What is coolant level in your bottle when engine is cold? I am trying to
 > determine if a one quart tank will provide enough expansion space for
coolant
 >       My cooling system should hold approx. the same quantity as yours
since I
 > am using G.M. evaporators for radiators.
 >
 >       Kelly Troyer

This question directed to Ian, but I will chime in too. The stock RX-2-3
recovery tank holds a bit more than 1 quart. I run mine about 1/4 full. When
a fresh engine goes in
I pressurize the system with a Shrader valve (from NAPA) until the 16 pound
Stant lever cap pops off. As the engine is run through several heat cycles
that include runs up to racing RPM, the coolant scrubs the trapped air
bubbles out of the system and pushes them into the bottom of the pressure
bottle. 

The air bubbles pop to the top of the bottle and when there is a
slight change in temp (volume) the pressure in the bottle drives airless
coolant back into the engine. I have a swirl pot to speed up air removal, but
connecting the recovery tank line to an obvious high spot in the system will
eventually collect all of the air. It takes a number of heat cycles and
enough revs to scrub all of the nooks and crannies of trapped air. The
recovery bottle will be emptied the first several times you do this. Get good
at doing this. 

If the engine is mounted pan down like in the car, the water
pump is mounted high on the block and likes to gulp a slug of trapped air and
stop pumping. Keep touching the water outlet and radiator tanks to be sure
the water is circulating. Once the coolant system is free of air bubbles, top
off the recovery tank 1/4 or 1/3 full. Check the recovery bottle before every
heat cycle. The engine will keep finding a bit of air from time to time and
the water in the bottle will have to be topped off again and again.
Make the connection to the engine down stream from the water outlet. If you
run a restrictor or a thermostat, the water pressure in the block can quickly
exceed the pressure cap setting and dump out most of your coolant.
Lynn E. Hanover

The AirCraft Rotary Engine NewsLetter.  Powered by Linux.
ACRE NL web site. http://home.earthlink.net/~rotaryeng/            
Copyright 1998-2002 All world wide rights reserved.