Just to present an alternate approach, I pressure tested my radiator, cap &
engine by temporarily adding a gage and schrader valve fitting to the heater
fitting in the rear of the head. Since I don't have a heater, I just
unscrewed the plug, but it wouldn't be much harder to also have a fitting
for the heater line. For the gage, I used my vacuum test gage, since it
will also read pressure to 10 psi (for testing fuel pumps).
I used an air line to pressurize the system, but a bicycle pump would do,
just pump it up until it won't go any higher then let it sit and watch the
pressure gage. It quickly proved that my nearly-new, Unipart cap was not
holding pressure.
Checking whether the system will pull water back from the overflow bottle is
pretty easy too, just fill it full with the engine cold, making sure there
is enough water in the bottle to cover the end of the tube, then put the cap
on, take a nice drive, come home and let it cool. With it cool, remove the
cap and look for whether the radiator is still full. If it's down, and the
bottle is up, chances are the cap is bad. Of course, a leaking head gasket
may do the same thing, but there are other tests for that.
Randall
> >
> > The radiator pressure tester I have is a Stant brand tester.
> The only thing
> that mine won't do on the TR3 is pressure test the 3/4 reach radiator
> caps,
> to see if indeed they hold the 4 lbs. they are supposed to hold. I had a
> pressure tester in the mid '70's that would do that but the newer testers,
> circa mid '80s don't come with the proper adaptor anymore!
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