Topping up the coolant...

My S85 CB-41 Hijet finally reached the low level indication, so I would like to add a little juice. Should I follow the instructions on the sticker behind the front panel, or is there a different and better approach? Who is the expert on this? Where is the good (the one Woodie came up with if I recall correctly) tutorial I once saw?

I think it's very slowly dripping from the water pump, I saw a little residue when I changed the cam belt, but I didn't have a pump to replace at that time. Would love to replace the pump too (have got a new one on the shelf), but now I don't have a new belt and bearing at my disposal, so that will be done some other time. It took almost 3 years for it to go from full to low, so I think I'm safe for now if I just get it back to full.

So back to the problem I'd like to solve right now, once and for all; what is the proper way to get it back to full without cracking my head?

So I opened up the plug (1) behind the panel, opened the cap under the panel (3) and then the cap under the seat (2). Water started to flow immediately from cap 2 when I opened it, so closed that right away. I can't fill it from cap 3,because it's full already. I don't think I fully understand what the label wants me to do yet... I opened up Pandora's box, help?

-edit- I'll upload a few pictures later. The manual tells me to fill it at the reserve tank to the full line at this point... The YouTube video Highlyjetted posted on his channel is a little unclear at first glance. Perhaps I've been watching too much porn.

-edit- Parking a few links here for later use. Please bear with me.

https://hijet.forumotion.com/t3256-cooling-help-wanted#28719
https://hijet.forumotion.com/t1352-radiator-information#11792

I think I want to go work in Highlyjetted's shop for a few days to see how he fixes stuff. He doesn't have a bed and breakfast does he?

https://hijet.forumotion.com/t2522-overheating-again-any-ideas#23462

Anyway, I'm a little worn out from reading every damn thread on the board, so I'm going to see if he's got a page on booking dot com.

-edit3- Johan lives near me, perhaps he is still alive today? https://hijet.forumotion.com/t2326-my-turn-needle-towards-the-h

Hi Lex. I you go to : Coolant System, Overheating, Head Gaskets and scroll down to 26th of October last year there are some pictures I put on there for Raggy originally.

All you need is a small watering can with a 300mm length of hose attached. Hose needs to be a bit smaller than the hole in the radiator filler neck. Wrap some electrical tape around the hose 20mm.back from the end of the hose enough to make a collar that is enough to fit tightly in the hole of the filler neck. You need to hold the Watering can up above the level of the Wipers. Ideally get someone to hold the can up while you deal with the hose and collar and putting the cap back on.

Fill the watering can up with a mixture of water and anti freeze. Put the hose loosely in the neck until it starts to overflow.(you have already said that yours was overflowing) Then push it in so that the tape collar seals in the hole. You will then see and hear air bubbles coming out of the little hose on the filler neck. This is the air bleed off from the top of the Heater Matrix.
This is always the Villain of the peace. The Matrix must have every drop of air out of it.
Once all the bubbles stop coming out of the little pipe and you have just got Coolant mix only coming out get your nice new radiator cap ready to quickly put in place as you pull the hose out so that you don't get any air back in the Radiator. And that is it. Job done.
I have only described the latter part of bleeding because you said that the Radiator was full and water coming out of it.

If you have any questions or aren't sure then Email me at: thehijetmaniow@gmail.com

I don't have enough time to look into it and give a proper response right now, but I'm guessing it's this one: https://hijet.forumotion.com/t3493-53-plate-1-3-petrol-lpg-overheating-and-radiator-emptying-after-60miles-or-more-when-going-uphill-after-being-stationary#32205

I'm guessing there is a little air in the system because after closing all caps and nipples I had a puddle on the floor, but I decided to close it up and head home. Been at it long enough today (pictures later), and will continue later this week. Keeping the trips short for now. I'll be back, thanks!

Yes that's the one Lex.

What do you think, keep it or scrap it? The plumbing on the front I meant, not the van itself of course...

Picture 1
Picture 2

Perhaps I should open a separate thread...

-edit- linked pictures and opened something separate

Lex, I've filled 1.0 and 1.3 vans by 'the book' with no problems. HJ's method is for the 1.3, which is yours? If you have water at both caps you only need to top up the bottle as the system is full.

I wanted to upload more pictures of the van and the caps and nipples, but the upload website gives me bollocks, so I stopped trying. It's the 1000 with a carb. It had crap inside the rad, so I guess I need to flush the darn thing thoroughly when I plan on changing the waterpump...

Do I really need these FRC caps or are the Nipparts ones also good quality?

So after having a long thought I came to the following conclusion:



If I shove a snugly fitting hose up the cap on the left with a container of fluid held high enough, then air should come out the nipple on the right. As soon as the nipple starts to leak a solid stream of fluid (keep it in your pants perverts!), the air should have been let out of the system and I should be in the clear?

Or am I missing something?

That is correct sir! I have been known to use a large syringe full of coolant to top the last bit up before twisting the cap finally on, but hey ho that's me anal!
That looks an original cap though. For the cost just replace it with some of the FR (can't remember the number) caps. They need a good fit which HJ has looked at in the past. Make sure the seat it seals to is not corroded as well or even a new cap won't seal. Mine on the cap inside was when I got mine so I carefully used a tool I had for cleaning up tap washer sealing faces (got it from B&Q) and brought it back nice and clean and corrosion free.

If this is all there is to it, why is a Hijet called a Hotjet then?

Because people dont look after them correcly and notice only when its too late usually. Cap is an FRC74 Firstline.

Raggy wrote:Because people dont look after them correcly and notice only when its too late usually. Cap is an FRC74 Firstline.

Ordered two of them straight away on ebay. Let's hope they fit! The original caps have no spring thing underneath, these FRCs have a spring in the pictures. I'm guessing this isn't really important?

On the contrary Lex. It's VERY important to have the spring loaded cap on the filler neck under the seat or you would lose all your Coolant straight into the Expansion Bottle.

The 993cc originally had a plain cap on the radiator and the 1300's a spring loaded cap. Putting a spring loaded cap on your radiator is fine as long as the seating in the neck is not rusty or pitted as the original factory radiator was metal. If it has had a replacement Radiator in its life then the header is likely to be plastic in which case the sealing of the Radiator cap should be fine.

First Line Caps are cheaper than Nipparts, but have you priced up a pair of Daihatsu ones? You could have a meal at the Ritz on the difference in price.

My Hijet still has the factory brake pads on the front wheels, so my guess is that the rad is also factory. I'll make sure there's no rust in there. I saw a lot of corrosion or gunk or whatever in the rad so I fucked up right at the right moment.

-edit- http://www.mijnautoonderdelen.nl/radiateurdop-nipparts-J1545002.html

9 EUdollars a pop. Not even that much more expensive... Or the Ritz isn't that expensive?

In 2002/3 when I got my first Hi-Jet the local Daihatsu Dealer Hodge & Childs, or Hodge and Bodge as I nicknamed them charged me £34 +vat each for them.
.
One of my customers last week bought two caps from his Daihatsu dealer in Aylesbury for £23 +vat each. Flipping unusual for Daihatsu to drop their prices - unless they were being naughty and supplying non genuine caps at exorbitant prices.

Looking at the picture of you Radiator Header it does look like a plastic one, but covered in that gold paint, looking on my phone it is a bit difficult to tell. Yeah moulded plastic (just fired my Tablet up) so I am guessing it has been replaced before, so the cap seating should be OK.