Deleting Heater Core?

[new46stang]

So I am trying to get my 331 running right and I think I created a coolant flow issue. I'm working with a 91 331 stroker and I wanted to delete the A/C and heater. A/C was pretty straight forward. I am running the TrickFlow A/C delete kit which relocates the belt tensioner. To delete the cooling lines to the heater core I removed the two lines that run from the water pump to intake to firewall. I got an adapter to screw the sensor from the heater lines directly into the intake manifold and plugged off the outlet from the water pump where the line would normally attach. I hope this makes sense and you can follow what I did. Did I do this wrong? Should the water pump outlet still run to the lower manifold? I don't really know the direction of flow.

 

[7991LXnSHO]

I would have left the lines and made a u turn for the coolant.

 

[jrichker]

So I am trying to get my 331 running right and I think I created a coolant flow issue. I'm working with a 91 331 stroker and I wanted to delete the A/C and heater. A/C was pretty straight forward. I am running the TrickFlow A/C delete kit which relocates the belt tensioner. To delete the cooling lines to the heater core I removed the two lines that run from the water pump to intake to firewall. I got an adapter to screw the sensor from the heater lines directly into the intake manifold and plugged off the outlet from the water pump where the line would normally attach. I hope this makes sense and you can follow what I did. Did I do this wrong? Should the water pump outlet still run to the lower manifold? I don't really know the direction of flow.

You live in Arizona and you deleted the A/C? Is this a track only car? If not have you spent too much time out in the Arizona summer sun?

If you are running fuel injection using the stock computer, you just shot yourself in the foot. The Engine Coolant Temperature sensor is in one of those tubes. It tells the computer how hot the engine is. The computer uses this data to help set the air/fuel ratio. Loop the tubes with some heater hose and a splice from Home Depot or Ace Hardware to match the two different sizes of hose.

The drawing shows a stock EFI manifold, the senor locations will be the same for almost all aftermarket EFI manifolds.

 

[new46stang]

Heh yeah, I guess the sun has baked my noodle a bit. Not a daily driver and the build had the track in mind first and street second.....but now that it is done the two strips out here closed. Ok so anyway....I DID keep the sensor. I got a pipe adapter and screwed it into the intake where the coolant tube would have been. My main concern is did I affect flow? BTW jrichker I have been watching your posts for years and pretty much idolize you. I am having big issues with this 331 and will be looking for your input (I will be starting another thread after I complete all your write-ups so you don't have to post those long buggers).

 

[mikestang63]

You should be fine if all you did was essentially bypass the heater core. Many people do exactly what you did in screwing the ECT into the manifold. I agree though that deleting the A/C on any car driven on the street is a no no. If you don't turn the A/C on ll you are losing is the parasitic drag from the pulley and the weight of the A/C components. Not enough for me to ever consider doing that here in S Fla. I did bypass the heater core though as we never need it. I capped off both of the heater core pipes coming out of the firewall and put vacuum caps on the EGR bungs.

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[new46stang]

Thanks for the input. I was really worried about messing up the flow with capping off one of the pipes on the water pump. After I run some more tests I'm going to need help with why this engine is running like crap and won't idle. I think its running really hot too.