Reply to "Filling a completely dry coolant system"

Stant makes a pressure testing kit. Retails for around $100. If you do a lot of business with the supplier maybe you can get it for $70? I have that one. It's high quality and will last a long time. Stant makes additional adapters for it that you can buy separately to add to the kit as are required by different manufacturers.

Basically what that means is that there are two cap adapters that you need for other newer cars. One threads internally into the cars plastic expansion tank and the other externally. The new Fords and GM'have external threads on the tanks and the European cars like the Audi have internal threads.

Those are two additional adapters you need at about $45 each if you want a current complete kit.

You DO NOT NEED ADDITIONAL ADAPTERS WITH THIS KIT JUST TO USE ON THE PANTERA! Just the basic kit is sufficient.


The Pantera needs to be stood on it's nose as much as you can do it to get the air out of the system.

There have been various methods tried over the years.

There is a Ford service bulletin from when the cars were new, to add a 1/4" line from the top of the radiator tank to the pressure tank.

This was Fords recommendation to provide an automatic air bleed for the system.

Some say it doesn't work but I have it in my car and I have no trapped air issues with the system.



The other thing that you MUST do in a Pantera is the water pump that you put in MUST have the fast warm up bleed hole in it.

The Wieand pump does not and it must be added.

I am told that the Edelbrock does have it but I have not had that pump in my hands and can not verify that at all.

Without that bypass hole the Pantera WILL overheat and you won't find the cause.

For some reason the bypass hole is not drilled by Wieand. They know that, and they call it a fast warm up modification. It plays havoc with the 351c's cooling system.



What you DO want to do with the pressure tester is verify that your system holds 16psi.

You also need to verify that you have a 16psi cap and that it is sealing properly.

If it isn't then you are running with atmospheric pressure to the system and the car WILL boil over.

You WILL HEAR THE PUMP PRESSURIZE THE SYSTEM WHEN YOU DO THIS. It is very audible.


There has been some issue with replacement caps not being long enough to push the sealing gasket against the seat in the Panteras tank. You need to verify that it does fully close the cap otherwise you are running at atmospheric pressures which on this chart would be zero psi.



What the 16psi cap does is raise the boiling over point of a 50/50 mixture.

Boiling points: water @ 212 F at atmospheric

50/50 @ 220 with 50/50 water/anti-freeze at atmospheric pressure ( = zero psi)

50/50 @ 250 F @ 16 psi.

Each addition psi raises the boiling point 2-3 degrees F.

DO NOT go over 16psi with the Pantera system. It will hold somewhere around 20 BUT the risk of failure of a component like the radiator from expansion and contraction due to the additional pressurization isn't worth it. If you are boiling over with a 16 psi system at 250 F then you have more serious problems.