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Expansion Tank - Alternatives?

2K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  ihughes 
#1 ·
Has anyone had experience of the aluminium expansion tanks available on Ebay from the States?
It looks like you get a robust tank for not much more than the cost of the crappy plastic one over here.
Mine is holding coolant at the moment but looks a bit suspect, so I would prefer to spend £75 on a good one rather than £60 on one that might fail again in a couple of years.
Are they worth it?
 
#2 ·
They usually use alloy tanks on race prep cars rather than the plastic standard things, so if its ok for them then I should think it is plenty good enough for a road car?
If you go down that road I would buy from a reputable source and get one from someone who specialises in that type of thing and offers a guarantee it will not only fit properly but also last.
You might have to pay import tax too if you import from the States dont forget that??
 
#4 ·
The alloy header tanks on ebay (FORGE look a likes) are absolutely fine. The problem with these when used as a replacement is that they still use the standard BMW screw down plastic pressure cap. These are NOT good and frequently leak, and have been reported to hold/release pressure at various differing levels so not very reliable either!

The best solution is to use an alloy tank that has a bayonet type (like on an classic mini) pressure cap.

You can by these from the USA or I think GTT are mfg this kind of tank in the UK now but don't know what they cost.
 
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