Coolant reservoir questions

[Mikey Likes It]

I appreciate all the info. I looked briefly in a few of my Z books and I didn't see any mention of when the overflow bottle became standard. I guess it's yet another of the Z's quirks. Even though I plan on restoring my Z to a somewhat stock condition, I'll probably just relocate it to a different location to get it away from the VIN tag since it's probably a good thing to have.

My 1970 ex-california car has one and its looks like it has been there since new. It too has rubbed off some of the paint on the vin plate but not too much. As they were not fitted on the UK cars I am not intending to refit mine.

If you want to get a new vin plate you can get one from banzai motorworks

http://www.zzxdatsun.com/decals.html

Andrew

How does this work? Does Banzai etch the VIN # on these replacement tags or are they blank? Can't believe I haven't heard of this before!

[Bambikiller240]

How does this work? Does Banzai etch the VIN # on these replacement tags or are they blank? Can't believe I haven't heard of this before!

They sell them blank, it's up to you to replicate the specific data for your car.

http://www.zzxdatsun.com/decals.html Scroll to the bottom

[Zedrally]

I think that you need to look at the period in which the car was built.

Initally, any top up to the cooling system was just water, resulting in dilution of the coolent, eventually resulting in no "green stuff" and the attendant head corrosion problems in the not to distant future.

It's possible the cars arrived with just water in the cooling system, I actually can't remember the condition of my original 260 after I accepted delivery, but coolent was rare as hens teeth in the country and expensive, so it was overlooked and any top up was tap water.

Coolent was new technology, overflow bottles where initally not thought of as a requirement.

Has anyone looked at the HLS30 parts CD?

Is there a part number and year from recorded?

MOM

[26th-Z]

My parts books go up to December 1973 and, briefly looking, I don't see any reference. If overflow bottles were stock, they had a part number. The plate Banzai sells is an exact duplicate. The silk screen was made for the Vintage Z program.

[ZIII]

73 240Z's had the reservoir bottle. (at least my 3/73 mfg'd had one)

My 4-73, which I bought new, did not come with a reservoir bottle. Long ago I replaced the radiator with a four core; run distilled water in it only, Red Line, and anti-freeze and have yet to have any run-off that I have seen. Yesterday it was 105 here and she ran way below normal, as always.

If I recall correctly, RB's began appearing on the 260.....

[Bambikiller240]

Z Car Microfiche CD only mentions coolant overflow tank on 280Z production beginning 8/75 which would be around the approximate date production began on the 76 model year HLS30-U. PN listed is #21510-N4200 There are other parts & numbers listed (bracket, cap, hose, straps, mounting hardware, etc)

It could be possible that the previous owner of my car added one, it would be the first thing I've noted that wasn't OEM on the car. He only owned it for about a year before I bought it from him and he wasn't mechanically inclined at all.

[ZIII]

I recall the first 260 I ever saw and the one thing that caught my eye as I looked in the engine compartment (besides an even greater pile of tubes and wires than what I had) was the coolant recovery tank…. It was rather large, affixed to the front left side brace of the radiator. Of course, that may have been an add-on as your 73 was. I never asked. Just assumed it was a factory install.

George

[oldroaddog]

This is interesting because my '75 280Z came with what I thought was original overflow tank resting in the belly pan just behind the grill. Now the bottom of the bottle is slanted so it rests upright and doesn't seem to move around much. The overflow hose is routed under the hood rod which is a little tight. I did some restoration in this area and found some surface rust in the pan where the bottle sits and it very difficult to add coolent with the grill on. Does anyone else have this type of set-up?

[Red-Eye]

I recall the first 260 I ever saw and the one thing that caught my eye as I looked in the engine compartment (besides an even greater pile of tubes and wires than what I had) was the coolant recovery tank…. It was rather large, affixed to the front left side brace of the radiator. Of course, that may have been an add-on as your 73 was. I never asked. Just assumed it was a factory install.

George

I checked my early 260Z last night, and it's set up the same way, but I've only owned it for a couple of years...Robert