Engine Drivetrain 1st Gen Cooper S Coolant expansion tank options?

Discussion in 'Tuning and Performance' started by davavd, Jun 3, 2013.

  1. davavd

    davavd Club Coordinator

    May 7, 2009
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    I have burst a coolant expansion tank for the second time in 2 months :cryin: Isn't there an alternative to the oem plastic one?
     
  2. sethat46

    sethat46 Well-Known Member

    Apr 25, 2012
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    RMW has a really nice one. You won't find it on their website, you have to call.
     
  3. minimark

    minimark Well-Known Member

    Jun 24, 2009
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    Yes call Jan at RMW, they build an aluminum tank with a "REAL" pressure cap.

    Dial 949-456-9590 and tell him I sent ya!:thumbup::cool:
     
  4. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    May 4, 2009
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    Yep, RMW if I was going aftermarket.

    Odd, though, that your replacement burst... my original is still going strong at 136k miles. I wonder if you've got something else going on...

    Did you replace your cap too, when you replaced your tank?
     
  5. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    May 4, 2009
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    I agree....the new one shouldn't have any splitting problems. Wonder if you got a new one with a new cap.
     
  6. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
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    I'm still using my original tank, knock wood.

    Either your cap is bad or could be that your engine is pressurizing the cooling system. A bad head gasket can do that. Do the easy stuff first. New tank & cap, hope that is it. :fingerscrossed:
     
  7. ZippyNH

    ZippyNH Well-Known Member

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    Just a thought...
    was the last tank overfilled? Kept filled to the right level, the tanks seem to last 4 years or so....overfilled. ..they tend to fail VERY fast.
     
  8. quikmni

    quikmni Moderator

    Jun 6, 2009
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  9. KittyMini

    KittyMini Club Coordinator

    Jun 24, 2009
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    +5 on the RMW one.
    Have one and love it. It looks great AND has an actual cap. Not that plastic BS.
    No more bubbling over :Thumbsup:
     
  10. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    May 4, 2009
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    RWM tank with a real rad cap.

    All those other ones are crap even the bling forge one that should have been designed with a real rad cap but they missed the target.
     
  11. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    My plastic cap is working on my oem tank. Maybe that means something is wrong with it. :confused5:
     
  12. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    That plastic cap isn't a true pressure cap. Consider yourself lucky. Just make sure your coolant level is on the low side of normal in the tank. That's what I have to do at the track, which isn't optimal, otherwise I have a mess. The tank itself is fine on my car, the leaking comes from the cap.

    The cap on the RMW is a functional; it'll release the pressure first and fluid second (through the neck valve, not the cap) if and only if a fairly high pressure is obtained--given the size of the RMW tank (It's a bit larger than OEM), that's unlikely to happen--maybe in extreme heat on the track, but not on a daily driver. You can hook that neck valve up to a bottle you can get from any race store--jegs for example, I got one for 15 bucks, that'll catch coolant if it does make it to the nozzle (I had to do that to pass tech). With that setup it's a expansion tank with a true overflow tank. No more coolant all over the engine bay under any circumstance.

    And the tank itself it much more sturdy than the OEM one.
     
  13. SooperCooperInfo

    May 31, 2009
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    Anyone know what an RMW tank costs?
     
  14. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    cct1 thanks for the explanation. I do run my coolant in the tank on the low side. Guess that is why I've not had any problems to date. When my tank breaks I'll upgrade to the RMW one.
     
  15. minimark

    minimark Well-Known Member

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    They are $190.00 each coated!
     
  16. quikmni

    quikmni Moderator

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  17. C.I.

    C.I. New Member

    Jun 19, 2012
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    outmotoring has one (two colors) on their site:

    MINI cooper Forge Aluminum radiator overflow tank

    I have the same issue-- replaced OE with another OE after 75,000 miles and the second one is beginning to seep from the seam. should have spent the money on this one the first time. lesson learned.
     
  18. SooperCooperInfo

    May 31, 2009
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    Thank you.
     
  19. minimark

    minimark Well-Known Member

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    Look at the cap on the others, they are not a true pressure cap system. You don't have a regular screw on cap on your radiator do you? Why?

    The problem with the OEM is not so much that it is plastic, but that if pressure builds up, there is no place for it to release.
     
  20. minimark

    minimark Well-Known Member

    Jun 24, 2009
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    Pics of the RMW tank, note the overflow in the real pressure cap neck. These are the raw aluminum ones.
     

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