Overflow container restoration

[oilspot]

weird question I know. But trying to make the ol' engine look factory fresh. My trucks a super straight desert south west vehicle, so I figure its worth the effort to "restore" it now. I'm guessing these will be sought after not long down the road. Hell I remember squarebodies being dime a dozen work trucks not to long ago.
Well, the overflow container looks like crap. I can clean up the outside with steel wool on the outside, but how would I clean the inside to get a the cruddy residue out.

 

[kennythewelder]

They sale these on ebay as cheap as $26. Like you it is one of the things I need to do on my truck too.

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[HotWheelsBurban]

Are they the GM ones or repops? I'm not super concerned about where it's made, but I want a good one that doesn't leak or break.

 

[kennythewelder]

Are they the GM ones or repops? I'm not super concerned about where it's made, but I want a good one that doesn't leak or break.

Im sure at that price, they are made in China.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Im sure at that price, they are made in China.

Yeah, hope that low price doesn't include any extras......

 

[kennythewelder]

Yeah, hope that low price doesn't include any extras......

I didnt put the link, but all you have to do is type in c1500 overflow bottle on ebay. There are a ton of them there.

 

[kennythewelder]

Ive been thinking about building one out of aluminum, but its an odd shape, and would need a sight glass. IDK, we will see. If I do, I will post pics of course.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Ive been thinking about building one out of aluminum, but its an odd shape, and would need a sight glass. IDK, we will see. If I do, I will post pics of course.

That'd be neat if you could, then it could be polished. Thanks for the tip, I'll look into it. I need a washer reservoir worse than the coolant bottle, but if I could get both reasonably priced, I'd replace them both. 21 year old plastic, you know....

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

There's several Dorman ones on there from $25-40. I'll ask my parts lady when she's back on Friday about that and the washer bottle. Dorman makes it too, for $42. I can get a discount from o'Reilly through a friend who has a shop account with them. If I'd known it was that cheap I would have replaced it years ago. Now if I could get to the treasure yard and find a truck that hasn't been hit on the left front....speaking of them, LKQ(pick your part) has USED ones for $65

 

[454cid]

Try a bottle brush, or a cheap toilet brush from the dollar store to clean the original.

I wouldn't use steel wool on plastic, you'll scuff it up and give dirt and grime a better surface to stick.

I looked at a new bottle at some point, and it was made kinda cheap.... and made in China.