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Aluminum Coolant Tank Resevoir

24K views 100 replies 26 participants last post by  LBC96 
#1 · (Edited)
Aluminum Coolant Tank Group Purchase

Note - I know this is a lengthy read, but I want to try and share what I currently know and possibly answer any questions you may have up front. If anything else comes to mind, please ask and I will try to get an answer. Joe is a Ford Guy (We wont hold that against him :>) ) but I will see if he can create an account here and answer you questions directly.

I stumbled across a company that makes an Aluminum Coolant Tank for our cars. They are a really nice option for the owner that wants something different than that ugly, hard to clean plastic tank. I have been in contact with Joe at WWW.THEFUSIONSOLUTION.COM about his Aluminum version of the Coolant Tank that would work on 94 -96 LT1 engines in the Caprice, Impala, Roadmaster and I think the caddy's that run the LT1 engine. This tank will also work in the L99 equiped Caprices.

Joe has made a handful of these tanks and his Father currently has one on his Impala with no issues. There are a few concerns I have that I wanted to share with the forum and let you know what we are thinking at this moment. Please understand that Joe seems like a Quality Guy and very concerned about anything he puts his name on. There currrently are not many of these tanks on the road and I had some concerns as I'm sure you may too. If we do this, we want to make sure that everyone is happy and pleased with their purchase.

I have a few concerns that I spoke to Joe about and want to be sure I share them here and as we go forward.

1) Joe is a 1 man Show and works a regualr job and will be doing this on the side. Depending on order number, it may take a while to produce. It does sound like he would be willing to work with us on Payment and may just require a small deposit to lock you in. But that still needs to be discussed.

2) Cost is currently $160 plus ship cost. I would like to see what kind of pricing he can work up for us. I'm hopeful we could get something in the range of 20% off depending on what numbers we have. Again this still needs to be discussed. But if you look at the cost of GM's current offerings, the stock tank is in the $80 range, then the extra cost for the amount of craftsmanship and materials involved to make one of these tanks, the cost sounds very reasonable.

3) He has made a few and has had one on his Fathers car for quite some time with no issues. However, his dad's car is not a daily driver and I want to be sure there are no issues with these for those that drive their car frequently. Joe's shop is about 2 hours away from me, so I am going to use my car as a tester and commit to driving it daily for a month. We will then have a good idea if there are issues...which I doubt there will be.

4) My concern was that the stock Plastic tank may have "baffeling" in it that would affect how the system operates. Joe assured me that what appears to be "baffeling, is merely for structural purposes of the tank. His aluminum tank is completely open on the inside which could certainly make cleaning and maintaining the system much easier.

5) There is no coolant level sensor on his tank. If you are familiar with the stock tank, then you know this feature is molded into the tank. So if this is a concern, you may not want to consider one of his tanks. He did assure me, that the sensor wire being unplugged does not cause any issues with the car other than you have to check the level manually.

6) He was using a supplier for the Filler neck who no longer makes these. He currently has enough in stock for about 6 more tanks. He has been in touch with another supplier and should have something available as we move forward.

7) No Markings on the tank for Full and you will need to pull the cap to "eyeball" the coolant level. He said 1/2 way is about right for the tank.

8) No 2nd port for cars with a hose to the radiator. This could be an option, but my understanding is you could just cap off the extra port on those.


There are certainly some plus's to his Aluminum tanks.

1) The fit and look is amazingly stock, yet the aluminum looks much nicer than the Plastic Tank and it will probably outlive your car.

2) Cleaning of the inside would be very easy wirth no baffeling in the way.

3) He could also make the fittings with AN Connectors for those that wish to use AN lines instead of Stock hoses. He would also be able to place the port in a different location other than stock if that fits your plans better. Whether this would be an extra charge or not would have to be determined, but at least you have that option that you would not have with a plastic tank.

4) Bottom line, they are just way too cool and very unique for our cars. Not many people at the car show would have one. .


Check his website for some Pics of his tank for our LT1/L99 cars. I also included some pics that he sent me. So....what do you think? Are you interested in something like this for you car(s)? Please respond here and stay tuned for more information in the next month or so.

ALSO - He is also at making a Power Steering Resevoir Tank for our cars that would look stock and mount as stock. Could match nicely with the Aluminum Coolant tank and the AC accumulator. A Washer Fluid bottle will not be made as the fluid would not work well with the Aluminum. He said he considered one out of stainless, but that would be way too costly.

Thanks.....










 
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#2 ·
tank

I would be interested in the overflow and power steering reservoir.
Thanks Paul.
 
#4 ·
I'd be interested in all of the items listed and have no problem with providing a deposit if necessary.

My reservoir tank is brand new, but I would be willing to go with an Aluminum tank. Can you please email me some more pics? The engineer in me is already thinking of things that might be able to get modified in order to make things functional.

On my way to PM to send you my email address.
 
#8 ·
I'd be interested in all of the items listed and have no problem with providing a deposit if necessary.

My reservoir tank is brand new, but I would be willing to go with an Aluminum tank. Can you please email me some more pics? The engineer in me is already thinking of things that might be able to get modified in order to make things functional.

On my way to PM to send you my email address.
Glad you like it. I have a few more pics he sent me but they were just close up of the mounts. I will post up what I have that I did not include in the original post for others to see.

Here you go....







 
#7 ·
I am interested in a PS res depending on what it looks like.


Thanks
Chris


PS that link doesnt work you posted.

Sorry about that, it was a Cut n Paste from Word so the verbage was right, the link was broke. I cant go back and Edit my original Post....not sure why, but the link 1PHAST posted should get you to his site. This link should take you directly to the section under his "PROJECTS" listing that has a few pics of the tank.

http://thefusionsolution.com/#/94-96-impala-ss-expansion-tank-/

As for the PS tank, I'm anxious to see pics myself. He mentioned he has one in design but not finished yet but intends to have it look and fit like stock.
 
#9 ·
Would it but possible to design the tank so it would accept the low level sensor? If so I'd be in.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#10 ·
Would it but possible to design the tank so it would accept the low level sensor? If so I'd be in.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
I guess anything is possible, but in the discussions I had with him, dont think it will happen and I wanted to be sure to mention that.

For me, its not a big deal since I just try to check the fluids on my own and not rely on an Oil or Coolant level sensor. But I wanted to make sure people were at least away of it as I knew some might have issue with this. But really, unless you got a leak somewhere, it should stay pretty constant. I dont believe in the 14+ years I owned my Caprice that light ever came on. the only time it did is when I would flush the system and be in the process of filling and bleeding the air out.

One of the problems could be cost vs need. Is there a part that is even available that could be added to a metal tank and function as the stock unit does using the stock sensor? There may be, but from what I was told it does not sound like something he persued any further. I will ask him about it again, and hopefully he can respond directly to your question here.
 
#15 ·
Good Morning everyone, My name is Joe, And as Bob stated, I will be selling these tanks. I'm here to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

I'll answer a couple of concerns,
Would it but possible to design the tank so it would accept the low level sensor? If so I'd be in.
I looked into that, and the stock sensor is molded into the tank, and is pressed into the mold. Myself and my father have looked for replacements to no avail. I even looked in the aftermarket like autometer and found nothing. I'm trying to keep everything as stock as possible so no one has to cut wires or hoses, I wanted this to be a direct bolt in. It's not out of the question to put a level sensor in, but as of right now, there is no sensor available.

Wiper Fluid Tank would be nice as well...

I also am a Bit concerned about the low level sensor.
There should be a third party sensor that throws the same signal which a bung could be made for.

Is it just be or does the depth of that tank look much more shallow then stock?
What volume does it hold?

Does it have over pressure relief?
Like stated above, there is no sensor as of right now, that the stock connector will plug into. But it's not out of the question if I come across one.

The dimensions are roughly the same as stock, and it can be filled about 3/4 of the way. I want to say it was half a gallon, but I don't remember. Once we have the test tank in Bobs car I will be able to answer that better for you with an exact number. Like the stock tank, there is no pressure relief.

As for the washer fluid res, I have no plans on making those as it would have to be made out of stainless so the cost of it would be pretty high.


Currently, I do not offer polishing or paint/powder coating, they are raw aluminum so I try to keep the scratches to a minimum, but some scratches (like where the bends are) can't be prevented. Those options may become available in the future with additional costs. The pictures Bob posted are of the tank that is in my fathers Impala, The fittings are different and I can make them like that if requested at no additional cost, but you will need to modify the hoses for that to work. Also, those of you that race and want one with AN fitting, I can do that as well, for additional cost, just let me know what size AN fittings you would want.


The PS res is still in development but that will also be a stock replacement.

Any other questions please feel free to ask. Also any feedback would be appreciated.
 
#12 · (Edited)
#13 ·
ADMIN - Help

Wiper Fluid Tank would be nice as well...


I also am a Bit concerned about the low level sensor.
There should be a third party sensor that throws the same signal which a bung could be made for.

Is it just be or does the depth of that tank look much more shallow then stock?
What volume does it hold?

Does it have over pressure relief?
All questions I would like to leave to Joe. He has an account setup on the Forum (thefusionsolution.com) but says the system wont let him post in the thread.

Hello Admin's - Joe just created an account here and said it would not let him respond in this thread. Is there a minimum or something he needs to post before it will in this section? Below is what he sent me.....

I tried a few times with nothing. There is probably a min post count, find out from the powers that be what I need to do. If I have to pay for a membership that's fine, the un is TheFusionSolution.com.


Joe Rosenberry
Joe@thefusionsolution.com
 
#20 ·
Ditto

Interested in set of two tanks with standard fittings. Can you put two 90* fittings and a tube for a sight tube for level in coolant tank?
I was thinking the same thing! i would be in for both as well pending group purchase price.
 
#21 ·
BigBlackBeaSSt;2865761 Can you put two 90* fittings and a tube for a sight tube for level in coolant tank? [COLOR=gray said:
Hmmmm, that just reminded me of something....how bout a Sight Glass?

Back when I was looking to replace the Oil Level sensor in the oil pan I was looking at some options. I found a threaded plug with a magnetic tip. but I also remember seeing a Sight Glass that would work but seemed silly since it would be hard to visually check the side of the oil pan.

But this might work if another bung was weled in at the level we would need to keep the coolant, then you could quickly check the coolant level without removing the cap. I'll see if I can find a link to one and post up what I'm thinking. We could then talk about where to mount it and how difficult this may be. May help with those that have an issue with no Level Sensor and could just be flat out "nice to have" anyway.
 
#23 ·
Joe,

This company has a lot of variations of the sight glass I was thinking of.

http://www.jwwinco.com/products/section12/ I'm sure other companies like Grainger and MSCDirect would also have these.

At least with one of these on the side of the tank, you could quickly see the coolant level and maybe overall look of your coolant. Nice to know we have options and a builder willing to work with us on these tanks.

Keep the ideas coming guys and we'll get this thing "dialed in" to fit as many needs as possible.
 
#24 ·
joe, we have a new Member who could not post here but sent me a PM. He is also interested in both the coolant tank and PS tank for his Roadmaster.
 
#29 ·
No rush at all on my end and thanks for the update. I'll give you a call next week just to check in. Thx.
 
#30 ·
tank.

Sounds good waiting Patiently.
Thanks.
Paul.
 
#31 ·
So what's the latest? No rush, just asking and wondering if I need to send a deposit or what's needed to make sure I'm in line.

Thanks Joe and 4DoorSS for informing us of what's out there.
 
#32 ·
Nothing yet, but as mentioned in the last couple of posts, he is looking to add a Sight Glass to the tank I will be testing. Just ordered those a few days ago, so it may take some time to fab things up. Once that is done I will be following up and using my car as a test mule for about a month and will post some results while during that time will work with Joe on when, how many, costs, etc.


Don't worry about not getting one, no need for a deposit yet. You were one of our first responders here and will certainly be on the list to get one. Again, I just ask that you remain patient with us and especially Joe. We both want to make sure that all looks good with this tank and that everyone is happy with their purchase.
 
#33 ·
Guys, this is great. I absolutely love what you're doing and am certainly in line for a set.

After you tackle these though, it would be GREAT for the community to look into some purpose built, Impala specific, alternator clearing, rocker arm clearing, tight seal keeping, Valve Covers!

It would be a very smart business decision. Just saying.

-Mike
 
#34 ·
Are the valve covers an issue for you guys? lol!



I got the sight glasses, they are a little bigger then I thought they would be (and I ordered the smallest ones), so I'm not sure yet what it's going to do for the look of the tank. I think that if it's installed in a bung, it's going to look out of place, so I'm looking into building up the area where the bung will be and then drilling and tapping it. They are temp rated, and they seal with a rubber O ring.. so once it's in, I have t see if it's even going to hold up to the temps of the coolant. That's the latest.
 
#40 ·
Ok, here is an update, I was messing around with the sight glass and it looks like I will be able to thread it in, I though I had a tap big enough but I didn't, but it should work with out an issue. The only problem now, is which size.
Here is the 3/8" with and with out the bung, the bung makes it look like crap so I wont go that route.




This is the 1/2" glass.



I have to test the glass, it says it's rated to 180*, so I'm going to toss them into some 200* boiling water and see how they hold up.
 
#43 ·
Ok, here is an update, I was messing around with the sight glass and it looks like I will be able to thread it in, I though I had a tap big enough but I didn't, but it should work with out an issue. The only problem now, is which size.
Here is the 3/8" with and with out the bung, the bung makes it look like crap so I wont go that route.




This is the 1/2" glass.



I have to test the glass, it says it's rated to 180*, so I'm going to toss them into some 200* boiling water and see how they hold up.
I would have to agree with your first thoughts on this and I think it takes away from the overall look of the tank. Especially with it sitting up like that, just doesn't look like what I had in mind.

What I was thinking when the Sight Glass came to mind was a Glass that would be flush/flat to the side of the tank. I guess to do this, you would need the bung on the inside of the Side tank piece before its all welded together. Maybe wait and see what you come up with if you decide to persue this further. Thanks again for all your efforts on this.
 
#46 ·
I like the look of the PS Resevoir, keep us posted on how the mounts work out.

As for the coolant tank, I will be meeting up with Joe sometime this month to get the coolant tank installed on my car. We are trying to do something this weekend and ill keep everyone posted with updates and pictures once we get things rolling. Just a tough time of the year with family functions, chores and working 2 jobs but we will coordinate a time here in the next week or 2 to begin testing on my Caprice.
 
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