It’s the old time lorises section so hopefully I can ask this question because I can’t think where else to ask it. Does anybody know the capacity of the cooling system of an ERF B series with a 180 Gardner in it? Need to know how much antifreeze to buy, no idea as radiator rotted out and now it’s been recored it’s time to refit it. Google doesn’t seem to know the answer to this question so thought somebody on here might of had some dealings with one in the past.
Thanks…
Fill it with water measuring how much you put in and halve it, and that is how much antifreeze you need.
Pete.
The Driver’s Handbook gives lots of details but doesn’t show which engines require which amounts. The workshop manual might help if you can get one (I haven’t got one). The advice of the poster above sounds about right to me, and errs on the safe side. Robert
Buy a 20 litre or 25 litre drum of antifreeze and you will have enough. Then half fill your watering can with water and top it up to the full mark with antifreeze. Don’t forget to drain the engine block out first from the drains at the back of the bottom water rail and the underside of the water pump. The B Series the header tank is on the catwalk gantry frame IIRC so if you tilt the cab and turn the heater control to hot while filling then it will help prevent air locks in the heater rad.
If I was a betting man, and recall my days in the workshop, 2 watering cans would be a good guess, 4 gallons?
Bet the man from ■■■■■■■ will know…less than in a 240, in a big J 
I assume this is a restoration job and not a working unit; so if in doubt, do what we did in the old days an drain the radiator when not in use. 
Robert
robert1952:
I assume this is a restoration job and not a working unit; so if in doubt, do what we did in the old days an drain the radiator when not in use.
Don’t forget that with a Gardner you have a drain tap on the waterpump!
Pete.
Thanks forthe replies, just thought one of you older fellas might of known from days gone past. It’s not an issue we will just fill it with water to find out how big the system is then refill it with the right amounts of water/antifreeze…
older fellas? we’re all in our prime ffs 
The radiator / coolant capacity was always an issue that Hugh Gardner had with his engine buying chassis assemblers, whether lorry or bus. He always insisted on a big radiator for a cool running engine, but it came down in the end to what the assemblers were prepared to fit. So the radiator / coolant capacity will be given in the ERF handbook and not in the Gardner workshop manual.
gingerfold:
The radiator / coolant capacity was always an issue that Hugh Gardner had with his engine buying chassis assemblers, whether lorry or bus. He always insisted on a big radiator for a cool running engine, but it came down in the end to what the assemblers were prepared to fit. So the radiator / coolant capacity will be given in the ERF handbook and not in the Gardner workshop manual.
And the assemblers ignored the technical requirement and expected their customers to pick up the bill for the consequences. That sums up the motor industry to a T.
windrush:
robert1952:
I assume this is a restoration job and not a working unit; so if in doubt, do what we did in the old days an drain the radiator when not in use.Don’t forget that with a Gardner you have a drain tap on the waterpump!
Pete.
And don’t forget to grease the water pump regularly we used to change the grease cap to a grease ■■■■■■
Following up on this - same question about an EC11 with M11 ■■■■■■■ in??
Just premix 50/50 de-ionised water and antifreeze. Do not forget that a ■■■■■■■ engine will require 3% DCA well, this can be purchased as a liquid (DCA60L or DCA65L) or you can use a precharge filter (WF 20**). Alternatively buy Fleetguard Compleat which is ready mixed A/F H2O and DCA. The expensive part comes with the need monitor coolant chemical concentration. This means buying the litmus paper test strips (CC2602A) which come in a package of 50 strips for about £50, but they only have a shelf life of about 6 months so most of the contents are wasted.
steptoe:
…Does anybody know the capacity of the cooling system of an ERF B series with a 180 Gardner in it? …
According to my information it is 38 Litres, but it did vary slightly at one point when Coventry Radiators changed the design of the rad tanks.
As stated in previous posts, always use deionised water / antifreeze mix to fill a cooling system, never tap water, and don’t use modern OAT based antifeeze in a Gardner (it will leak like a sieve). Use older technology Silicate based antifreeze with a 50/50 mix, or at least a 60/40. Volvo Penta ‘Green Coolant’ is an excellent coolant suitable for older mixed metal engines, and is available ready mixed in 20L drums for reasonable cost.
Just an addition to the excellent advice regarding ■■■■■■■ coolant from ‘cav551’, personally we have moved away from the headache of testing and correctly dosing with DCA, and now use a modern ready mixed speciality coolant with a very good liner anti cavitation additive built in that has a three year life. It is very important to use a plain coolant filter with this, not a DCA / SCA dosed one as the additives are different. We use a WF2122 which is a long life plain filter, but standard life non additive ones are also available and are cheaper to buy.