Autumn; this is certainly the right time of year to make sure the
cooling system is running at peak performance. The other times are
Summer, Winter and Spring. MG's did not ever, to my knowledge come with
a coolant overflow bottle, but should have.
Find an empty 1 quart oil bottle. The rectangular plastic kind with the
spout offset to one side will do fine. Clean it with dish washing
detergent. Place the bottle over on the left side of the radiator
surround where it meets the inner wheel well. Secure the bottle with a
wire tie or any other elegant solution you can come up with. Take the
radiator vent tube off, and replace it with a longer one that can reach
through the spout to the bottom of your antiseptically clean oil bottle.
Mix some antifreeze 50:50 solution, and fill the radiator to the top.
replace the radiator cap. Put 2-3" of the remaining mixture into the new
reservoir bottle, making sure the end of the tube remains submerged.
When the coolant gets hot and expands, instead of spitting the excess
down on the pavement for a dog to lick up, the excess will be caught in
the bottle. Because engine oil is lighter than coolant, it floats to the
top of the reservoir. Thus you also have an early warning system of head
gasket, etc. leaks between coolant and oil passages. As the radiator
cools down between runs, the contracting fluid will develop a vacuum in
the cooling system, drawing fluid from the only available source... your
new spiffy reservoir. Thus, you will not have air in your radiator any
more, just coolant. In the 12 years I've been doing this, I don't have
to worry if my radiator needs to be topped up. It's always topped up.
Jim
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