I stand corrected. The correct cap IS 15 pounds. Sometimes the memory gets fuzzy. I still like the Stant lever-release type, though.

 

You're fine

Happy Memorial Day to you as well!

 

I put the new OE cap on and drove around yesterday. Today I looked in the overflow tank and was astonished that the water was gone.. For years the water in there has remained at a constant level. IDK what is happening but I like it!

 

Some caps are made for old systems without an overflow tank, so they don't have an upper (vacuum) seal. They'll let the expanding coolant escape into the overflow tank, but they won't suck it back in when it cools.

 

The cap is working great. Radiator remains full and the overflow water is blackened, showing that water is finally getting exchanged there. I used a baster to empty the overflow. My hope is that after a while it will clear up.

 

Blackened? The water in the OF tank should look like the water in the radiator.

 

Yeah, sounds like you are due for a flushing for your cooling system.

When I had my overflow tank off to replace the HVAC fan I took the opportunity to take a close look at it to see if I really got it flushed out I saw I had not. I had a bunch of the crud left over when, in a very foolish moment, had a Jiffy-Lube change out the coolant and they put non-compatible green stuff in without properly flushing the orange stuff out. I though I had done a thorough flush of the tank when it was on the vehicle but I had not.

I had to take the overflow tank to my bathtub and with long brushes was able to finally get the last of the crud out from deep in the narrow part of the tank.

 

maybe it does . after a few more heat/cool cycles I'll get the turkey baster out again and take a look.

 

I gave up trying to turkey baster the goop out of the overflow tank.so I pulled it and flushed it till the water drain clean.

The other day I snaked a tube down the radiator to siphon it out. The water was clear until I jamed the tube down that last inch, then it was black, then nothing would flow. So whatever that black stuff is, it is definitely heavier than water - and it lives in the bottom inch of radiator.

 

Grrrr. After a few drives the overflow tank is full of the black goop again. I gave the petcock a try but nothing comes out. I can't get the LRH off, been thinking about cutting it and then using a sleeve or a Gates heat-shrink hose clamp to stitch it back together. Too dangerous?

Anyone know the inside diameter of the lower radiator hose and if there is a spring in there?