Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackChrome
So the main reason why a reservior is necessary and takes priority over the cooler is mainly because, it will "burp" the system? How much clearance is above the cooler between the hood?
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trying to bleed the air out of a stock system or a option a dual pass system is virtually impossible without a constant monitoring of the little tiny filler neck/window. you have to watch that for about 3-4 weeks after doing the dual pass setup (as installing the dual pass requires draining of the coolant) you'll have to open your hood after every time you drive somewhere and keep a mix of coolant closeby so you can constantly refill. if you don't, the coolant level will get to the point where it is not even making the pass by the filler neck/window and is basically rendering the heat exchanger useless.
dual pass with option b makes pretty much the same system as the engine coolant, with its own bleeding setup so after install, you pretty much are done. i filled my tank up the first day, and once on the third day because the coolant made its way down and the air its way up into the extra tank. this was about 4 months ago. i haven't touched the system since except to fix a kinked hose last week.
dual-pass option b is also easier to set up with an additional heat exchanger, especially if you run another bleed line and a "Y" fitting to the bleed line connected to the surge tank. that way it's a surefire win.
basically the easiest way to think of this is option b is maintenance free. option a is not
and to specifically answer your question, the surge tank needs to be the high point of the system, for the simple fact that water is heavier than air. the air will not flow into the surge tank if it does not sit higher than every other hose, endplate, heat exchanger that is part of the system. there is minimal clearance between the tank itself and the hood when closed. however, there is a slight bit of room in front of the tank, as you can see in my picture