On 03/25/2011 12:52 PM, Ed Anderson wrote:

This is my coolant layout - the 2" dia alum tube next to smaller blue tube has my Stand Radiator cap.  Coolant pressure sensor is shown about 2/3 down the tube.  A clear  plastic hose comes out of the radiator cap overflow tube and is plumbed to the bottom of the second 2" dia aluminum tube which acts as my over flow can.  Once the coolant system cools down any fluid in the overflow can is drawn back through the radiator cap into the engine block.  The 2" dia overflow can is a bit on the small size - roughly a pint.  A quart would be better.  I ocassionally lose a small amount of coolant - particularly on hot days.

 

McMaster-Carr has aluminum plumbing fittings that I used to build an air capture tube. A 1" tee has a 3/4" barbed hose fitting on each end.  The leg of the tee points up, and I screwed in a 8" aluminum pipe (also from McMaster).  I tapped a small block of aluminum to screw to the other end of the pipe, and mounted my radiator cap on top of that.  A clear nylon tube will go to the bottom of a catch can (as soon as I can get it mounted).

Not a heavy system, cheap, and saves you from having to develop aluminum welding skills.