Replacement Expansion Tank in cooling system
#1
01-12-2012, 05:49 PM
Replacement Expansion Tank in cooling system
I just diagnosed a coolant leak in my 1994 SC2 coupe. The expansion or coolant recovery tank is leaking. A plastic thing. And with plastics prone to damage due age and heat it does not surprise me. However I have heard these are hard to find. Well maybe, but it took me about 5 min to discover that it is a Doorman part, part #603121 and it costs around $30.00. This makes me happy to find out, hope it helps some one else too!
Last edited by sw2cam; 01-20-2012 at 10:56 AM.
#3
01-13-2012, 07:49 AM
I've used Doorman aftermarket before so I really don't have a concern, but the reality of the situation is simply this.
If these cars are going to stay on the road for any period of time from today on, a source of aftermarket parts is going to have to be identified. And once identified, problems if any are also going to have to be documented.
Why, because with out aftermarket parts you can kiss off running them.
I at this point in time have no idea how long GM is going to carry parts for them. At one point in time it was a mandate that parts must be carried for 7 years after demise of a product line.
GM has demised Saturn, Pontiac and Oldsmobile and has in many cases converted individual product manufacturing to either the euphanism of Corporate Platforms using parts from part bins from all over the word or as I prefer to reference them Badge Engineered cars a less than politically correct term that basically means, the car is identical to this other one except for the badge that indicates the Name.
The S series Saturns were designed, manufactured and built as SATURNS in Tennessee. Pretty much everything (I think anyway) were badge engineered the latest and I love the definition, designed by Opal, manufactured by Dewoo and sold under at least 3 different GM model designation and they are the newer ones and as I understand, almost impossible to buy parts for at all and if they are available they are sent from Korea to some GM center located in some obscure location. In this state, it is some where near Apache Junction.
It has been way more than 7 years since the last S car has hit the streets. This is not the last rodeo I have been in with defunct cars and if it was not for aftermarket, reproduction and dedicated hobbiests, there would not be much available to keep them running or looking good and then only the highly desirable models that have some value in the collector market. Desirability is also a function of popularity and if it is not there initially in any size big enough to warrent aftermarket or reproduction or even some one dedicated enough to start a junk yard to keep these thing running for awhile and very few people live where that can take place. We have one on this forum. I don't know how many others there are but with out Hoseppi (spelling) mine would be in the junk yard itself.
I am already having problems getting obscure option parts for my 94 coupe. There is going to come a time where I am going to have to get rid of it or spend a lot of time and money making things for it. The car is not worth the expense of reproduction parts. I sure like driving it. It is a coupe, I like how it runs and drives and I enjoy being a back yard mechanic. I screwed up the paint job on it and am going to have to repaint it. I found out last week the materials I need to buy to not screw it up again.
I also stopped by and looked at the Fiat 500 and drove one.
Dang, I like that thing. It is affordable, a coupe and fun to drive. I can live with it really well.
It feels like my Saturn on the road, has more head room and while the styling is different? So was my Saturn when I bought it.
The 6 speed automatic is matched well to the 100 HP 1.4L 4 cylinder engine. The new Saturns? At least the newest? Not my cup of tea and allready almost impossible to get some parts for.
As a hobby, these may or may not be viable in a couple of years. Dunno. But I have decided I have more time than money and I can buy paint and spend about 60 hours repainting my coupe again.
And Derf I know you were looking for paint for yours. The black gold I bought the last time had a bit of bling in it. I don't know why but it did and as I was doing a full repaint I liked it better, however, checking out the formula for Black Gold paint it was not supposed to have all that bling. And although I might put some pearl in it when I repaint a powder additive to the last coat of clear, the basic formula just has the gold additive to the color. And sure is pretty.
If these cars are going to stay on the road for any period of time from today on, a source of aftermarket parts is going to have to be identified. And once identified, problems if any are also going to have to be documented.
Why, because with out aftermarket parts you can kiss off running them.
I at this point in time have no idea how long GM is going to carry parts for them. At one point in time it was a mandate that parts must be carried for 7 years after demise of a product line.
GM has demised Saturn, Pontiac and Oldsmobile and has in many cases converted individual product manufacturing to either the euphanism of Corporate Platforms using parts from part bins from all over the word or as I prefer to reference them Badge Engineered cars a less than politically correct term that basically means, the car is identical to this other one except for the badge that indicates the Name.
The S series Saturns were designed, manufactured and built as SATURNS in Tennessee. Pretty much everything (I think anyway) were badge engineered the latest and I love the definition, designed by Opal, manufactured by Dewoo and sold under at least 3 different GM model designation and they are the newer ones and as I understand, almost impossible to buy parts for at all and if they are available they are sent from Korea to some GM center located in some obscure location. In this state, it is some where near Apache Junction.
It has been way more than 7 years since the last S car has hit the streets. This is not the last rodeo I have been in with defunct cars and if it was not for aftermarket, reproduction and dedicated hobbiests, there would not be much available to keep them running or looking good and then only the highly desirable models that have some value in the collector market. Desirability is also a function of popularity and if it is not there initially in any size big enough to warrent aftermarket or reproduction or even some one dedicated enough to start a junk yard to keep these thing running for awhile and very few people live where that can take place. We have one on this forum. I don't know how many others there are but with out Hoseppi (spelling) mine would be in the junk yard itself.
I am already having problems getting obscure option parts for my 94 coupe. There is going to come a time where I am going to have to get rid of it or spend a lot of time and money making things for it. The car is not worth the expense of reproduction parts. I sure like driving it. It is a coupe, I like how it runs and drives and I enjoy being a back yard mechanic. I screwed up the paint job on it and am going to have to repaint it. I found out last week the materials I need to buy to not screw it up again.
I also stopped by and looked at the Fiat 500 and drove one.
Dang, I like that thing. It is affordable, a coupe and fun to drive. I can live with it really well.
It feels like my Saturn on the road, has more head room and while the styling is different? So was my Saturn when I bought it.
The 6 speed automatic is matched well to the 100 HP 1.4L 4 cylinder engine. The new Saturns? At least the newest? Not my cup of tea and allready almost impossible to get some parts for.
As a hobby, these may or may not be viable in a couple of years. Dunno. But I have decided I have more time than money and I can buy paint and spend about 60 hours repainting my coupe again.
And Derf I know you were looking for paint for yours. The black gold I bought the last time had a bit of bling in it. I don't know why but it did and as I was doing a full repaint I liked it better, however, checking out the formula for Black Gold paint it was not supposed to have all that bling. And although I might put some pearl in it when I repaint a powder additive to the last coat of clear, the basic formula just has the gold additive to the color. And sure is pretty.
Last edited by uncljohn; 01-13-2012 at 07:55 AM.
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