Overflow & Expansion Tanks

Shop Radiator Overflow and Expansion Tanks

Radiator overflow or expansion tank damaged or starting to leak or seep coolant? Gone that brown colour so you can't see the coolant level? Shop the best brands at Repco including Dayco, Swag and AllCrash.

What Does a Radiator Overflow or Expansion Tank Do?

The job of a radiator overflow or radiator expansion tank in your vehicle's cooling system is to stop coolant leaking onto the road. This is bad for the environment and makes roads slippery. It also means you are losing coolant and your vehicle will eventually overheat. When an engine is running the coolant is used to stop it overheating. This means the coolant gets hot and the expanding coolant needs somewhere to go. This is where the coolant overflow tank comes in. It gives the hot coolant space to expand without dripping onto the road.

Why do I Need a Radiator Overflow or Expansion Tank?

The reason you need to replace these overflow tanks is a coolant leak through a cracked or damaged tank or a stained coolant tank so you can't see the coolant level in the tank. This is bad as not knowing the correct level will force excess coolant out the overflow onto the road or not enough coolant will cause overheating where the steam and gas pressure force remaining coolant out the overflow and onto the road.

Pretty much all liquid cooled engines use this system. Whether they are called a recovery tank, factory expansion tank or radiator overflow tanks, they all basically perform the same function. As cooling systems go through their heating and cooling cycles the overflow tank typically allow's for the coolant level to rise and fall. Some have a pressurized radiator cap located on the tank some have this cap on the radiator itself. Care must still be taken when hot as the pressurized radiator cap can cause nasty burns from rapidly expanding coolant if not done correctly. Hot coolant fills are best avoided for this reason.

Our Range of Radiator Overflow and Expansion Tanks

Coolant expansion tanks are vehicle specific and come in all sorts of weird shapes and sizes and are usually made of a translucent plastic so you can see the coolant level. At Repco we have a large range of popular tanks in stock or can order in units if required so you get the exact tank you need. Browse our website to see our extensive range of cooling system products

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