I install the uprated coolant expansion tank from Radium Engineering in my MK3 Ford Focus RS!
This is part 2 of my series on coolant system upgrades on my MK3 Ford Focus RS and the star of the show here both stands on its own as a sweet mod but also brings it all together!
The coolant expansion tank in my MK3 Ford Focus RS is not something I gave much thought to until I decided to upgrade the radiator in the middle of last year and I figured if I am going to be draining the coolant, I may as well do the tank at the same time!
The rationale behind the coolant system upgrades was that when in Germany at the Nurburgring, it was very apparent that when you push the car hard, under the bonnet gets very, very hot.
While I didn't suffer any issues as a result, I was letting the car cool after each lap, it made me think that the cooling system deserved to get some upgrades to make it as top notch as possible!
When looking into the coolant expansion tank upgrade options, I found that there was a pattern of others needing to put in a new tank, new OEM or upgraded, because their original tank had cracked and sprung a leak. This is most likely down to the OEM tank being made of plastic and so after many heat cycles it becomes brittle and so cracks - the coolant gets pretty hot as you might expect and so therefore does the coolant tank.
Because of this, it was clear that doing an upgrade was the right way to go and so would prove to be a preventative mod, safeguarding me against the issue from cropping up!
There were three options that I looked at for a new tank:
Pro Alloy which which uses the OEM tank as a base design and then upgrades on top. This makes for both a nice OEM plus look while also being top quality. This was a front runner to go along with my other Pro Alloy items as well.
Mishimoto which is its own design and available in more than just black or bare metal although perhaps a bit of a boxy looking design. Quality should be good though.
Radium - also a known top level of quality given my experience, the Radium is a very radical design, diverting wildly from OEM or any other conventional design while also upgrading not just the tank material but also the internals of the tank and replacing the tank hoses and pressure cap.
Essentially I liked the look of the Radium the most while it also had the most level of upgrades so I went for it!
The installation is a lot more involved than the others given the extra parts being changed and that the tank needs to be assembled from parts, but nothing that it too difficult and this kind of adds to the fun!
I also show the coolant prep, fill and bleed process to finish off the job - a job I am very happy with!
Radium say about their coolant expansion tank:
This kit is for the 2013-2018 Ford Focus ST and Ford Focus RS. It is designed to replace the plastic coolant tank found at the front right of the engine bay. It maintains the same function as the OEM coolant tank while providing an additional 160mL of fluid volume.
The Radium Engineering coolant expansion tank is CNC machined from aluminum and consists of two halves that are bolted together.
The internal design features two chambers that are NOT isolated from each other. There are cross-over passages at the top and bottom. The Radium Engineering coolant header tank also has an internal swirl feature, which is to help aid in deaerating the system.
The kits include all parts necessary for installation. No permanent vehicle modifications are required.
The optional Radium Engineering pressure cap (sold separately) is manufactured from black electroplate stainless steel with a race proven high pressure valve. The 21.8psi relief provides a boiling point increase permitting improved cooling efficiency. This is necessary when tracking the vehicle in extreme conditions.
Radium coolant expansion tank:
[ Ссылка ]
Radium pressure cap:
18-0076-A15 Radiator Cap, Type-A, 1.5Bar, Black
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Coolant system upgrade PART 1 / Pro Alloy radiator install video:
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Pro Alloy radiator:
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SiCo Developments coolant hoses:
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