portana

Thanks to this Board, I have also tackled an expansion tank replacement on my '98ster. Looks like it has been awhile since the last post and for those of you planning on replacing yours, with this post, I want to net out my replacement per these steps since there were some techniques not previously mentioned which I wanted to pass along: (PM with any questions) Partially drain coolant. Get someone to spot ya and tell you when the coolant has drained out of the tank. This gets messy. Have extra shirt on hand. Tighten plug. Remove clamps from two of the three water hoses attached at the firewall plate (my apologies for not using proper part naming). Overflow hose did not have any clamps. Pull loose hoses. Be prepared to catch some residual coolant. Remove fasteners and loosen tank from trunk and firewall. Remove cooling sensor. (twist white connector to tank) Here’s where it gets fun…this worked for me. A lot has been posted on how to remove clamp off main hose at bottom of tank from behind the firewall, but I wanted to share my methods….from below the car, fish the cable pliers head up and let it clip on something temporarily. There is a (assuming) hydraulic line which you need to pass the head of the pliers next to it and against the firewall. It fits. From inside the car, behind passenger seat, reach and find end of pliers. Your blinded at this point but feel top clip and place it on top ear of clamp. Gravity is working for you here. Then push body of clamp so its flat against fire wall. Check you made connection with flashlight. Its ok if pliers head is open wider than clamp. I am only working the clamp holding hose to tank at the short 3” hose. Once your satisfied the top of the pliers is engaged with the top clamp ear, go to the pliers from below the car, squeeze handle slowly. Back in the car, you’ll see bottom clamp flange reaching bottom clamp ear. If your satisfied the pliers will engage the bottom of the clamp, go back and squeeze and set pliers. However, this won’t loosen clamp enough. With a carpenter’s clamp, further compress pliers handle. You can now loosen the clamp down the hose. Contrary to other postings and Bentley, this was the only clamp I removed from behind the firewall off a hose. Back in the trunk, you can now pull the tank from the hose. This loosens the tank further. Remove the oil tube from the tank. Pull out the dip stick and the old tank pulls out. Transfer the three water hoses to your new tank. Re-install cooling sensor. Put tank back into position and replace and tighten fasteners. Re-attach the water hoses using screw clamps. (I used total of 5 clamps, four at trunk side hoses and one in firewall). With the bottom coolant outlet through firewall, from firewall side, push the 3” short hose onto outlet. Tighten scew clamp. (I used 8mm socket with ¼” driver). This was actually tricky cause the clamp kept wanting to spin and your working blind. Top with coolant and check for leaks. Couple notes: I used Craftsman Hose Clamp Cable pliers for this job thanks to recommendations found in past posts Purchased new tank from Pelican. Cut hole for dip stick through pre-placed knockout hole