Quick and easy heater core bypass?

stock50LX

Curmudgeon

Founding Member

Oct 2, 2001

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University Place, WA

Feb 16, 2004

#1

• Feb 16, 2004

• #1

Anyone done this? I can do it with some hardware (fabricating a "U" with adapters for the different sized hoses, but I was hoping someone had worked out an easier and perhaps more clever solution.

 

ECU5.0

Banned

Jan 10, 2004

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raleigh, nc

Feb 16, 2004

#2

• Feb 16, 2004

• #2

get a u-shaped hose and put it on the back of the metal heater lines...ive got some friends that have done this and it looks good...cant really tell its even there unless youre looking for it.

 

Blandnuts

I don't swallow; I only swoosh

Founding Member

Aug 21, 2000

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FloorDuh

Feb 16, 2004

#3

• Feb 16, 2004

• #3

That's what I've seen everyone else do... You could always fix it .

 

IndyBlk5.0

New Member

Nov 24, 2003

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New Whiteland, IN

Feb 16, 2004

#4

• Feb 16, 2004

• #4

blah heater cores are the dread of are foxs =( takes quite awhile, and you have to crack your a/c line and loose your freon.. that sucks. too bad ford didnt think of a user friendly plan... dont remove your dash, just push it up =)

 

stock50LX

Curmudgeon

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Oct 2, 2001

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University Place, WA

Feb 16, 2004

#5

• Feb 16, 2004

• #5

To ECU concerning the U shaped hose suggestion: the two metal heater pipes are of different diameters?! Where does one get a U shaped hose that would fit?

Indy Blk5.0: Yes, I've done one already and the job was a chore. This bypass is more for a test than anything else. My problems could be elsewhere.

 

IndyBlk5.0

New Member

Nov 24, 2003

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New Whiteland, IN

Feb 16, 2004

#6

• Feb 16, 2004

• #6

ahhhhh losing coolant? did you do a compression test yet? milkshake in oil? blowing bubbles in radiator? radiator fins have excess scale on them? try changing your thermostat? water pump cool? any smoke out tail pipes? leak down test? just a few ideas...

 

ECU5.0

Banned

Jan 10, 2004

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raleigh, nc

Feb 16, 2004

#7

• Feb 16, 2004

• #7

not real sure...youd just have to ask someone at autozone for a piece of tubing that makes a 90 degree bend and cut it to the right length....id get a piece that is the size of the larger tube...or maybe a little smaller and just use a little elbow grease to get it on and than make sure the smaller tube is clamped down really well. theyre not too big of a difference in size

 

YardSpecial

New Member

Mar 20, 2003

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MT

Feb 16, 2004

#8

• Feb 16, 2004

• #8

Just ripped the 3/4 pipe out of the firewall and connected it to the 5/8 hose !

 

stock50LX

Curmudgeon

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Oct 2, 2001

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University Place, WA

Feb 16, 2004

#9

• Feb 16, 2004

• #9

IndyBlk5.0 said:

ahhhhh losing coolant? did you do a compression test yet? milkshake in oil? blowing bubbles in radiator? radiator fins have excess scale on them? try changing your thermostat? water pump cool? any smoke out tail pipes? leak down test? just a few ideas...

Click to expand...

I just finished porting the heads and reassembling. The car has been sitting for three months. During the test drive, all seemed normal until I revved it to about 5k, then I had steam coming from the cowl hood and from the passenger-side windshield vent. After opening the hood, I could see that the steam was emitting from the passanger-side firewall area. I saw that I had forgotten to tighten the clamps to the hoses that connect to the heater core. Hissing from slowly releasing air pressure continued for several minutes. I assumed the steam came from that hose and spewed into the firewall and out the cowl and also into the interior. I figured I had air in the cooling system. I had to add a gallon of water at that point. After I tightened the hoses and restarted the car, the larger of the two hoses immediately developed a leak leading me to think that maybe the heater core was plugged. I do seem to have smoke from both pipes (The February air is so cold it's hard to know) but no water in the oil or bubbles in the radiator. Your dire suggestion may be right, though.

 

Black 93 Fox

Active Member

Jun 1, 2003

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Vancouver,Washington

Feb 16, 2004

#10

• Feb 16, 2004

• #10

When you guys are talking about the two diffrent sizes are you talking about the two metal tubes that come out of the firewall and connect to rubber hoses? My heater core is going bad or is totaly bad by now. If i disconect thoes two rubber hoses and just buy some new hose and make it bend with out stoping the water will this work?

 

stock50LX

Curmudgeon

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Oct 2, 2001

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University Place, WA

Feb 17, 2004

#11

• Feb 17, 2004

• #11

Black '93, I just cut the bad hose in half and bent it enough to connect the two metal heater pipes, bypassing the core. I didn't buy anything. However, on the ensuing test drive I ended up with coolant all over my engine, this time from the front and spewing out over the top of the engine. I could not find the point of origin. Engine was hot, waterpump very hot, radiator less than warm. I guess I'll try the thermostat next.

 

bmorrisj

Member

Sep 26, 2003

449

0

17

Buena Park, CA

Feb 17, 2004

#12

• Feb 17, 2004

• #12

i put caps on the ends of the heater lines, is that bad.....the bypass hose that was on there developed a nice leak...and i used a coolant system pressure tester on the rad cap and it maintained a steady 16psi with no air/liquid leaks....

 

8

87gtconv

ragtopman

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Feb 11, 1999

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Southern Calif

Feb 17, 2004

#13

• Feb 17, 2004

• #13

bmorrisj I am confused what did you do with the hose that brings the water to the heater core??

 

bmorrisj

Member

Sep 26, 2003

449

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Buena Park, CA

Feb 18, 2004

#14

• Feb 18, 2004

• #14

there is nothing connected to the heater core, before i just had a hose looped from the bottom heater line to the top, that started leaking so i put caps and clamps on the ends....

 

8

89lxsport50

10 Year Member

Feb 25, 2003

550

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Franklin Tennessee

Feb 18, 2004

#15

• Feb 18, 2004

• #15

I temporarily bypassed mine. I got 2 copper plumbing elbows, soldered them together to form a U shape, pulled the hoses from the core, inserted the U, and clamped it down. It worked fine until I could replace the core.

 

fredfifty

5 Year Member

Nov 23, 2011

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SF Bay Area

Jun 25, 2018

#16

• Jun 25, 2018

• #16

i used a 3/4 to 3/4 u-shaped bypass hose with hose clamps...is that okay? or is it better to use the correct size heater hose 3/4 to 5/8?

 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

5 Year Member

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polk county florida

Jun 25, 2018

#17

• Jun 25, 2018

• #17

As long as it don't leak your golden.

 

deathb4dismount

Crap, didn’t realize my crotch was in that picture

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THE BUCKET

Jun 27, 2018

#18

• Jun 27, 2018

• #18

http://www.breezeautomotive.com/details.php?prod_id=259

Did mine last week.

 

Reactions: fredfifty

fredfifty

5 Year Member

Nov 23, 2011

318

57

59

SF Bay Area

Jun 27, 2018

#19

• Jun 27, 2018

• #19

I was able to find one on summit.