The header tank in my 4x4 sapph is looking very crappy so I want to replace it. I know that a 3dr header tank has the low level fluid sender in it, can I use such a tank in the 4x4 also, or are the hose connections different?

 

I got a new 4x4 saff tank from ford a few months back for around £70,a good 3dr one could sell for big money.

 

Do alloy tanks exist that use the low level switch?

 

Yes, but a 4x4 won't have the wiring or sensor so why would you bother?

http://www.proalloy.co.uk/cgi-bin/si...92&id=proalloy

 

The sensor could easily be taken from a washer bottle or from a Granada, those are all the same. The wiring is not much, an earth wire for the sensor, a signal wire to the AWS module and a signal wire to the display. The sapph AWS module already has the function (it's the same as the Granada AWS module which uses more functions), so the only 'difficult' thing is to have a bulb somewhere. It's a shame Ford didn't make it from standard, as even the AWS display where the low fuel and low washer fluid lights are has locations reserved for more bulbs. The only problem is that the plastic is not see-through. I do have a sapph frame with 3 lights in it though, it's from a Ghia sapph TD, which has the plug glow light in there, next to the fuel and washer light.

But back to the original question, do the 4x4 coolant hoses fit the 3dr header tank?

 

The hoses are different - The turbo return is small on a 2wd, but laarge on a 4x4.

 

I just saw the actual hose returning from the turbo isn't that thick either on the 4x4, so probably a 2wd tank on a 4x4 would be fine?

 

You can get a tank without sensors in them , I think pro alloy or spec r do with a sight glass in the side

 

The point was actually to be able to use a tank with a sensor in a 4x4. That's why I wonderen whether a 3dr tank could be used on a 4x4.

 

The turbo return hose isn't the same on either. If you use a 2WD tank on a 4x4 car you need a 2WD turbo return hose. They are massively different in size.

I still think it's a waste of time though

 

Well, I once had a split hose on my 24v, I only noticed it due to some steam from one of the bonnet vents because it was spraying onto one of the exhaust manifolds. But when I opened the bonnet the header tank was already completely empty. In such a case it would be nice to have a warning light on the dash.