Dragster Cooling Expansion Tank Info

Anyone have detail pictures of something like this, ( the Red tank on the motor ) ,and exactlly how the whole set up works?

 

With a wet block & heads, you can plumb it from the intake manifold directly to the tank. Use a radiator pressure cap on the top of the tank and block off the water pump openings on the front of the block. As the water get hot and expands it goes into the tank. Best to not fill the motoe completely to leave enough room for expansion.
Great photo by the way.

 

yeah this guy posted it in some social group ,,,,,so when you say right from the manifold you mean the water intake on top of the manifold ?

 

Remember, it's not a fuel/oil tank - it has to withstand radiator cap pressure + safety margin. Higher cap pressure = better. Check with your track rules to see if this tank needs its blow-off to empty into a separate tank (rather than under the tires...).

 

very cool good stuff to know..thanks

so the tank is kinda like those ones they had on the early 60's Ford ?? That lil baby radiator looking thing ?

 

if you can find an old timer to sweat you a good tube and cap it...its the way to go...we have one on The Lump from the intake and into the openings on the block and into a catch can and it works just fine...just remember to not fill it that much, remember on an original drag car the only time you had the engine fired was when you got lit during a push start and to put heat in the engine in the pits....so the cooling capabilities of arent up to par with todays bracket/hotlap/always in a hurry deal...good luck...



T. Hilton

 

like this one

 

Some of the 70's and 80's vans had a good round one about a foot long.

 

Ford,,Dodge ,,Chebby ??

 

How about the use of York Barbell weights for ballast on the digger ?

 

and if you go into a wheelie and the bonk ya on the head

 

Yes, the intake manifold.

 

So now how well did they actually work?? as you don't seem to see alot of them

 

Work? Whats' to work, they just acted as an expansion tank. There isn't any circulation nor cooling. As somebody said those tanks are for pushed/towed cars that don't putt around staging etcetc, i have seen guys do the same principle and add a circulate pump and a small cooler under/low down in the ch***is in order to actually cool or control the temp. The ones you are picturing were an expansion tank and a handy spot to fill the motor, after a p*** we'd open pet****s on the side of the block and drain them and put fresh/cool water back in it. It looks like somebody did just that right in front of the dragster

 

ahh,,ok gotcha and by "work" i ment serve the purpose cause like I said they don't seem to be that common.

 

Not common cuz most guys either ran filled blocks or no water at all. In the old days you would fire up, line up and make a 10 second p***. Kill it just p*** the lights and coast around to the return road.
WATER...we don't need no stinking water.....

 

i used one on my rail when it was an injected SBC, I made it out of 3" stainless steel tube (capped the ends and welded screw on fill neck & over flow vent to the top then bent 2 "L" shaped 3/4" tube and welded them to the bottom. they ran down to the plates I made that covered the front of the block where the water pump usualy bolted up. I plumbed the 2 water outlet lines from the front of the hilborn intake into the top of the 3" tube as well.
in the pits I'd fill the block threw the fill port water, on the back of the intake I had 2 bleeder screws to let the air out of the heads (so you don't get hot spots) once the water came up to that bleeder I stopped. I then made my run and after I was on the return road I'd open up 2 side bleeders in the lower block under the headers and let the hot water drain while towing back to the pits.

Paul