I broke my coolant over flow jug and I was wondering can I just block the radiator outlet off? or is there another solution that doesnt cost a arm and a leg. I dont have the fund for a new bottle

The universal overflow jug at any parts place costs about 5 or 6 bucks...I wouldn't do without one for any length of time....

Why would you want to block it?

Older cars didnt have them.... why does it require one??

As the engine gets hot, the coolant expands, and it gets pushed out of the radiator. The overflow tank catches this coolant, allowing it to be drawn back into the radiator once the engine is off and it cools down. If the tank is not there, the coolant still gets pushed out, but is lost because there is no catch system.

I doesn't matter what old cars had or didn't have. My Dad had a car that didn't have a fuel pump, oil pump or oil filter. Would you take those out of your car?

If your radiator overheats and the pressure goes higher than the relief valve pressure, what happens? If you don't relieve the pressure, the radiator core may balloon, causing the cores to expand and decrease the gap between them. This restricts the cooling air. If you don't get enough air through the radiator, it overheats. If it overheats and you don't have a pressure relief, it may caust the cores to expand and restrict the air that goes between them.

You realize a brand new OEM one from Classic Industries is only $12.95 plus shipping. Surely you can afford that?

Gatoraid or milk jugs work. i've had to improvise once at the track becasue they had a rule where you had to have an overflow tank. i just put a hole in a gatoraid bottle top and secured it to the inner fender it worked fine. that should work fine untill you can get the money together to get a new overflow tank

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by GoldenOne7710:
You realize a brand new OEM one from Classic Industries is only $12.95 plus shipping. Surely you can afford that?</font>


I was talking about temporary... I have more important things to buy right now. No I cant afford it right now

Mine Has been temp. blocked for years(lazy)

Simply grab your favorite 1 litre plastic pop bottle, finish the contents, the tie strap it to the rad/rad support core somehow and run a hose from the bottom of the bottle to the rad neck.

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I'm with onovakind and rustbucket.

IMO you really need an overflow jug of some type. Water is coming out of that cooling system at one place or another, no matter what.

If you have one weak spot in the tanks, or cores, the pressure could bust it there.

Plus water/anti freeze dumping out on the road aint safe. It could get on your tires and cause them to slide, or on your belts and cause them to slip, etc.

If your busted, and no way of getting even 5 bucks for a uni. parts store one, do like rustbucket said.

A 2 L coke bottle will work great! Just tie, zip tie, wire, etc it in place good

Simply drain the radiator a little so there is room for the coolant to expand in the radiator instead of the overflow jug. 3 inches below the cap should do it. Keep an eye on the temp gauge if you run hot.

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//Fred
11.58@116 N/A SBC

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by MrC:
Simply drain the radiator a little so there is room for the coolant to expand in the radiator instead of the overflow jug. 3 inches below the cap should do it. Keep an eye on the temp gauge if you run hot.

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Like the old days before they had overflow, if you're insistent on not buying one yet, drop the coolant about 2 or 3 inches below full. Same as they did in the old days. That way you won't lose any unless you run hot.

If you block the overflow, how does water overflow?

don't block it off because that could cause pressure problems, just take the hose off. Or better yet, take the hose off the catch can and point it down so the radiator doesn't puke all over the engine bay!
That's how GM did it on my '65 Nova. No catch can. The coolant level just sits a bit below the radiator cap when the engine is cool. I wouldn't say it is 3" down though.

Running without a catch can is okay as long as you don't take any big elevation changes or get the engine really hot. Problem is then the radiator will spit out even more coolant, and when things are back to normal your radiator will not be full and can lead to overheating problems.
Nah, just use a bottle of some sort. Secure it in the engine bay and fill it partly with water or antifreeze. Just make sure that the line from the radiator is submerged so coolant can transferr back and forth as need be.

There have been many good points made on why you need to use the overflow. The only point that was missed is that you will not pass tech at any racing events without one. I have seen bottles used many times and they always pass. They just want something to catch the fluid.