Hi guys, a few months ago I purchased a used original style coolant overflow tank from a fellow CO member ( Thanks Tom!). Well now I have gotten the Olds out of winter storage and starting to install tank. I need to get the hoses. So far I have only went to the local auto parts stores and all they have is fuel/oil type hose that has a complete different look. I think I remember coolant overflow hoses looked more like vacuum lines, as in no weaving reinforcement like fuel lines have. Looks like I need about 2' of 3/8" line from nipple on radiator to tank, and 4' of 1/2" line out of the tank. Also I have looked at the assembly manual and shop manual and I can't find pics of hose routing. I did find a mounting diagram. You guys that have added or replaced one of these tanks what did you use for lines?? Thanks Greg.

 

Hi Greg - I'm thinking you most likely won't find a PIM diagram of hose routing because I believe any overflow tank for 1971 was a dealer installed option i.e. not available from the factory.

 

Found one for 1972 under the term reservoir. I'll go back and check 1971 PIM.

 

Found one for 1971 but it's only the reservoir itself, no hose routing. Maybe hose routing is in a different section - I'll have a look-see.

 

Sorry, I'm coming up empty...

 

Thanks Norm, yeah I have that one. Someone posted a page out of the 72 book that had a hose routing but I can't find it. From what I gather it looks like 71's didn't get the tank unless they took it back to dealer with a overheat problem or coolant puking out, or??? Anyway and then the 72 455's got the tank from factory, something like that. So if that is true 71 books wouldn't have it?? but that one is there... I dunno....

 

It's pretty straightforward. The smaller hose runs from the nipple on the radiator filler neck to the reservoir cap, and the larger hose just dumps onto the ground. FWIW, I tucked my larger hose in behind the trans cooler lines just to give it a cleaner look. And you are correct about the hoses..they are different than the standard weaved fuel line hose or transmission hose. I believe I got mine from ILT.

 

Correct.

Greg, as noted in my Post #3 w/ the diagram it states "See Section 11 for location of existing clip". Here's the diagram of Section 11 (which you should already have in your 71 PIM). As Dave stated, pretty easy. The "overflow hose" FROM the overflow reservoir simply uses the same "existing clip".

 

Thanks Norm, I think those diagrams explain the routing. Thanks also, Dave, I will check with Inline tube. You guys are the greatest!

 

Hate to see you have to order several feet of hose and pay more for the shipping. Check a bunch of stores NAPA, Advance, even Walmart WTH. 🤦‍♀️

 

This is the line I used:

1961-77 Radiator Overflow Hose

 

Thanks Al. The thing is my radiator neck nipple and inlet nipple which goes thru the cap and 4" or so down into coolant, is 3/8". The other nipple on the tank cap is 1/2". So the pic that Year One shows (and I assume also In Line Tube shows, is 3/8"? 3/8" would work fine for tube from rad to tank, but too small for bigger 1/2" outlet nipple on tank cap. Thanks again for all the help, guys.

 

For that, i just used a piece of standard 1/2" heater hose.

 

I ordered some 1/2" and 3/8" nylon hose off ebay. Then today I was at a hardware store and saw what I probably wanted- of course but I didn't pick it up as I have already ordered them. Got tank mounted.

Sorry about lousy pic, flash messed up. Dave, I was able to hold nut inside fender by being a contortionist, I guess. My hole was also enlarged as I had used it to mount the universal tank before

Just waiting on tubing....

 

Got the hoses off ebay, they do look like original hose so all done.

My radiator did still have the clip down towards bottom of right tank, so I put the 1/2" hose from the overflow tank to it.

 

That looks like what I did.

 

I’m not the biggest know-it-all about radiators and overflow tanks, but I’ve put these tanks on each of my big cars. They were not factory in ‘66 and seem to help a lot. They help you see if coolant is leaking and what color it it.

You may need to get a different radiator cap which allows the coolant to escape to, and be drawn in from, your overflow tank.

You probably have this covered, but I think if you don’t have the right cap, the reservoir does nothing at all.

If you want to get real picky, you can take a black Sharpie pen and color in the raised letters and fill lines so that they stand out against the translucent plastic. Just a small tweak.

Chris

 

My '71 doesn't have the overflow tank setup. Seems odd that it's mounting spot puts it right in the way of the washer fluid tank.

Overflow tank is mounted to the inner structure of the fender and the washer tank is mounted to the fender well.

I'll leave mine as is (as car is bone stock), but makes me wonder where they moved the washer tank to when the overflow was requested.

 

I believe the WF reservoir was moved to the driver side.

 

Then they must of also rotated the battery tray 90 degrees, as my battery sits longitudinally with the car, leaving no room for the tank. Did what they had to I suppose.

 

Location of both WF & overflow tank were based on various engine configurations & options. Those are identified in the PIM i.e. w/ or w/o AC, HD cooling option, 455 vs. 350.

 

yes configurations do change things, the car has somewhat been apart** since purchased new by my parents (mom's DD). Both parents now gone, I have all paperwork, have never seen a build sheet, if Lansing put one somewhere it is still there.

* engine out in '84, light rebuild (stock parts/specs)
* dual disc clutch replaced a couple times

What put me into this post, is that my washer fluid tank has disintegrated, started to drip and when I ran my had across the bottom, the bottom ended up in my hand.