Did the 68 442, with 400 motor ansd A/C have a coolant recovery system, or just a radiator cap? If not, would there be any benefit to installing one? What type of cap would be correct?

 

No recovery on a 68. I have a cheap generic one on mine, just to catch any over flow. I fill the radiator full and then let it over flow when it is hot. When it cools down, I take off the radiator cap and make a mental note of the water level.

 

The coolant recovery was not factory installed until 1973. It was optional on 71-72 cars.

If a recovery system is functioning properly it should keep the radiator level at the filler neck. It should overflow into the jug when hot and then "recover" the coolant into the radiator as it cools, thereby keeping the radiator core completely covered at all times. It requires a special pressure/vacuum cap.

A lot of people unused to older designs will fill a non-recovery radiator to the filler neck and then wonder why the car pukes coolant out its overflow tube. On a top tank radiator the coolant level should be about an inch over the tube sheet. Side tank radiators are usually 2-3" below the neck and often have a "FILL COLD" mark embossed into the tank. This air space is necessary for expansion of the coolant as it heats.

 

hmm that makes me wonder then, maby the radiator in my car is not origional.I have a overflow tank and there was a broken one in my car when I first looked at the car.

 

You can retrofit a '72 tank to the '68 but the problem is to find one, and a bracket...the '72 rad cradle is a similar shape to '68...the '73 tank is a totaly different shape and hard to fit in the same space

 

Fusicks has coolant recovery tanks but be prepared to shell out $200.00
which can be used for the 68 model. Partsplaceinc has what is suppose to be the correct cap for use with the tank. Can't say if it is correct or not but it looks good and that is what I have both the tank and cap on my 68.

 

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...html#post77953

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...d73178f40e.jpg

I saw this and jumped on it ...

I started upgrading my 70 442 and noticed that like a few other cars of that era. it did not have recovery tanks. I saw one in a 71 wagon and scarfed it up as they are few and far between ....

One of the benefits is The track here requires one ...

It is the same as a b-body except for the brackets luckily I had those...