Coolant Reservoir Field Repair
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Camel Trophy
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,882
Likes: 950
From: Charlotte
I've had a slow leak from the coolant reservoir side of the engine bay that I thought was a failed cap, but late yesterday it hemorrhaged to reveal it was from a crack near the base of the nipple on the bottom of the tank where the line to the throttle bottle heater connects.
The truck was only a little under three miles from home so to get it home I did what I did when the bleed screw blew out of the original top radiator hose a few years ago; I broke off the nipple and crammed a golf tee in the hole, then held it in place with a nice duct tape wrap, refilled and drove home after also plugging the throttle body line with a short 5/16 bolt and the hose clamp. I left the cap off because the last thing I wanted was pressure in the system that might force out the golf tee. But that wasn't the real field repair.
This morning I removed the reservoir, flipped it over and filed down the stub to be reasonably flat. Then I found a screw that fit the hole (#10x¾) and after testing it for a snug but not too tight fit wrapped it in Teflon tape and installed it in the hole. The reservoir shell and the stub gave me perhaps 3/8 to 7/16 of thickness for the threads to grab. Worked like a charm, and after driving around for a while this afternoon there’s no sign of a leak.
I’'ll order a new tank Monday but this technique could keep some other DII or P38 on the road someday.
The truck was only a little under three miles from home so to get it home I did what I did when the bleed screw blew out of the original top radiator hose a few years ago; I broke off the nipple and crammed a golf tee in the hole, then held it in place with a nice duct tape wrap, refilled and drove home after also plugging the throttle body line with a short 5/16 bolt and the hose clamp. I left the cap off because the last thing I wanted was pressure in the system that might force out the golf tee. But that wasn't the real field repair.
This morning I removed the reservoir, flipped it over and filed down the stub to be reasonably flat. Then I found a screw that fit the hole (#10x¾) and after testing it for a snug but not too tight fit wrapped it in Teflon tape and installed it in the hole. The reservoir shell and the stub gave me perhaps 3/8 to 7/16 of thickness for the threads to grab. Worked like a charm, and after driving around for a while this afternoon there’s no sign of a leak.
I’'ll order a new tank Monday but this technique could keep some other DII or P38 on the road someday.
Last edited by mln01; Jul 21, 2016 at 05:04 AM.
Thread Starter
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Camel Trophy
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,882
Likes: 950
From: Charlotte
I don't understand the question. Adverse reaction to what, the screw in the bottom of the tank or disconnecting the throttle body heater circuit?
Last edited by mln01; Jul 25, 2016 at 06:26 AM.
Thread Starter
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Camel Trophy
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,882
Likes: 950
From: Charlotte
Yep, the TBH circuit exists unto itself. I guess the reason some people try to connect the two disconnected hoses at the TBH is that they've not really looked at the cooling system diagram. Just plug 'em.
Last edited by mln01; Jul 28, 2016 at 04:56 PM.
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