I just ordered the Forge motorsport Coolant bottle

I am tired of going back to the dealer for coolant leaks.


What do you think?

 

How will it adapt and is the capacity the same as the stock??

 

Forge says it is a direct fit. And as long as it holds the same amount of coolant (or close to it all will be ok). I am used to running low anyway since my present plastic bottle is leaking all the time.

 

Rather pricey little jewel there, isn't it?

 

150 bucks or many trips to the dealer to wait 2 hours for them to replace the bottle.

 

very cool tank!

Could you post a link to the mfg or retailer please? TIA!

Also, do you know whether this tank has the same internal baffles as the OEM MINI tank? Was this made specifically for MINIs?

Great post, thanks!

Cheers,
Markus

 

>>very cool tank!
>>
>>Could you post a link to the mfg or retailer please? TIA!
>>
>>

http://www.forgemotorsport.com/mini.asp?cat=mini

 

Warning stupid, I know nothing about motoring question.....

Any concerns about heat and it being metal??

Please don't yell at me!!

 

>>Warning stupid, I know nothing about motoring question.....
>>
>>Any concerns about heat and it being metal??
>>
>>Please don't yell at me!!


Hello, Kumquat! and welcome to MCO! ...
the tank would get a bit hot but you probably aren't going to touching it often - paint it 'safety yellow' if you are worried ...
... and the fact that metal will dissapate the heat better than the plastic tank means that, if anything, it will provide a source of cooler coolant for the engine ...

 

Just curious. I don't know what year you car is. I'm assuming it's an '02 since you've been with MCO since Aug of '02. Did your dealer try to upgrade you to one of the new style tanks? or is that not possible? I'm not picking with you. In fact, if I had the tank problems as bad as some of the folks on here have had, I'd probably be going the same route....not to mention the Forge looks pretty good. :smile:

 

yeah I got the latest and greatest tank 2 months ago. It just recently started to leak.

 

I just got an Email from Forge Motorsport. they stated that the bottle is a direct fit and it has a coolant level window. They are currently out of stock and i should have my bottle shipped in about 3 weeks. :smile:

 

vdubdoug,

Keep us in the know with the Forge tank. Maybe even a pic once its installed. I agree, $150 is well spent if it permanently cures the leaks. In the meantime, does Depends make anything to fit the MINI?

 

hi,
did you have fitted your new coolant tank? does it fit well and wat are your first impressions?

 

Does anyone know WHY the MCS coolant overflow bottle
is pressurised and the Cooper is not?

BOTH cooling systems are pressurised, but they made the
overflow bottle also pressurised on the MCS, and that seems
to have been a bad decision.

I can't see how it would make any difference in the cooling
capacity of the system, so why did they do it that way?

Oh, hey, I just thought of something...

Is it possible that the cooling loop in the engine gets much
higher in the air than the Cooper, and they couldn't find a place
in the engine compartment that is higher then the coolant
loop to put the bottle?

 

Looks like you can wash clothes in that metal tank :evil:

 

Very cool. Please keep us posted after you get this. I was planning to buy one myself--recently bought a strut tower brace from Forge--but decided against it bc of all the coolant problems described on MCO. My thinking was that the problems with the factory coolant overflow tank might actually be WORSE with this new tank since the overflow tank is no longer "the weakest link" in the coolant overflow system. Eg, I'm worried that instead of the tank leaking, a pressure imbalance in the system might eventually cause a hose failure or something more serious.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who's more knowledgeable about this if this is an legitimate concern.

Also, does the tank come with a cap?

thanks.

 

That new metal tank look pretty cool and I am sure it won't leak, but I think that it is a bit of engineering overkill to fix a simple problem.

I had my leaking tank replaced with the newer part and have had no leaks since.

Anyway, I still would like to see it on someone else's MINI. That metal can is sure pretty!

 

Stupid question time: How does one check the level with a tank like that?

-CW

 

>>Stupid question time: How does one check the level with a tank like that?
>>
>>-CW

Smart answer. Coolant level window as stated above....

 

>>>>Stupid question time: How does one check the level with a tank like that?
>>>>
>>>>-CW
>>
>>Smart answer. Coolant level window as stated above....

Reading comprehension > me.
ops:

-CW

 

The cooling system has a working pressure and a relief pressure. If the system overpressurizes the relief dump on the cap will be overcome and the coolant should evacuate without any component damage. Therefore the Forge tank should have no effects on the remaining system.

It appears that the real issue with the bottle is not the pressure but the manufacturing method employed. If it leaks around the seams consistently, then it is probably not a material defect, otherwise the tanks would be failing at high stress points within the pressure vessel, i.e. at places where the curves are the sharpest. But a manufacturing process flaw where the injection mold process is performed could cause a non homogeneous mate at the mold seam, could be the speed i of injection, fluid plastic temperature, etc. My guess is that the engineers working on this are trying to change the manufacturing process method with the newer tanks rather than design new ones that require tooling changes in the plant where they are made. Unfortunately, it loks like the long production run solutipon has not been found yet.

Not saying that all is well in wonderland, just offering a possible reasoning behind an all out design change...