Radiation overflow

Can anyone explain how the radiator overflow works on my 2000 Tacoma?

 

Maybe get out of the sun?

 

Sorry, I should have been clearer. I'm not having any problem with it. I'm legitimately wondering how the system works and am hoping someone can explain it. Thanks

 

Here is a pretty informative link.. http://www.carparts.com/classroom/coolingsystem.htm

 

Thanks!

 

If your cooling system cap is bad or your cooling system over pressurizes, the coolant will push past the cap and into the overflow. That pretty much sums it up. Any questions?

 

From a cold start; As the motor warms up the coolant expands and is expelled into the bottom of the overflow tank. (In the old days of no "catch tanks" coolant just overflowed on the ground)
If you were to shut off a motor at normal temperature, and remove the radiator cap ( BAD IDEA)
the mixture would expand and boil.

So, after the car has been driven all day, you shut it off. What happens is, the coolant cools off and loses some of its volume, forming a slight vacuum. The vacuum pulls on the overflow hose. Coolant is sucked from the bottom of the overflow, Via the hose in the "Coolant Fill cap" assembly.


In the old days with no catch can You typically filled the radiator to the top of the fins to allow for expansion & contraction.
You can test this by putting a piece of tape on the outside of the coolant tank at the "Hot" level when the engine is fully warm. Check it the next morning and you'll see it's dropped about 1/2 inch or more.

Plain water boils at 212 Degrees.
The radiator cap pressure (of usually 15 PSI.) allows the water/Antifreeze to boil at a higher temperature.
Correctly mixing the percentage of antifreeze and water will give the optimum summer or winter mixture.

If you develop a coolant leak you might be able to get home by loosening/removing the radiator cap after duct taping a hose. No pressure on the system but it will cool fine moving down the road.
I invite others to critique my analysis.

I could go on, & on about cooling system troubleshooting only being divided into two parts.
1. Does it overheat Moving?
2. Does it overheat Stopped?

 

I would add that I found the overflow hose in my opinion is too short so that when it would breathe out any steam/moisture it was floating around the battery and causing moisture buildup on the top of the battery casing. I kept having to wipe the battery top every few weeks because I felt it could possibly cause resistance between the terminals.
So I ran a longer hose and it exits down near bumper level. Have not had moisture on that battery since.

 

well there are millions of tiny trolls living in your engine. after the trolls take buckets of coolant into the core(heater core that is). they then cart the hot coolant in jugs mixed with milk to what we call, your head gasket, while many trolls work their way through the gasket with their homemade aluminium shivs. the others pump the milky substance into your cylinders. thats how combustion works, as well as how babies are made.

 

ASE training has taught you well my son. The force is strong with this one!

 

Radiation overflow ??? Holly crap, from the title I though you have a nuclear power truck, or brought back from a trip to Chernobyl.

 

Hey folks just had jap crate motor installed in 2000 and was at mt. Lassen at about 8k elev. and had coolant bubbling into over flow. Hasnt happened since at lower elev.

 

You would be a perfect stealership service dept tech thx for the chuckle

 

interesting, i will need to inspect mine and scope out the situation!

 

Forgot I did this
Do it brother! Battery's been bone-dry since. I have not had to wipe that battery top since.