Expansion Tank on 1.2 (J)

QuiggyWoo

Club Member (Trial)
Hi, I did not want to add this to the other post as they are unrelated. Did all the 1991 Micras come with a radiator expansion tank? I only ask because my Haynes manual states it does but there is not one under my hood! I know the rad was replaces at a cost of 190.00 by a previous owner in 1995 and my car does not overheat, no problems at all to be honest except there is nowhere to put the water except straight into the rad. I therefor have no reading as to how much water I have!

Is there any reason why the tank was removed?
 

Arnold

www.alanarnold.co.uk
Moderator
Site Supporter
Some radiators didnt have an expansion tank so you've probably got one of those fitted as a replacement. I believe other difference in design is there's a tube that runs from the radiator down to the road

Stick a photo up to confirm :)
 

AMY

Official MSC Trader
The 1.2 model has a different design of radiator which doesn't use an expansion tank.
 

Turtle

Ex. Club Member
Yep mine is the same, and the one I had which broke. I just fill it up til you can see the level above the radiator elements at the top.
 

RTLkyuubi

Ex. Club Member
You are less likely to overheat if you seal the overflow pipe up and put a pressure cap on. I think its every 10psi you gain an extra 1 degrees C before your coolant boils. But too much pressure would blow hoses/gaskets :p

Ryan.
 

Arnold

www.alanarnold.co.uk
Moderator
Site Supporter
Probably so you could monitor how much water you've got in your system with the min and max meters.
 
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QuiggyWoo

QuiggyWoo

Club Member (Trial)
I have to say that the engine does run cooler without an expansion tank. Mine has had a new thermostat and it runs just above the C when I'm driving and rises to 1/4 of the dial when I'm in traffic.
 

Arnold

www.alanarnold.co.uk
Moderator
Site Supporter
I've never heard of a micra running that low before. Mine runs around half way whatever the condition.
 

RTLkyuubi

Ex. Club Member
If you confident enough you could drill a hole in the top and the bottom of your radiator and connect them up with come clear tubing.

Like this
tube.jpg
 

Turtle

Ex. Club Member
Well I think its just lazy if you cant be bothered to take off the lid to check the level. The expansion tanks get sooo dirty anyway you have to take of the lid to check the level.

Having been working on the crapmobile that is the Mongolia Micra my 1.2 engine bay is like heavenly.
 

Arnold

www.alanarnold.co.uk
Moderator
Site Supporter
Its nothing to do with lazyness. Maybe the expansion tank rad works differently, but if my water level is below L and i take my rad cap off, there is water there. So how are you suppost to tell how much water you've got on the non expansion system?
 

Ed

Fusion Motorsport
MSC Founder
Official MSC Trader
I have to say all of what I have read here seems a very bad idea.

I see no problem with using either rad, on the ST the 1.2 style rad still has an expansion bottle.

What ever you do, dont play around with the rad cap or the vent pipe. Quite often the system will chuck out a bit of water and then be happy where it is.

FYI the expansion tank will fill when the engine becomes hot, once it cools down it will suck most of the water back in.

Dont use the expansion tank level as an indication of the system level. If you fill the system when cold right to the top, then leave the expansion tank exactly how it was the systme will chuck out what it doesnt want when its hot on the next run. dont expect either of the radiators expansion or not to always be full to the top.
 

ollyc98

Ex. Club Member
expansion tank gives you more water in your system, this is good in case you spring a leak, lol. It might be that extra mile home.
 

Ed

Fusion Motorsport
MSC Founder
Official MSC Trader
No it doesnt.

The expansion tank stores water spat out by heat and pressure in the engines water system. When the system cools down it then has a vacuum and the water is drawn back in again. If you loost pressure this system does not work.
 

ollyc98

Ex. Club Member
Expansion tanks only complicate things in that case, old style rads (no expansion tank) were easy to fix (at least temporarily). Rad weld blocks up the little tube on the expansion tank.
 

Ed

Fusion Motorsport
MSC Founder
Official MSC Trader
They don't complicate anything they are necessary. The 1.2 tanks just have an expansion area on top of the rad.
 

ollyc98

Ex. Club Member
Cooling systems aren't my thing. I stripped down a shogun the other day to find 6 radiators. I could only work out some of them. I'll stick to my sound systems.
 

ollyc98

Ex. Club Member
Here is what I could work out from what leaked all over me:
The main rad was also oil cooled by a separate rad,
Gearbox (judging by the smell of transmission fluid)
Engine oil
Air Con
 

Ed

Fusion Motorsport
MSC Founder
Official MSC Trader
SammoHung, I really wouldnt pay much attention to that. Its a horrifically unrelaible way to test the level of the rad. Best way is to fill the rad to the top and as I said it will chuck out what it doesnt want. If after a few cycles you look at the rad level and it never really alters form this then all is well.

Ed
 

Ed

Fusion Motorsport
MSC Founder
Official MSC Trader
Why would anything want a diesel cooler, diesel works and atomises better when hot. Wouldnt surprise me if they were in use somewhere however, but not that I have seen........
 
SammoHung, I really wouldnt pay much attention to that. Its a horrifically unrelaible way to test the level of the rad. Best way is to fill the rad to the top and as I said it will chuck out what it doesnt want. If after a few cycles you look at the rad level and it never really alters form this then all is well.

Ed

OK Kool....Cheers for the tech-tip :)
 
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QuiggyWoo

QuiggyWoo

Club Member (Trial)
The Radiator

Okay, I have just caught up with all the replies to my post about the expansion tank. According to Nissan the 1.2 GSX should have an expansion tank and the only reason it would have been removed would be if a different radiator was installed. (Pictures off this rad will go up in a little while). In regards to temperature I drove the car from London to Norfolk day before last and sat in traffic for just over an hour. Temp never raised any higher than just above the C. Fan comes on once in a blue moon. Checked the thermostat, checked for leaks on whats left of the system and everything was fine so I can only assume that mine runs a lot cooler than everybody else's! (No idea why).
 

RTLkyuubi

Ex. Club Member
Okay, I have just caught up with all the replies to my post about the expansion tank. According to Nissan the 1.2 GSX should have an expansion tank and the only reason it would have been removed would be if a different radiator was installed. (Pictures off this rad will go up in a little while). In regards to temperature I drove the car from London to Norfolk day before last and sat in traffic for just over an hour. Temp never raised any higher than just above the C. Fan comes on once in a blue moon. Checked the thermostat, checked for leaks on whats left of the system and everything was fine so I can only assume that mine runs a lot cooler than everybody else's! (No idea why).

Probably been set up properly air/fuel mixture and temp of the plugs.
 

Ed

Fusion Motorsport
MSC Founder
Official MSC Trader
That would make no difference to the running temp of the engine. If the car fails to warm up then it needs a new thermostat.
 
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QuiggyWoo

QuiggyWoo

Club Member (Trial)
LOL that was the first thing I did on the car. I changed the thermostat and the gasket. If the engine runs too cold I assume the oil does not warm up enough?
 

AMY

Official MSC Trader
You might be getting a false reading from the temperature gauge sender. Sometimes they can break down or get covered with deposits and give a false reading.
 
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QuiggyWoo

QuiggyWoo

Club Member (Trial)
Finally got some pictures. This is my engine minus the expansion tank.
 

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AMY

Official MSC Trader
You're fine, that radiator doesn't use an expansion bottle, the end tank acts as the expansion area.
 
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