Coolant Tank -lots of problems & a FIX

[Gelbster]

So you fought your way through fitting a new coolant tank. But it won't fill correctly,it spews hot coolant .You use Airlift,ramps - nothing works. And then the new tank splits and floods the trunk,engine overheats....
Here is one explanation that is easy for 986 Forum members to check BEFORE you fit the new tank. Check the 3 nipples shown in the photos with a piece of soft wire or some slightly compressed air.
Yup, all 3 are blocked ! But why?
The tank is a top and bottom half glued together. The nipples are in the lower white half.The nipples are aligned with & connect to ports in the top,black half of the tank. Or ,they should connect.
If the top and bottom halves are not correctly aligned when they are glued together, all 3 ports are blocked. And no, you can't just drill out the blockage because the nipples are not aligned with the ports.
The new tank looks perfect but it is junk.
Worse the lack of venting and drainage means it will prevent your cooling system from functioning correctly and prevent complete filling of coolant. This may cause overheating/engine failure/flooded trunk.
The solution? Don't buy a tank from anywhere except Pelican imho. I shall offer Pelican the tank pictured for their 'show & tell' of why the Pelican tank is worth a few extra dollars.
And if you do have a problem - Pelican actually help you :-).
The vendor of this bad, new tank " SVB IMPORTS ", aka "ARBOSHA" - not at all.


While you are in there :
1. Oil filler tube- it becomes brittle
2. Buy a Mayhew remote hose clamp tool+set of hose clamp pliers. UView Airlift or similar.Channellock #GL6-small ,angle -for the spring clamps.
3. AOS ?
4. change all the coolant
5. inspect & test wp bearing for wobble.
6. drill a drain hole through the trunk floor- directly beneath the coolant tank so any leakage of oil or water causes minimal problems.
7.Updated coolant cap - check for correct part #.
8.Be very careful with the coolant LEVEL sensor

[Reebuck1]

Very good post !!!!

[Gelbster]

I wish I had not made this post.
It would have been soooo much easier to have just read it on Pelican's parts site before I bought the EBay item.
Those who have not R&R'd a coolant tank have no idea how tedious,time consuming and knuckle busting this seemingly simple task can be.
Please consider using the Mayhew cats paw ,remote pliers on the spring hose clamps .
And before you start, -check if you can actually reach any worm-drive clamps that a P.O. may have installed with the gearbox out. You may have to cut off the hose nipples up against the trunk bulkhead !
When a simple replacement project requires the use of a saw -you know you are in trouble!
That is why I am offering the defective new tank to Pelican to use in their Show & Tell.

[Smallblock454]

Hi Gelbster,

thanks for your post. Man, that's really bad.

That's why i prefer to buy OEM parts and do lots of research before buying something.

Regards from Germany
Markus

[Gelbster]

The good part is this project gave me the justification to buy very specialized tools ! The mayhew, the spring hose clamp plier set etc.
Ironically a very small, right angle Channellock GL6 was very useful. And soapy water for an easier re-install.
The bad part is I will be unable to do any more work until the cuts on my hands heal.
I have no idea how people with big hands can do this job.Mime are like monkey hands and I have lots of small tools and the car is up on a 2 post lift !
Without all these advantages I would have given the job to an Indie. I have one but thought the job was so minor that it was really beneath his skill and dignity to do such a simple(?)job.

[AaronPDX]

I'm glad I had my tank replaced when my mechanic did my IMSB. I had read that it was a bear of a job, but now I know!

Great post!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gelbster]

Aaron,
I hope you gave your Indie a beer tip?
Or did you just 'reward' him with an AOS replacement job ? :-).
To be less flippant, this coolant tank job is a good example of 2 things perhaps:
1. do all the 'while-you-are-in-there" at the same time
2. give him all your 'other car' work -so his hands have time to heal from working on your Porsche!
I dare not confess how much time some of these jobs take ,the first time you do them!
I am now looking at Kevlar mechanics gloves.