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[amba]

As I suggested 4 posts earlier and directing you to the guide.It does work but 12/14psi no more

[terry paget]

I have before just removed 1 of the coolant pipes to the throttle body and pushed in a valve secured with a jubilee clip to make airtight then applied pressure from a hand pump...really any way of getting air under pressure into the coolant space will work but dont exceed 12/14psi.

As high as that? I feared that might blow off or burst a hose. The old metal caps had a blow off pressure stamped upon them, but the yellow plastic caps on the Vectra and Astra are less helpful.
             
The old metal caps were stamped around 5 PSI I recall, which I could arrange by hanging a funnel full of coolant high in the garage roof. 14 PSI is nearly atmospheric pressure of 15 PSI, a head of 32 feet of water or 30 inches of mercury.

all the cooling systems I've worked on run at about 1bar - about 14psi for those stuck in the 19th century -, which includes several cars designed(and a couple built) in the fifties.


Drill a hole in your 'radiator' cap to fit an entire tyre valve, fit the valve into the hole in the same way it fits a wheel, and seal it with your favourite flexible gunge. Pressurise the system with a manual pump; a bike pump will work well. Check for leaks by listening, and spraying suspect areas with soapy water. When you've fixed all the leaks, fit a new radiator cap and store the Cooling System Pressure Test Adapter Thingy(CSPTAT ) with all your other car junk. A battered cardboard box kicked under the bench is the traditional way.


You can test radiators off the car by cutting a mountain bike inner tub cut opposite the valve, and clamping it to the radiator stubs with hose clamps

Thanks Nick. Your scheme works fine on an Omega, but not on a Vectra, where the cap seal to tank is an 'O'ring seal. The Omega blow off valve blows into the cap and down the thread grooves, whereas the Vectra cap blows off into a middle section and thence out of the overflow pipe.
My plan now is basically Amba's; remove a coolant hose to the header tank, replace it with a tyre inflator hose, and pressurise it. If I use too much pressure, the cap will release it.

[Doctor Gollum]

If the cap fits... 

No pun intended.

After all, you're testing the system for leaks, not the cap

[terry paget]

New leak, junction of thermostat housing and pipe to throttle. I removed the pipe from the thermostat housing, I don't recall breaking it, but I may have. It is attached to the thermostat housing by a plastic clip. I see no 'O' ring to seal the joint, and it leaks. Should the 'O' ring be be at the top between the pipe and the housing top, or at the bottom of the tunnel in the thermostat housing? Or maybe it was on the missing pipe end?
I may need a new pipe. I have a spare thermostat housing. Would black sealant do the job, while I get a new pipe?

[Doctor Gollum]

That's clearly broken, you can see the jagged edge hanging out of the piece in your hand...

[terry paget]

That's clearly broken, you can see the jagged edge hanging out of the piece in your hand...

Agreed.
We have just had a family row about coronavirus exposure. Emma, mother of 5 year old Tom, has irritable bowel syndrome, and is having an infusion of immunosuppressive medication next Wednesday. She and her husband wish us to look after Tom next week. To avoid risk of infection they insist Tricia (SWMBO) and I do not leave the house for the next nine days. Daft I call it. I volunteered to go to Tesco's at at quiet time, wear a hat, mask and gloves, buy groceries, return home, leave shopping outside, strip, enter the house, shower, dress in new clothes. Wait 48 hours, then bring in food and clothes.No good, they said, too risky.
So I cannot go out and order a new pipe.
I need a new pipe anyway. I reckon if I clean up the pipe and the tunnel in the thermostat housing, then coat well in black sealant, replace the pipe, and leave to set, I have a good chance of making a seal; and if it leaks I have lost nothing, I have to buy a new pipe anyway.
What do you think?

[ronnyd]

Bloody hell Terry, what a convoluted life you lead. 

[STEMO]

That's clearly broken, you can see the jagged edge hanging out of the piece in your hand...

Agreed.
We have just had a family row about coronavirus exposure. Emma, mother of 5 year old Tom, has irritable bowel syndrome, and is having an infusion of immunosuppressive medication next Wednesday. She and her husband wish us to look after Tom next week. To avoid risk of infection they insist Tricia (SWMBO) and I do not leave the house for the next nine days. Daft I call it. I volunteered to go to Tesco's at at quiet time, wear a hat, mask and gloves, buy groceries, return home, leave shopping outside, strip, enter the house, shower, dress in new clothes. Wait 48 hours, then bring in food and clothes.No good, they said, too risky.
So I cannot go out and order a new pipe.
I need a new pipe anyway. I reckon if I clean up the pipe and the tunnel in the thermostat housing, then coat well in black sealant, replace the pipe, and leave to set, I have a good chance of making a seal; and if it leaks I have lost nothing, I have to buy a new pipe anyway.
What do you think?

Dear me, Terry, your kids lead you a merry dance, don't they? Tell them you will be going to Tesco and, if that doesn't suit them, they should find another babysitter.

[Viral_Jim]

Given that you have one broken part and a spare for the other, if you are going to do a temporary bodge, I would use a two-part epoxy to bond the two together (carefully such that you don't obstruct the coolant flow in the pipe), let it go off, then put a second coat over  the outside. of both parts.

I cannot imagine that the black gunk (if its the stuff I'm thinking of) will hold against any kind of pressure.   

[dave the builder]

Tesco don't sell parts for late model vectra C anyway Terry 
so you may as well stop in , silicone up the seal and see if it lasts 9 days of in house testing 
no point in putting anyone ,including your good self ,at risk 

[terry paget]

You note there is still a short length of pipe remaining, and I still have the clip, flimsy plastic thing. I had in mind applying Vx black sealant, reinserting pipe, putting on clip, letting sealant cure, then testing. Viral Jim suggests epoxying the joint, leaving to cure, then applying more epoxy. Dave the builder suggests silicone - sealant, like bathroom sealant, Dave?

[terry paget]

There's always e-bay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-VAUXHALL-ASTRA-ZAFIRA-ETC-1-8-THERMOSTAT-TO-THROTTLE-BODY-HOSE-25192905/302375120017?epid=2229510200&hash=item4666f62c91:g:v3AAAOSwgv5ZXftJ
This looks a bit long. My donor Astra1.6 looks different too.

[dave the builder]

You note there is still a short length of pipe remaining, and I still have the clip, flimsy plastic thing. I had in mind applying Vx black sealant, reinserting pipe, putting on clip, letting sealant cure, then testing. Viral Jim suggests epoxying the joint, leaving to cure, then applying more epoxy. Dave the builder suggests silicone - sealant, like bathroom sealant, Dave?

not all epoxy is waterproof ,so check 
cured silicone(even sanitary or bathroom)  forms a good seal , but parts must be oil free,brake or carb cleaner does a good job without residue
wipe clean with toilet roll

[Doctor Gollum]

I think that someone didn't see the official memo regarding not palming kids onto grandparents. Entitled is another word that springs to mind 

Just order a new pipe, the epoxy won't hold. Pop in to VX on the way to Tescos 

Incidentally, you will need both the pipe and where it connects (thermostat housing?)

[ronnyd]

Yes Terry, THEY should be looking after YOU, NOT the other way round.   Sorry about the caps.