Swirl pot top removal tool
Discussion
In common with others in this hot weather the Chimaera has started running hot.
I need to check (and possibly top up) the coolant. Mine's a 98 car with the serpentine arrangement of swirl pot and seperate expansion tank at the front.
If I need to top up I'll need to get the top off the swirl pot - blimmin thing seems as jammed as jammed can be (another common experience).
I seem to remember on here someone describing a removal tool that actually worked...does anyone remember what it was and if/where I could obtain one.
Blasted car will be unusable until its done.
Also: Has anyone done a complete replacement of the cooling system tubes to improve reliability? Did it work - was it worth it?
I need to check (and possibly top up) the coolant. Mine's a 98 car with the serpentine arrangement of swirl pot and seperate expansion tank at the front.
If I need to top up I'll need to get the top off the swirl pot - blimmin thing seems as jammed as jammed can be (another common experience).
I seem to remember on here someone describing a removal tool that actually worked...does anyone remember what it was and if/where I could obtain one.
Blasted car will be unusable until its done.
Also: Has anyone done a complete replacement of the cooling system tubes to improve reliability? Did it work - was it worth it?
Not sure why you need to get the top off the swirl pot, but if you do I use a screwdriver on its side (if you see what I mean) to get the leverage. You need a good screwdriver otherwise it will bend.
For topping up you can just add coolant/water to the expansion tank. If you think there is air in the system, run the car from cold with the heater on and the expansion tank cap off. As the car warms up you will see the level in the tank drop at which point you add more water. Works for me.
For topping up you can just add coolant/water to the expansion tank. If you think there is air in the system, run the car from cold with the heater on and the expansion tank cap off. As the car warms up you will see the level in the tank drop at which point you add more water. Works for me.
GarryM said:
Not sure why you need to get the top off the swirl pot
If the level of the coolant is very low you can get an air lock by just topping up the expansion tank on a post 97 (serpentine) car - apparently - I'm no expert! So (according to Steve Heath's book) you top up via the swirl pot with the cap off the expansion tank and the heater fully open - and some twiddling with the radiator bleed screw. Its this I think I need to attempt. Not bad for a Chimaera after many years of ownership...
The only way to fully remove air from the system is via the swirl pot. Filling at the expansion pot only replaces lost water level, if the level has been very low resulting in air being dragged into the system via an empty expansion pot then refilling at the expansion pot really doesn't work.
BTW I use mole grips to remove the swirl pot lid. It puts less twisting force on the swirl pot supports than using a screwdriver. Some have had bitter experience of swirl pot sidewall failure so be careful not to over stress the pot.
BTW I use mole grips to remove the swirl pot lid. It puts less twisting force on the swirl pot supports than using a screwdriver. Some have had bitter experience of swirl pot sidewall failure so be careful not to over stress the pot.
Don said:
GarryM said:
Not sure why you need to get the top off the swirl pot
If the level of the coolant is very low you can get an air lock by just topping up the expansion tank on a post 97 (serpentine) car - apparently - I'm no expert! So (according to Steve Heath's book) you top up via the swirl pot with the cap off the expansion tank and the heater fully open - and some twiddling with the radiator bleed screw. Its this I think I need to attempt. Not bad for a Chimaera after many years of ownership...
Hi Don - good to see you getting into some of this diy-maintenance
This is straightforward - you don't have an airlock from what i can determine, you simply need to top up your coolant from the expansion tank. No need to touch the swirlpot, you don't add coolant/water from here just to top up, just check again after driving until level remains static
Guys
If you need to get into the swirl pot regularly, Steve heath does a replacement plug that is easier to remove:-
www.shpub.co.uk
Look in the TVR Extras section.
They're not 'divorce inducingly' expensive either....
Paul
If you need to get into the swirl pot regularly, Steve heath does a replacement plug that is easier to remove:-
www.shpub.co.uk
Look in the TVR Extras section.
They're not 'divorce inducingly' expensive either....
Paul
I needed to get the cap off to fill after hose replacement and had to revert to a wrecking bar (crow bar) plus a bit of shock treatment! Now I still use the wrecking bar as it is always a bit difficult, but normally keep an eye on the expansion tank level on a weekly basis. as long as this is ok, there should be no need to attack the swirl pot IMHO.
Bob
Bob
The Surveyor said:
Steve heath does a replacement plug that is easier to remove:- www.shpub.co.uk
It's great! I can actually get into the swirl pot now for routine maintenance!
Turns out I have a small chisel which is just the right thickness to be placed in the slot. Got the swirl pot top off easily last night.
Errrm - pretty much dry in there! So now I need to attempt the TVR Manual/Steve Heath filling procedure. I'll have a go at that tonight.
Off to Halfords to buy anti-freeze today, then! Any recommendations chaps? And can I just top up what's there or do I need to try and drain every last drop out of the cooling system before refilling?
Errrm - pretty much dry in there! So now I need to attempt the TVR Manual/Steve Heath filling procedure. I'll have a go at that tonight.
Off to Halfords to buy anti-freeze today, then! Any recommendations chaps? And can I just top up what's there or do I need to try and drain every last drop out of the cooling system before refilling?
So at the weekend I went through the Steve Heath procedure.
Once without having opened the heater controls wide...and once, the next day, afterwards - d'oh!
Sadly simply topping up the coolant is going to be a temporary fix - I could hear "fizzing" once I got the car up to temperature - although any nasty overheating tendency seems to have been fixed. So I reckon I have a coolant leak under pressure.
Has anyone had the cooling system "overhauled"? I mean by this a replacement of all the "perishable" tubes and hoses and replacement of all jubilee clips and so on. Did it fix the problem? What did it cost?
At least sorting out the coolant properly means the car will be driveable to "The Garage" to get it sorted...
Once without having opened the heater controls wide...and once, the next day, afterwards - d'oh!
Sadly simply topping up the coolant is going to be a temporary fix - I could hear "fizzing" once I got the car up to temperature - although any nasty overheating tendency seems to have been fixed. So I reckon I have a coolant leak under pressure.
Has anyone had the cooling system "overhauled"? I mean by this a replacement of all the "perishable" tubes and hoses and replacement of all jubilee clips and so on. Did it fix the problem? What did it cost?
At least sorting out the coolant properly means the car will be driveable to "The Garage" to get it sorted...
Alright, stupid question coming up. The aluminium tank with the blue screw lid - is that the swirl pot? If so, I get the lid off with a "snake" I think it's called, got it from a DIY centre. It's like a thick ribbon of rubber with a plastic grip handle, put the rubber around the screw top and pull it tight, then turn and it comes off easily.
So if that's the swirl pot, where's the expansion tank (or vice versa)? I'd assumed they were one and the same..
So if that's the swirl pot, where's the expansion tank (or vice versa)? I'd assumed they were one and the same..
munky said:
So if that's the swirl pot, where's the expansion tank (or vice versa)? I'd assumed they were one and the same..
Nope. If you have an early chim there is no "swirl pot". If you have a "Serpentine" engined Chim there is both a "Swirl Pot" (tall canister in the middle of the engine with an odd "screw cap" in the top of it) and an expansion tank on the left hand side of the car at the front with a blue screw cap that can generally be removed by hand...Steve Heath's book has pictures of both for identification and coolant-topping-up procedures.
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