How to fill or inspect inside radiator-Fluid check

[Jonbbrew]

Ok is it just me or....


How the heck are you supposed to look into the radiator to view the condition or level of your fluid. Is there a trick i am missing? Like the brake master cylinder fluid level, someone wasn't thinking much about maintenance when they designed these rigs.

[M & J]

As with the master cylinder, I use a flashlight and a mirror.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Being a pressured system with a recovery tank, your supposed to monitor fluid level in the recovery tank.

[Jonbbrew]

Being a pressured system with a recovery tank, your supposed to monitor fluid level in the recovery tank.

Oh...I guess i will need to take the dog house off to find that as i do not see it in the grill area.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

The small hose (radiator overflow hose) coming off the radiator cap neck should go to the overflow tank.  Normally mounted to the passenger side of the radiator.

[mattyj858]

I am in the same boat here and hope my question falls in line with this thread. I occasionally notice that I get a stream of coolant coming out from under the cap. I originally thought it was coming from the short hose to cap but confirmed coming from under the cap. Coolant is nice and green and goes away after I drive a bit and engine is warm. Is this possibly just a bad gasket it th cap or a bigger issue? Engine does not run hot and over flow tank is dry or less than an 1/8 full.

[Elandan2]

Does yours have a fitting for a hose?  The reason I ask is that mine has a hose coming off both the filler neck on the radiator and the extension.  So there are two hoses going to the recovery bottle.  If it is coming out from under the cap, it is time to replace the caps.  Rick

[mattyj858]

Yes I have a radiator cap ( which isn't leaking) and a filler hose with cap that is leaking at the cap when under pressure, and causing a fine stream of coolant as the motor heats up. Question, my fill hose is simply a 3"-4" radiator hose fitted with the cap, secured by two hose clamps. Looks pretty jimmy rigged, is this common?

[legomybago]

Should look like Jonbrew's picture he posted earlier in this thread.

[mattyj858]

 Sorry just saw the picture. Yeah I think the previous owner got a little creative auto repair. My fill tube is literally a 3 inch cut piece of radiator hose, hose clamped to the radiator and hose clamps to the cap and fitting.

[Frank M]

My 73 Dodge Brave looks identical to the picture. No overflow jug. Just a smaller hose that drains to the ground. I have filled with a funnel that has a small section of heater hose attached to it. Go slow and wait for it to overflow.