heater hose question

[trugertha1]

hey all i recently got a rad from a 86 6.9 4spd, and i was gunna install it into my 91 auto, my question is theres a heater hose right beside my lower rad hose, it just goes up and T's into the hose going from the block to the heater. can i just not use this hose? or is it important that stays hooked up like this?
thanx

 

[defecater]

I was going to ask pretty much the same question. I am wanting to remove the heater hose type heater and put in a block heater, and I am not shure how I should run the hoses--- Which one should I block off??? I am thinking the radiator fitting, am I wrong??

 

[typ4]

you can block the one in the radiator bottom tank. It is a fast warm up thing that isnt really needed.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Agreed, you can lose that hose - it's part of the factory tow-package setup and all it does is help warm up the trans fluid faster when starting off cold. That 5/8" fitting down there is actually for the most part solid, the hole through it is only like 3/16" in diameter, so there is very little coolant flow through it. I just bypassed mine last week, engine works just fine without it.

 

[trugertha1]

thanx alot guys. just something i noticed when i went to install my rad 2day

 

[defecater]

yeah, thanks for the advice.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I am wanting to remove the heater hose type heater and put in a block heater,

If the canister-heater is properly mounted near the bottom of the radiator, and that restrictive hose-fitting replaced with a normal one, the canister will out-perform any block-heater you will find; that is providing the canister-heater is properly plumbed and not just stuck in a heater-hose as an after-thought.

 

[Agnem]

Did your manual trans rad have the fittings for your automatic trans to attach? I know they all seem to now, but didn't know if it was universal back then.

 

[trugertha1]

Did your manual trans rad have the fittings for your automatic trans to attach? I know they all seem to now, but didn't know if it was universal back then.

no sir just upper and lower hose and drain plug. while having a look this morning i noticed that someone had added a trans cooler*12"x12"* but also left it plumbed to the trans cooler in the rad (old rad)? will this 12"x12" cooler be enough to cool my trans? or should i upgrade? thanx agian

 

[icanfixall]

That lower radiator fitting is just as posted. I can add this... The brass fitting in the passenger head that sends hot coolant to the heater has an orfice in it too but... Ford no longer sells them. I bought the last fitting Ford had about 2 years ago. I found my orfice was shot and wanted a new fitting. National search said the only fitting still avaiaable was about 5 miles from me so I bought it. Looking back it was not really needed but I am running it now. I have no idea why the heater needs to have a restricted folw but thats what I found out. Geez... My heater will run you out of the truck on full hot position so I usually run it at half position. Must be because we never see any temps below freezeing out here on thww west coast like some areas well below freezeing....

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Gary, the head fitting in my engine was a full-bore one, not the restrictive orifice type. My truck also heats up the cab super good, last year we had one bad storm where I had torun the heat on full blast to keep the windshield from freezing over, and so I don't cook my ass in the process I ran with the slider window open... and I was wearing a T-shirt.

Oh yeah, for those with bolt-action transmissions, and slushbox-type radiators - that trans cooler in the bottom rad tank makes for a very nice fuel heater

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Oh yeah, for those with bolt-action transmissions, and slushbox-type radiators - that trans cooler in the bottom rad tank makes for a very nice fuel heater

I am gonna have to re-examine my new replacement radiator, as I believe it has the cooler built in.

If so, I just might try this fuel-heater trick; I really don't know why, though, as I have never noticed any issues from running cold fuel.

 

[sassyrel]

the reason for the restricted fitting, was more on cars than trucks. when you wound up the engine to good r's, the flow was so strong--it would blow heater cores apart. serious. this started to show in cop cars first!!!!! than was added to the other vehicles. as stated---i doubt it would bother on our diesel engines, as they dont spin that tight--

 

[LCAM-01XA]

I am gonna have to re-examine my new replacement radiator, as I believe it has the cooler built in.

If so, I just might try this fuel-heater trick; I really don't know why, though, as I have never noticed any issues from running cold fuel.

Well I figured that cold fuel hitting the hot fuel pump can't be good for the rubber diaphragm inside, now with the heater the fuel warms up to about the same temperature as the fuel pump so much less of a thermal shock for the diaphragm.

the reason for the restricted fitting, was more on cars than trucks. when you wound up the engine to good r's, the flow was so strong--it would blow heater cores apart. serious. this started to show in cop cars first!!!!! than was added to the other vehicles. as stated---i doubt it would bother on our diesel engines, as they dont spin that tight--

Oh, I know why they put the fitting in there, I blew the core in my Chev twice, both times racing some quite in a convertible. My Lincoln never blew a core tho, which is very very good - with the Chev it takes 15-20 minutes to change the core, and my Ford now is even easier, but with the Lincoln you spend good 6 hours just disassembling the dash so you can get to the core... nightmare!

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Well I figured that cold fuel hitting the hot fuel pump can't be good for the rubber diaphragm inside, now with the heater the fuel warms up to about the same temperature as the fuel pump so much less of a thermal shock for the diaphragm.

Good point.

I hadn't considered it from that angle.

Now I am for certain gonna check out my radiator.

Oh, I know why they put the fitting in there, I blew the core in my Chev twice, both times racing some quite in a convertible. My Lincoln never blew a core tho, which is very very good - with the Chev it takes 15-20 minutes to change the core, and my Ford now is even easier, but with the Lincoln you spend good 6 hours just disassembling the dash so you can get to the core... nightmare!

From what I read, the "1st Gen." Dodge trucks require the A/C be evacuated and the evaporator be removed before you can even begin to get at the heater-core.

If the one on the wife's Dodge ever starts leaking, I am gonna bypass the core completely and install one of those self-contained heater/blowers, either under the dash or under the seat; no way am I gonna mess with her A/C after we spent more getting it up and freezing than we paid for the whole truck.