Rover V8: Coolant level, how important?

[IPAddis]

I've just checked the coolant level after the engine was rebuilt on Thursday. The expansion tank was completely empty and the swirl tank needed a reasonable amount of water/coolant added to get back to the top of the threads. Is this likely to have caused problems?

I was watching the temperature gauge and it was working normally (for once, thanks to a new sender) with the fans cutting in, temperature gauge dropping, fans cutting out, etc. Also, the heater was blowing out hot air so I presume the heater matrix was being fed with hot coolant. I think there was at least some coolant in the swirl tank and when I opened the radiator bleed screw, water came out with only a small drop in the swirl tank.

I've driven home (4 hours) and then to work yesterday, all in fairly cool weather but I'm a bit worried I've warped the heads or something equally expensive. I presume a pressure test is the only way to confirm?

It was probably an air lock so I have bled the system and will watch the levels and check for leaks.

This has not been a good year for TVR problems

Thanks,

Ian A.
96' Griff 500

[IPAddis]

seb said: Ian,
I wonder if your set-up is the same as my 400 V8S, it sounds like it. If so you've nothing to worry about. What looks like an expansion tank (as most cars have, including my old 350i) isn't - it's an overflow tank and should be fitted with a standard non-sprung radiator cap (my overflow tank is always empty). With this system the pressure limited radiator cap (15lb) sits on the swirl tank. If you fill the swirl tank to the top and run the car the pressure created will blow some of the excess coolant through the pressurised cap into the overflow tank. Typically the coolant level settles around 2 or 3 inches down the swirl pot. At first I used to keep filling it up to the top until reading other's threads about this issue. The level now is consistently a couple of inches down the swirl tank, which I can just reach with the end of my finger. On a lot of cars the 'expansion' tank is part of the pressurised system, on my V8S it's not it's just there to catch any excess coolant that the engine needs to shed while settling to a level.

Steve

I'm 99% positive that I have a swirl tank and an expansion tank but that the expansion tank should be half full. It always used to be.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

Ian A.