Purchased a 3 year old Tiffin Phaeton 36QSR with a 2013 XCR-Series Freightliner Custom Chassis. ISC 8.3 Cummins engine. Have owned it for a year and have 27,000 miles on it. This unit has the radiator in the rear and a coolant surge/expansion tank sitting on top of the radiator. It is nearly impossible to view much of the engine side of the radiator or expansion tank. What concerns me is that the portion of the expansion tank (which is plastic or a plastic like material) which I can see has spider web lines running all over it. It is a semi transparent material. Also, it has a seam running horizontally across it which is brittle and crumbly. This tank doesn't look healthy to me. Anybody out there run across this problem?

Mine had the same issue a couple of years ago. I think Motorhome Magazine had a maintenance article about it. If I recall, the article said it was caused by the plastic surge tank being exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods when the rig is parked. I had the surge tank replaced at my local Freightliner dealer, but after seeing how straight forward the job was, I think it might be a DIY job. I think the article said there was a "fix" (probably from Freightliner) that was basically an aluminum foil shade that could be pasted onto the exposed side of the surge tank to keep it out of the sun. Another option I heard about, but can't verify for sure it actually exists is an after-market surge tank made of metal instead of plastic. Good luck.

Yes, but it was a 2000 Freightliner XC. Changed it myself after ordering the tank from Freightliner. If I remember correctly, it took about 2 hours, and some folks report having to cut a bolt on the side but I was able to get the bolt removed.I made a black plastic cover for the tank from an old antifreeze jug that seemed to work at keeping the sun off the tank.Fred

This might be similar to yours.I had to do mine on a Freightliner with a Cat C7. The Freightliner shop in Billings had the tanks on hand because so many of them went bad. They said it was due to the poor plastic used and the high engine heat.We had to take up the floor boards in the closet (that means emptying the whole closet). There are sensor and hose connections that you can't get to from outside the rear of the MH. It's a lot easier with two people so one person doesn't have to run in and out so many times.Bill

This is of the surge tank on a 2005 Fleetwood Excursion 39S with a Cat C7 on a Freightliner chasis.Bill

the surge tank on my 95 cummins, blew out and cost me an engine overhaulbecause i drove to the next exit instead of immediately pulling over when the temp went upin frame overhaul and new surge tank, $7200 (surge tank about $100)2 yrs later plastic surge tank started leakingi bought a powder coated steel tank on line $399 ?it is still perfect after 3 yrsfind a replacement and change it out, before it becomes a much more costly 'trip' problem

Engine surge tank | Good Sam Community

Trackrig
Explorer II
May 31, 2017
Jim@HiTek wrote:
On my '02, rear rad, Cat 3126, Freightliner chassis, my tank is showing some spider cracks and I'm getting close to replacing it (I've owned the rig since Feb. '16). In the meantime, I used Eternabond tape to cover the cracking area to get a few more months out of it. This summer is the target replacement time thoughRad & Cooling

Jim, if it really starts to leak with pressure behind it, I don't think the Eternabond will hold it.

Bill
Jim
Explorer
May 31, 2017
Trackrig wrote:
Jim@HiTek wrote:
On my '02, rear rad, Cat 3126, Freightliner chassis, my tank is showing some spider cracks and I'm getting close to replacing it (I've owned the rig since Feb. '16). In the meantime, I used Eternabond tape to cover the cracking area to get a few more months out of it. This summer is the target replacement time thoughRad & Cooling

Jim, if it really starts to leak with pressure behind it, I don't think the Eternabond will hold it.

Bill

I wondered about pressure too. But most owners who posted on various forums, said the tank began to 'weep' first so I didn't expect a catastrophic failure. I felt comfortable giving the Ebond a try.

Incidently, I have a friend with an '04 Journey. Also has the same surge tank. Except her's was in pretty bad shape compared to mine. Was both spider cracked and crumbling like the plastic was rotten, but we were in Mexico and she wanted to wait until she got home to Vermont to fix it. So I did the Ebond patch on her tank and April '17 she drove from Baja to Vermont without a problem.
jyrostng
Explorer
Jun 04, 2017
https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-603-029-Coolant-Reservoir/dp/B00FY80P6M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496609938&sr=8-1&keywords=dorman+ford+tank
Just did this on my 2000 32v, v10. Perfect fit
MrWizard
Moderator
Jun 04, 2017
always good to replace those also
but not what the discussion is about
the 'surge tank' on a diesel has a pressure radiator cap
it is part of the coolant flow system, not a reservoir for extra coolant
when these go boom, the engine quickly pumps out all the coolant, its the same thing as blowing a hose or a rock thru the radiator
jyrostng
Explorer
Jun 04, 2017
Just like mine on the v-10, it holds pressure and has a 16 lb cap, just not on a diesel
before
after
MrWizard
Moderator
Jun 05, 2017
pardon me
the amazon link, said reservoir not surge, and pictured a tank with a plain plastic cap

reservoirs, take overflow and are not pressurized

one question .. where does it attach on your radiator ?

to another 3rd or 4th hose connector on the radiator tank

or too the little nipple at the radiator cap ?
just trying to understand the Ford cooling system

the surge tank on my cummins has (3) hoses attached coolant goes thru the tank pushed by the pump
there is another small reservoir to use for topping off the coolant
jyrostng
Explorer
Jun 05, 2017
capThe plastic cap is a 16 lb rated cap, it's the only cap on the system. The radiator is connected to the bottom of the bottle on a 1" hose. I don't know that the system has any kind of overflow bottle and couldn't find any google diagrams of it on line. this tank has 2 hoses, one small and one large. Antifreeze flowed from both when I switched it.

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