Thanks, I've managed to find a complete set of pipes for £20 off eBay so hopefully that sorts the problem, it seems that there is good flow from the little tee at the top coming out of the radiator but the other end of that pipe where it joins 2 others there is no flow, I tried unblocking with carb cleaner etc but no joy, I'm assuming the little plastic piece I can feel within the pipe is some sort of filter which is completely blocked, hoping that this is the cause of blowing out all the coolant from the reservoir, already tried a few other cheap fixes like coolant tank and cap and thermostat ( what a pig of a job to do!) without success so fingers crossed! Ah and there is no sign of it being head gasket, car does not overheat, no cream in the oil and no oil in the coolant, also no smoke from the exhaust and 2 sniff tests passed