Yes, they can.
I would do as Meabh suggested and plumb your radiator overflow into an overflow bottle / tank.
I used to have a plastic tank on the inner wing, but when that expired a year or so ago, I fitted an old brass tank from a Land Rover / Range Rover (it was lying in the shed - might as well use it!) mounted on the passenger side of the bulkhead. I see Peter Mulberry (Mulfab) make stainless ones.
At one stage my system was pressurized to the expansion tank (plastic, which probably helped cause its demise). Now I have the pressure cap on the radiator, with a plain cap on the bottle. The overflow from the metal tank runs down the front of the bulkhead should it ever be needed, just to keep antifreeze off the paintwork.

Cheers,

http://www.team.net/www/morgan/tech/cooling/art020.html

Graham and the poster who said about the top of the radiator being the expansion area are dead right. The article above explains all.

+1 G

Article makes sense.

A plain bottle does work, but those with a long memory will recall my arguments in the letters page of Miscellany as not everyone believes it.

But a far better solution is to do what Graham and I have both done, put a proper expansion tank on the bulkhead, the pressure cap on that, and a plain cap on the radiator. I've also got an uprated radiator (more cores) and have reduced the pressure from 15 to 9 psi as high pressures leak eventually.

My tank is a Sherpa van item kept by a keen scrapyard I used to frequent as it was brass. I think they kept it because of the metal value, but to me, it was easily soldered to make the adaptations needed to fit a Morgan. The Range Rover item bolts straight in, but you try finding one. Graham was lucky with his shed!

Don't know if anyone is interested but I fitted a Mulberry expansion tank to my 4/4 Zetec ( Ok, being me I did have a gripe and it was that I then had to get it polished myself!)
Also, becuase the pipes to and from rad to Ex Tank ran very close to the engine I fitted Goodridge braidedd hoses for extra safety

I use this with plain cap on the rad and expansion cap on the tank

There was nothing amiss with the OE metal ( brass) item I took off ( Range Rover/Land Rover) In fact it was in excellent 'nick' but I just wanted to smarten up the engine bay. I left that tank at Mike D's ( only a few months ago) so he may still have it if anyone is interested
Cheers
G

Hi there and thanks for all for your input.

So if I understand things as I have a pressure cap I am OK as is (i.e. filled right up); however going forward it would be better to fit a expansion tank. Something ultimately like this.

Can this work with my current radiator cap, i.e. would it allow return of the fluid to the system or will I need a new radiator cap? I notice MR sells a kit click here.

Can the expansion tank be fitted anywhere? Or does it have to be at a certain level (I am thinking syphoning issues??).

Thanks as ever,

R.

£85 for an expansion tank kit?
Make your own, along the lines of what Tim has done, shown in your first link.

Better to keep the tank at a reasonable height compared to the rad. You can continue to use your present rad cap.

Cheers,

Great and sounds like a plan - I did think it a little pricey!