I pulled my radiator last night and took it to the shop to be recored. The guy at the shop said I should replace my 13psi radiator cap with a 7psi cap. I thought I would check with this group before changing it. Any one have a opinion on this? I have a 292 yblock. Thanks.
The higher pressure cap raises the boiling point,cars in the 50's used 7 psi caps and when they would heat up and overflow and ran on the ground no one cared.With the newer forms of antifreeze being more toxic and attractive to animals and concerns over ground water pollution car manufacturers added coolant overflows which require a 13-17 psi cap.In my opinion the guy is living in the past.
I run a 13 pound cap and an aftermarket coolant recovery tank. It looks out of place, but it works good.
I vote with the fellows above - old tired radiators might live a bit longer with the reduced pressure - but the modern set-up is the way to go. Yes the 13 pound cap nearly doubles the force trying to pry off the top tank (versus a 7 psi) - but the shop had better be putting the new core in right - and testing it properly too. With a 50/50 mix of coolant and water the boiling over point is about 241°F with the 7 psi cap - and 259°F with the 13 psi cap. The 18° difference might just be the necessary amount on a hot day in stalled traffic.
what type aftermarket recovery tank are you using. went to the local napa store and they brought out this monstorous white plastic tank. universal they said. might have to run one of those aluminum style recovery tanks that they sell for street rods. they look better than the big plastic thing and take up less space.
This size tank is ideal as far as fitting our Fords http://www.skipwhiteperformance.com/detail.aspx?Item=PC-674 Do not use a longer one as you will have problems mounting it. (found out the hard way)
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