Coolant heat exchanger line questions

[mankypro]

I'm about to install a heat exchanger in my rear large capacity fuel tank. I grabbed one of the stainless steel pick up type the Canucks use on their big trucks.

I need to plumb it with coolant hoses. They say to splice my lines in the same lines as those used by the heater core.

While doing this I'm planning on replacing my existing heater hose lines. I'm wondering what is the best quality hose to use for this? I'm going to use it to plumb the heat exchanger as well. Is there a specific brand or type of hose that is particularly durable and highly resistant to heat/freeze cycles? It will be running along the inner frame and it gets mighty cold in the corridor I'll be running in Northern Colorado/Wyoming/Montana/Idaho - so I want to use high quality hose.

I plan to use brass and ss hose clamps. I was also going to plumb a fuel filter coil heater from this line and I was wondering the effect multiple coolant paths would have on the in cab heating system? It gets mighty toasty in there in any case so a few degrees - like 10-20 would hardly be noticeable - but just wondering about feeding a full size (3/4") T to the rear tank and a smaller (3/8") T to heat the fuel filter and the effect it might have on things.

I attached the pdf file for the fuel filter heater for interested folks.

p.s. not that it particulary matters, but I was wondering which hose line was the supply and which was the return on the heater core as you look at the firewall in the engine bay?

 

[h2odrx]

p.s. not that it particulary matters, but I was wondering which hose line was the supply and which was the return on the heater core as you look at the firewall in the engine bay?

Isn't it the one that comes off the pump that is the supply? the one that goes to the head is the return?

 

[typ4]

The head is the supply, the pump line is on the suction side

 

[mankypro]

thanks!

 

[RLDSL]

As far as the best hose for the coolant, it's pretty hard to beat Aeroquip hose if you want something that will last a very long time( pretty important when you consider how much hose is involved and how it makes your cooling system that much more vulnerable to failure ). You would have to check the minimum bend radius for the size you are looking at to see if it would make that tight a loop ( this goes for any of the higher quality hoses, they can be pretty stiff ) You can use hose clamps and barb fittings with aeroquip hose on low pressure fittings like that. Cheap clamps won't work with it though, you need either their clamps or better some Gator clamps myou can get them here I usually like to keep a bag of each size of those things on hand. You can't beat them .

For something that is a little easier to rig up and less hassle at filter change time, you can make an electric 12 volt band heater that clamps on the filter for about $60 that gets the filter up to temp in a matter of seconds, instead of the long wait for the cooling system to heat up ( especially in winter )

 

[discbrks]

I agree with the Aeroquip suggestion. If you wanted to step down a few notches, you can run silicone heater hose (usually comes in blue & red), ut it needs special clamps also.

 

[mankypro]

the link for the clamps is a page with like 8 stores on it - which one?

As far as the best hose for the coolant, it's pretty hard to beat Aeroquip hose if you want something that will last a very long time( pretty important when you consider how much hose is involved and how it makes your cooling system that much more vulnerable to failure ). You would have to check the minimum bend radius for the size you are looking at to see if it would make that tight a loop ( this goes for any of the higher quality hoses, they can be pretty stiff ) You can use hose clamps and barb fittings with aeroquip hose on low pressure fittings like that. Cheap clamps won't work with it though, you need either their clamps or better some Gator clamps myou can get them here I usually like to keep a bag of each size of those things on hand. You can't beat them .

For something that is a little easier to rig up and less hassle at filter change time, you can make an electric 12 volt band heater that clamps on the filter for about $60 that gets the filter up to temp in a matter of seconds, instead of the long wait for the cooling system to heat up ( especially in winter )

 

[leftcoastjeff]

coolant heat management

"It will be running along the inner frame and it gets mighty cold in the corridor I'll be running in Northern Colorado/Wyoming/Montana/Idaho"

Insulated fuel line and coolant lines? wrapped together?
Insulated heat exchanger?

Here's some ideas,
http://www.burnveg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=189

Hope I'm not out of line,

LCjeff

OBTW those clamps, do they come in stainless?

 

[mankypro]

Oh I'm going to bundle the fuel lines with the coolant lines running to the heat exchanger no doubt - then I'm going to wrap both together in one of those foam sleeves...

 

[RLDSL]

the link for the clamps is a page with like 8 stores on it - which one?

Hmmm, wonder how that happened I get them from Competition Cams, click on that one it will bring up their store

 

[RLDSL]

OBTW those clamps, do they come in stainless?

Those Gator clamps are all stainless, that's the only way they come so far as I know