# Coolant Swirl Pot/Surge Tank Question



## jnoor (Feb 24, 2016)

I've been reading up on the use of a swirl pot to help remove air from the coolant system and seen a fee people using one themselves.

Had a question I wanted to clear up with more experienced peeps.

If you were to install a small swirl pot to the cooling system of a more or less standard engine do you remove the rad cap from the standard radiator, replace with a dummy cap and move the rad cap to the swirl pot?

Also is the bottom of the swirl pot drained to the lower coolant pipe?

Would this be beneficial for a standard engine or is it more or less overkill unless its a high power car?

Any and all advice and expertise would be appreciated.

Thanks


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## GT-R David (Mar 13, 2013)

Answers to your questions:
Yes
Yes
Yes

Also install a hose from coolant bleeder hole to the breather tank.
Install breather tank as high as possible.


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## synistrGT-R (Oct 15, 2007)

I have the GReddy Water/Air separator on my R33. The bottom outlet does drain into the lower radiator hose. You keep the radiator cap on the radiator and the swirl pot has a dummy cap on it. I have mine set up to where the air bleeder port on the side of the head and the pressure drain go to the swirl pot and then it drains to the overflow.
Hope this helps. Also, my car is not a high power car, only around 400 hp


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## XashskylineX (Jun 25, 2013)

Anyone got a picture


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## jnoor (Feb 24, 2016)

GT-R David said:


> Answers to your questions:
> Yes
> Yes
> Yes
> ...


The bleeder hole by the second injector? Ive noticed all the setups include that.

Thanks David.


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## jnoor (Feb 24, 2016)

synistrGT-R said:


> I have the GReddy Water/Air separator on my R33. The bottom outlet does drain into the lower radiator hose. You keep the radiator cap on the radiator and the swirl pot has a dummy cap on it. I have mine set up to where the air bleeder port on the side of the head and the pressure drain go to the swirl pot and then it drains to the overflow.
> Hope this helps. Also, my car is not a high power car, only around 400 hp


So youve got the caps the other way? Doesnt this make a difference with the way it works? Everything I've found says to dummy the cap at the rad a move the rad cap to the swirl pot.


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## synistrGT-R (Oct 15, 2007)

I have it set up to where is the radiator overflows, it goes to swirlpot first, to possibally drain back into lower radiator hose, then to over flow tank. It has been this way for 5 + years. 
Hope this helps


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## synistrGT-R (Oct 15, 2007)

XashskylineX said:


> Anyone got a picture


Here is a picture of how mine is set up


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## XashskylineX (Jun 25, 2013)

synistrGT-R said:


> Here is a picture of how mine is set up


Thanks bro!! 

Looking at my engine now theres also 3 more head water cooling things in the red circle, wouldnt it help if tbey where unblocked and link to the surge??

Plus the top two nuts or bolts


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## GT-R David (Mar 13, 2013)

synistrGT-R said:


> I have the GReddy Water/Air separator on my R33. The bottom outlet does drain into the lower radiator hose. You keep the radiator cap on the radiator and the swirl pot has a dummy cap on it. I have mine set up to where the air bleeder port on the side of the head and the pressure drain go to the swirl pot and then it drains to the overflow.
> Hope this helps. Also, my car is not a high power car, only around 400 hp


This way the tank is just for bling bling in the engine bay.
Air has to be let out at the highest point.

Just read the Greddy manual











Also, do I get this right. You go from highest point of the tank with a dummy cap to your overflow tank?
This way your coolant system can't build up the pressure it should.


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## jnoor (Feb 24, 2016)

synistrGT-R said:


> Here is a picture of how mine is set up


Your setup looks familiar... you're not "OKIEGTR" on instagram are you?


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## jnoor (Feb 24, 2016)

GT-R David said:


> This way the tank is just for bling bling in the engine bay.
> Air has to be let out at the highest point.
> 
> Just read the Greddy manual
> ...


I saw this Greddy image yesterday as well, which is why I was confused by Syns setup by having the blank cap on the pot and not on the radiator.

If the swirl pot has a blank cap it is essentially under atmospheric pressure and not pressurized, like the standard overflow tank. So if the air bleeder port, on the block, is connected to the swirl pot you're constantly venting the pressure in the system to atmosphere.

But since his pot is plumbed back into the lower radiator hose he's not losing coolant (coolant lost through the bleed pipe is recycled basically) so perhaps that's why he doesn't have any problems.

From my understanding having a blank cap on the rad allows the rad to constantly bleed into the pot. The rad doesn't have to wait to build pressure in order to bleed so this helps it constantly get rid of any air. The same happens with the bleed port on the block where coolant bleeds into the pot as well.

All the air is therefore collected in the pot and pressure is built up here and since the pot has the radiator cap it bleeds when it needs to but instead will only bleed air because it's been separated already.

This helps the entire system stay pressurized as both the rad and the block are venting into a "pressurized" pot.


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## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

I'll be selling my HPI multiflow radiator kit with swirl tank. Let me know if you are interested. Going ARC hence the sale.


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## jnoor (Feb 24, 2016)

GT-R David said:


> This way the tank is just for bling bling in the engine bay.
> Air has to be let out at the highest point.
> 
> Just read the Greddy manual
> ...


I saw this Greddy image yesterday as well, which is why I was confused by Syns setup by having the blank cap on the pot and not on the radiator.

If the swirl pot has a blank cap it is essentially under atmospheric pressure and not pressurized, like the standard overflow tank. So if the air bleeder port, on the block, is connected to the swirl pot you're constantly venting the pressure in the system to atmosphere.

But since his pot is plumbed back into the lower radiator hose he's not losing coolant (coolant lost through the bleed pipe is recycled basically) so perhaps that's why he doesn't have any problems.

From my understanding having a blank cap on the rad allows the rad to constantly bleed into the pot. The rad doesn't have to wait to build pressure in order to bleed so this helps it constantly get rid of any air. The same happens with the bleed port on the block where coolant bleeds into the pot as well.

All the air is therefore collected in the pot and pressure is built up here and since the pot has the radiator cap it bleeds when it needs to but instead will only bleed air because it's been separated already.

This helps the entire system stay pressurized as both the rad and the block are venting into a "pressurized" pot.


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## GT-R David (Mar 13, 2013)

Exactly


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## Jayman (Jun 30, 2012)

As per the picture above - that is exactly how mine is set up as well.

All the best,

James


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## Jayman (Jun 30, 2012)

As per the picture above - that is exactly how mine is set up as well.

All the best,

James


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## synistrGT-R (Oct 15, 2007)

jnoor said:


> Your setup looks familiar... you're not "OKIEGTR" on instagram are you?


Yes, that's me


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## synistrGT-R (Oct 15, 2007)

GT-R David said:


> This way the tank is just for bling bling in the engine bay.
> Air has to be let out at the highest point.
> 
> Just read the Greddy manual
> ...


Thank you for the information. Looks like a change will be taking place once the motor gets built and reinstalled. :bowdown1:


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## jnoor (Feb 24, 2016)

I guess trying to explain it to others and seeing other methods helps get your head round the whole setup and its ins and outs.

Appreciate the input guys, thank you.

Eric, straight away knew i recognised your bay. Been admiring your build, refurb work looks awesome and those LiftStands... so much want!!!


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## synistrGT-R (Oct 15, 2007)

XashskylineX said:


> Thanks bro!!
> 
> Looking at my engine now theres also 3 more head water cooling things in the red circle, wouldnt it help if tbey where unblocked and link to the surge??
> 
> Plus the top two nuts or bolts


My apologies, the tube comes out of the chamber that the PCV valve is attached to. There is a small yellow sticker right below the outlet. I removed the bolt and put a fitting there and attached a hose.


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## synistrGT-R (Oct 15, 2007)

jnoor said:


> The bleeder hole by the second injector? Ive noticed all the setups include that.
> 
> Thanks David.


Yes sir...just noticed this


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## jnoor (Feb 24, 2016)

synistrGT-R said:


> My apologies, the tube comes out of the chamber that the PCV valve is attached to. There is a small yellow sticker right below the outlet. I removed the bolt and put a fitting there and attached a hose.


What size is the fitting at the bleed hole?


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## GT-R David (Mar 13, 2013)

M6x1


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## MS33 (Jun 27, 2007)

synistrGT-R said:


> Here is a picture of how mine is set up


What a beautiful looking engine. :bowdown1::thumbsup:


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## synistrGT-R (Oct 15, 2007)

Here is an updated picture from just before the motor was removed and the restoration started


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## Moff (Sep 27, 2004)

So I can understand this may help with cooling at the extremes but is it really needed? My GTST never breaks a sweat whilst drifting with the standard rad, only 315hp but you'd expect a full day or slideways action to heat things up. How exactly does this help?
.
.
Mikeyp @ TMS Motorsport
Email us : [email protected]









WhatsApp us for fast response : +447979127236
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## jnoor (Feb 24, 2016)

I guess on a standard set up its not required, but if the engines pushing more power and made to work at high load over long periods then it would be beneficial.

For a drifting application, in my opinion, it could be a good addition as an extra safeguard. Youd be working the cooling system pretty hard so a swirl pot would give you added benefit of making sure you eliminate the hotspots as quickly as possible. Your engine and rad won't have to wait to build pressure themselves, theyll vent straight into the swirl pot and let the swirl pot deal with it so to speak.


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## lightspeed (Jul 11, 2002)

Helps to prevent the head developing hot spots and cracks. 
On rb26 the other mod is the group A style drillings in the water jacket which frees up water flow and stops air pockets forming.


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## MS33 (Jun 27, 2007)

I've just bought the GReddy swirl pot and it comes with a blanking cap.
The original rad cap wont fit and the blank cap wont fit on the rad,  what did you guys do??


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## synistrGT-R (Oct 15, 2007)

I have a GReddy radiator so the caps fit perfect on both. I would figure that the cap you have should fit...weird


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## MS33 (Jun 27, 2007)

Cheers, probably best I buy a GReddy cap.


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## MS33 (Jun 27, 2007)

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?


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## matty32 (Dec 18, 2005)

Maybe read the Greddy site (trust power ) that explains it


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## GT-R David (Mar 13, 2013)

Greddy set comes with two different blank caps and an normal radiator cap.
As matty said, everything is explained on their website.


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