65 Riv coolant container

[Rufcar]

My 65 Riv gs has an after market coolant jug by the right front light engine side opposite battery. I have been told 65 Riv's did not have coolant jugs yes or no? If no why would someone add one?

I have seen 65 jugs for sale so if they never had them why are they selling them? Jim

[RIVNIK]

I have never seen a coolant overflow jug on an older Riv.....can't imagine why someone would add one....maybe they were losing coolant and didn't realize they had a faulty radiator cap. What you might be seeing for sale is a windshield washer reservoir. Drew

[Rufcar]

Tkx Drew now I can remove it. Its always empty anyway. Jim

[JZRIV]

People will say anything to sell something. Jugs were added as a bandaid compensate for other inefficiencies such as clogged radiators, bad fan clutches, poor tuning, etc. They were more common in cars from hot climates where the slightest deficiency would cause them to puke some coolant after shutting the engine down or idling in traffic. Seemed like a small percentage of cars needed an overflow jug just because it was in its DNA and puked no matter what.

Edited April 30, 2014 by JZRIV (see edit history)

[Rufcar]

Thanks guys I already removed it all and fished the hose down the left side to below the frame.

[1965rivgs]

Coolant overflow containers were an option which Buick marketed to be retrofitted to earlier cars which were manufactured before the containers became engineered into new cars. They were, and still are, available in the aftermarket.

The theory behind a see thru overflow container is that the coolant expands into it to fill it when the coolant is hot and the vacuum created in the cooling system by the cooling antifreeze pulls the coolant back into the radiator as the car cools down (this requires a second gasket on the rad cap). That is the reason for a "HOT" and "COLD" level mark on the tank.

This adds a very small increase in cooling system capacity but more importantly it provides the owner a quick and easy way to check coolant level...as long as the system is operating properly, which they generally do. No need to remove the radiator cap and open the cooling system with a see thru overflow tank...in theory.

I have seen MANY early Rivs retrofitted with overflow containers, probably because owners incorrectly, completely fill the top tank of the radiator and as the coolant expands it belches out of the overflow hose until the proper level is reached.

Aside form aesthetic concerns on the first gen cars, IMO, they are a good idea.

Tom Mooney

[Seafoam65]

                 There is another added benefit to the coolant bottle in addition to the above mentioned advantages. That is that

the radiator is full to the top at all times, so that no air is in the cooling system, which cuts down on corrosion of parts, like the

timing covers and aluminum thermostat housings. Oxygen in the cooling system is a catalyst for rust and corrosion. If you are running the original setup with no bottle, you need to replace the coolant every two years to protect the aluminum parts and the radiator and heater cores, as the additives in the coolant break down over time. This was always done on my Riviera, thus it still has it's original heater core, radiator and aluminum parts after 51 years with never any leaks or corrosion.

Edited September 29, 2016 by Seafoam65 (see edit history)

[RivNut]

So if I'm reading between the lines in what Winston is saying above, proper timely maintenance should make the cooling system good to go for a long time.

[Rivdrivn]

Here's an old one

[EmTee]

7 hours ago, Rivdrivn said:

Here's an old one

 

I recognize this as an aftermarket bottle that was widely available in auto parts stores in the 70's.  That funky bracket is surely up to the task of holding that plastic bottle with a quart of coolant -- but it's not an OEM installation!

 

[RivNut]

1 hour ago, EmTee said:

 

I recognize this as an aftermarket bottle that was widely available in auto parts stores in the 70's.  That funky bracket is surely up to the task of holding that plastic bottle with a quart of coolant -- but it's not an OEM installation!

 

Where does the overflow tube connect to it?  And, what's the little micro switch that's mounted in front of the horn for? Hood ajar light on the dash?  

[EmTee]

My memory is fuzzy on this, but I think there's an overflow/vent port molded into the bottle.  It must be on the far side of the bottle (not visible in the photo).  I think the only hose connection was from the radiator neck to the bottle.

[petelempert]

That little switch looks more like an old school alarm switch. Remember back in the day when people installed an alarm with the key mounted in the fender? As in, I don't want anybody to steal my battery, so I'll install an alarm that requires drilling a hole and installing an arm/disarm switch in the side of my car. PRL

 

[RivNut]

I remember those.. The same kind of key that is used to open vending machines.  It took about a 1/2" hole in the fender to get it to fit.

 

[petelempert]

A buddy of mine recently bought a superb silver 69 Eldorado, vinyl roof delete with original everything and under 20K miles from the estate of a storied Dallas lawyer. This car is spectacular, has real presence and it's in time warp original, immaculate condition. One flaw: On the tip of the very long front fender is a drilled in alarm key. The key is long gone, but the damage done. PRL
 

[1965rivgs]

The kits which were available from Buick had a "cage" like holder which mounted with 2 screws. It was the same kit that we used in retrofitting fleet vehicles years ago which was provided by an aftermarket manufacturer. The bottle pictured is definitely not the kit offered by Buick.

  Tom

 

[smithbrother]

Those are SHUNT keys, post number 14,

 

Dale in Indy 

[Rivdrivn]

4 hours ago, 1965rivgs said:

The kits which were available from Buick had a "cage" like holder which mounted with 2 screws. It was the same kit that we used in retrofitting fleet vehicles years ago which was provided by an aftermarket manufacturer. The bottle pictured is definitely not the kit offered by Buick.

  Tom

 

Something more like this?

[1965rivgs]

11 hours ago, Rivdrivn said:

Something more like this?

yes