I noticed that after a long drive when I shut the car off it pukes coolant out of the overflow hose. Did these cars not have a recovery tank? The other day I ran down the highway at a pretty good clip, and while the temp didn't get above 215, when I stopped at the off ramp light it puked again. Eventually the car runs hot due to the lack of water/coolant in the system from puking so much. My question is can I just add a recovery tank from the auto parts store or maybe go junk yard hunting for something OEM that fits? Do I need to change the Rad cap to a recovery style or are they all the same

 

I don't think they had one. Mine didn't anyway.
And it is an a/c car too. You would think they
would have one. Maybe a dealer installed item?
Back in the day we used old prestone jugs as
a recovery tank. Looked like crap, but worked well.

 

69's did not come with recovery tanks. Get an aftermarket one and install. It is the responsible thing to do rather than puking antifreeze on the ground. Plus you have the upside of recovering your coolant.

 

thanks for the quick replies. I will install one this weekend

 

My 69 does not have an overflow tank and does puke out a little when really hot. Don't overfill the radiator - about an inch below the neck if what the factory called full. Fill it all the way and it will definitely puke out the extra.

 

First, the 1969 cars did not have an overflow tank. Second, because of that, you should not fill the radiator to the brim the way you do on a newer vehicle. There's a line embossed on the tank below the filler neck that will say "FILL LINE" or something like that. Third, is your cap in good shape? They do go bad over time, allowing leakage before they should. Fourth, if you install a recovery tank that has the tube going to the bottom (as opposed to a simple overflow tank) then yes you must also change your cap to one designed for a recovery type system. These caps have a vent capability that allows the coolant in the recovery tank to be sucked back in to the radiator as it cools.

Of course, these cars did not puke coolant when new, even without a recovery tank, so maybe you would want to figure out why it's doing that.

 

Ok, this is good info. I did top the rad off last time I was checking fluids and was not aware of the fill line. What would you guys consider overheating? It has gotten up to about 215*. Maybe I need to inspect the thermostat, the clutch fan seems in good condition

 

215 degrees in traffic is not out of the ordinary. As the others stated an overfilled radiator or bad cap would definitely lead to your condition. If you look down into the radiator with the cap off there is a cooling coil down there for the transmission. THe water level should be high enough to cover that plus a little.

 

Keep in mind that with a 16 psi radiator cap, the coolant won't boil until about 250 deg F. This is why cap condition is important.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if the cap was bad. I'll try that first

 

If I recall, the factory idiot light did not kick in until 240 degrees. I would start taking action if it goes over 225 and is still climbing. Not good for your comfort, but cranking up the heater will help a little if you can't get off the road and shut down.

 

I have a 70 442 4 speed convertible. I ran it in stop and go traffic this summer as high as 103 and it didn't puke. Also needle on temp gauge stays about mid point.

First thing I would look at is the cooling capacity of the radiator. I assume you are running with the factory shroud. Also the cooling passages in the motor could be clogged.

I have a 32 Packard with a rebuilt engine and recored radiator. It runs warm in stop in go traffic. I've been trying to chase this one down for years. Someone said it might be because the motor had been bored .060 over. As long as i'm moving I'm OK. In 85 deg or hotter weather, I fear traffic jams and stop lights.

 

This is true,but if i recall it would have a 12 psi cap if OE.

 

Sounds like an air flow issue across the radiator to me. I would think overheating due to the engine parameters would be worse at higher RPM when there is more heat generated by the engine at speed and under load.

 

What I learned from mine

Yes coollant overflow good idea

Also 4 core radiator, Water Wetter and factory water pump with cast iron impeller..


you maybe want to try a smaller orifice thermostat, run the coolant slower... , I kept 195 because that is what factory said in Olds service manual

Check cap pressure(autozone can do for free) found new AC Delco 15lb cap tested 5lb!!! Standt rated 16lb teseted 17lb

also distributor timing curve was way off, start with stock timing for cam..

also Per Cliffs High Performance, changed carburator primary rods to 4 sizes smaller then original Quadrajet on a Hi- compression 400ci

now runs at thermostat temp or slightly above NO MORE 215deg even in 98 deg heat..

make sure you check the basics like compression, cam timing, exhaust gas in coolant, Check Autozone tool rentals...