VR expansion tank removal - which rad to use?

[Valver 0]

Hi guys

I've seen this done on a few euro cars - makes the bay seem so much cleaner/minimal but are there any downsides to doing this? Also, which rad is recommended if doing this ie. BMW 328 etc.

Has anyone on this forum done this?...

TIA

:wink:

[alex darcy 0]

ive done it on my mk1 golf, if you get a rad from an early golf 1.6, its sth same size as the one on my 1.8 16v corrado, and the pipe outlets are the same on the rad. i blanked off the pipe running from the bottom of the bottle and never have any issues with overheating etc. hope this helps!!

[Mike Edwards 0]

VR6 Radiator is about twice the size of that on a 16v so it will overheat if you swap.

 

The expansion tank is just that - it compensates for the change in volume of the cooling system/coolant as the temperature rises. Without it, the coolant hoses have to take the strain.

 

The VR6 runs hot anyway and is expensive to fix. But if the way the engine bay looks is more important to you than how it runs or the costs of repairs (£1k++) why not?

 

If it's a show car, you can always take it there on a trailer...

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Why not get a brand new expansion tank from VW? They look really good new and are white and not that sort of tan colour.

 

You can also fit a new washer resevoir which are now bright blue instead of off-white with crispy scale deposits around the filler hole!

 

As Mike says, you can't afford to mess with the VR cooling system as it's fickle enough as it is.

 

Kev

[scruffydubbers 0]

i have thought about doing this myself,

 

perhaps if you took a big rad of a 306 diesel or the like it might be big enough to keep the vr cool, and not have an expansion tank.

 

 

i was looking at emiel kooistra's nimbus grey mk3 vr, at the e38 show

 

and he had the original rad but a very smooth engine bay and no expansion tank,

 

i ll try an explane theway he had done it.

 

there is a small coolant hose which comes out the top rad hose, which goes round to the top of the expansion tank then to the throttle body.

 

this hose had been completly removed,

the top hose from the rad went straigth to the engine, and the return hose from the throttle body (which goes to one of the heater matrix feed pipes) was blocked off.

 

the throttle body should run cooler like this and in theory aid power.

 

the hose which used go to the bottom of the expansion tank went to a small plastic body which had a filler cap on it,

 

this was neatly installed on a custom bracket on the rear of the engine quite high up.

 

there was some kind of overflow pipe coming off this as well.

 

this system has no expansion tank but can be filled easily and if checked oftern i cant see there being a problem unless you get a burst pipe. but this would be a problem anyway.

 

the small plastic body with the cap and overflow tube on looked like it was from a japanese car perhaps removed from a corner of a radiator.

 

i am not the best at explaining things so prob best if you try and have a look at the car at a show or some pictures

[Valver 0]

Thanks for the tips guys. I was planning on running samco hoses anyway, and Emiels Mk3 was one of the cars i'd seen and looked superb in the engine bay. Also the red Mk3 VR6 supercharger on PVW cover has done this.

 

Like Kevhaywire says I don't want to mess about with it too much if it's gonna cause probs as the car will need to remain a daily driver. It's goig into a Mk2 Golf btw, so I thought while I do the conversion it would be a good time to tidy the engine bay!! 8) :wink:

 

Keep the advice coming guys!

[JohnJ 0]

Need to be careful if you remove the hose to the Throttle Body which is presumably there to prevent icing in cold weather?

 

Anyone who as suffered carb icing, particularly on bikes, will know what a PITA it can be...running like a dog one day, fine the next.

 

I have been thinking about relocating the electrics which are in front of the expansion tank, especially since I have all the relays & stuff for air-con... still trying to find an accessable and dry position.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Need to be careful if you remove the hose to the Throttle Body which is presumably there to prevent icing in cold weather?

 

Anyone who as suffered carb icing, particularly on bikes, will know what a PITA it can be...running like a dog one day, fine the next.

 

Aye. VR6s don't have warm air feeds from the exhaust manifold like the 4 cylinder cars. I suppose you could temporarily T piece the two hoses together over summer but I doubt there is any performance gain to be found in doing that as the ECU is expecting a certain temperature value in order to supply the correct fuelling.

 

RE the samco hoses, beware the kits don't include the two heat exchanger hoses.

 

Kev

[scruffydubbers 0]

veedubber on the club-gti forum and e1k seems to knows a lot about this, perhaps try asking him

[scruffydubbers 0]

on emiels car i could see one of the pipes (which goes to the throttle body) blocked off and tucked out the way, so perhaps he connects it up when the weather gets cold

[Mike Edwards 0]

Show cars are just that - not daily drivers...

[dazzyvr6 0]

you could try and source out a stainless stell expansion tank :D ..with a possible group buy :D

[Valver 0]

Show cars are just that - not daily drivers...

 

Mine's definitely not a show car!! :oops: :wink:

[scruffydubbers 0]

the mk3 might be a show car, but i imagine it is pretty reliable since he came all the way from the netherlands