greekpeterfromlondon

iTrader: (2)

Hi whats the best way to bleed the coolant system on a classic turbo as I'm getting bubbling noise coming from the heater matrix but the temperature is OK?

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Do a search - there's 10s (if not 100s!) of posts on this...

dj219957

search is broke:

start engine
set heater control to hot, window.
stop engine
drain system
take off top rad hose complety.
fill block side VERY SLOWLEY so you hear it burp fill rad side VERY SLOWLEY so you hear it burp.
fit top hose
fill header tank VERY SLOWLEY.
start engine with header cap off
top up though header until it wont take any more and starts to over flow. little bits at a time.
job done.
this has worked twice for me after rad chnage and cambelt change.

wardy124

iTrader: (9)

I have done exactly as you did dj219957

Just had to top up the expansion tank behind the left headlight a little to get to the full level marker as well

greekpeterfromlondon

iTrader: (2)

Do you fill the expansion bottle on the inlet manifold to the top?

wardy124

iTrader: (9)

yep, right to the top, with the engine running, but do it real slow so you don't trap any air

dj219957

oh yeah forgot to say to top up the expansion tank in inner wing. nice on wardy.
the one on the manifold is the header tank and yes it should be filled to the top.

Jamz_

iTrader: (12)

Does the one in the wing need to be full of water like?! Mine has no water it it I dont think but the header tank does

johnlogie

iTrader: (4)

Mine has NEVER had any water in it. I thought it was the expansion over flow?

Jamz_

iTrader: (12)

+1 - thought it was time to worry when that was full of water

sonic93

iTrader: (16)

na i dont think u fill that 1 wheres split pin when u need him lol

howes124

iTrader: (11)

the best way to bleed the system, is to remove the small pipe from the top of the rad to the top of the header, start engine till water flows out of it.

milliemoo

expansion tank is just that. as the water in the system gets hot,it expands.so naturally it has to expand somewhere and it does this by using the tank next to the wing.if it wasnt for this tank the water would want to expand elsewhere and it would find a weak point as the pressure rises.then pop!!!

aslong as the header tank is full you should be ok but i always like to have a little coolant in the expansion tank/bottle just so when the motor cools it take some water back.also you can get a better visual picture wether the system is taking it and returning it correctly

wardy124

iTrader: (9)

The expansion tank behind the headlight actually goes behind the wing too, there's a high and low mark on the inside of it about 6inches from the top, real hard to see though... I found this out in the owners manual, I only had to put about quarter of a litre in to top this one up though.

john5f

iTrader: (3)

Should the header tank always refill to the top from the overflow when it has cooled down?

If so, is it an indication that air is being pulling into the system from a leak somewhere if it
doesn't fill fully?

dj219957

the header tank cap tries to fill the header tank to the top but in reality it only normally fills upto 1cm from the top.

could someone with a pre 96 classic try something for me?

go for a good run, then pop bonnet and open lid on expansion tank (one by wing). take a look in and look for bubbles as you blip the throttle with your hand.

mines been bubbling since i had the car (18 months) and normally i would asociate bubbles with head gasket but the car doesnt over heat and its been like this for 18 months now. maybe its normal? or maybee air is gettign in somewhere else. so far i think the coolant is boiling somewhere and its just the air getting out.