16vCorey SuperDork
5/20/11 10:40 a.m.

You could always use something like this: From a Dodge Dakota or Durango with a 3.7L, 4.7L, or 5.7L

ditchdigger
ditchdigger HalfDork
5/20/11 10:59 a.m.

I fabbed up a nice stainless expansion tank that is contoured to fit the side of the engine bay. The design places the filler in the most convenient spot imaginable (as opposed to having to use a funnel with a 24" flexible hose and complicated yoga positions like I have had to do for the last few years) I dont want to weld a steel filler to the stainless or braze/solder a brass filler because.....well I am kinda proud of the polished and tigged tank and I want it to be pretty. A bolt on unit would keep the pretty looks.

Buying an old radiator to harvest the filler cap from would probably negate any savings. the speedway piece is pretty but a bit more than the canton from summit. After cap and shipping it would be over 40 as well.

Motorcycle pieces look promising

ransom
ransom GRM+ Memberand Reader
5/20/11 11:45 a.m.

What if you turned up a stainless collar with I.D. to fit around a neck and tigged that to the tank? Then you could solder a flangeless neck into that collar. You'd see the collar/tank bead, but the solder joint would be pretty well hidden...

Donebrokeit
Donebrokeit Reader
5/20/11 12:08 p.m.

I would pass on this as they are know to just explode for no good reason.

Paul B

16vCorey wrote: You could always use something like this: From a Dodge Dakota or Durango with a 3.7L, 4.7L, or 5.7L
JohnyHachi6
JohnyHachi6 New Reader
5/22/11 12:55 a.m.

You can get them on ebay off of motorcycles. At least that's where I've found them in the past. I think I paid $3 for the last one.

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