Easy coolant filter

[FORDF250HDXLT]

The heater core loop is a bypass.It's sole purpose is to provide heat in the cab.The primary engine cooling route is through the block,pushed out of the upper radiator hose via a water pump,through the radiator and returns to the block through the lower hose.The heater core loop is a secondary bypass loop,not designed to provide any additional cooling.Therefore,if you bypass the heater core loop with a coolant filter setup,your bypassing the bypass. .........but it doesn't hurt anything.

 

[madpogue]

I think the bypass concern was not so much about engine cooling, and more about whether there would be enough coolant for the heater core. That's the reason you don't want the filter in line with the heater core.

 

[BR3]

It's really actually ideal to just use the ancillary line that splits off the heater core return and runs down bottom. The fitting in the radiator is only about an eighth diameter as it is, and full flow through the heater core is retained. And there is literally no risk involved, as all it does is preheat the tranny (if auto) and that's been proven unneeded. if you run your filter there, even a blocked off line doesn't hurt anything

 

[madpogue]

^^^^^ For those trucks that have one. AFAIK, only automatic trucks do.

 

[Dieselcrawler]

And only the later autos had it.

 

[BR3]

Woops,my bad. For some reason I was thinking sidewindedidi had stated in this thread his truck was a 92, I guess I got mistakenly got that information elsewhere. Both of those gentlemen are right. It only is the best option if you have one.

I did believe that all the radiators were the same though, is that not the case? I know when I bought my mishimoto a few months back they had one part number from 83-94, and it just had a plug in that port. If the port is in all the radiators, that would stilake it super easy to do in grand fashon

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Dieselcrawler]

there are two different size rads. but during the IDI run they stayed the same size. so a short wide rad from a 93 will bolt into a 83 if it has the short wide rad. lol thats how they get away with just plugging that port.

 

[BR3]

Yea I knew there were two, but he's got a/c so I assumed (maybe incorrectly) that he certainly had the tall style as I though that was the only option for a/c trucks.i was under the impression that the wide one was actually rather rare and only on work truck models.

But, since they just plugged it in the tall rads, it should be pretty easy to put a fitting in there and run that as a bypass and still leave your heater core alone if there was a strong desire to run bypass only

 

[Sidewinded_idi]

It is a 92, and it has the tall radiator with the heater line inlet. It's weird because the truck has a large external cooler so no lines run to the radiator. But ita been replaced before so I'm not sure if it's supposed to be the tall one

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

I think the bypass concern was not so much about engine cooling, and more about whether there would be enough coolant for the heater core. That's the reason you don't want the filter in line with the heater core.

Oh I see.Yup,I've had it this way (just plumbed directly into the heater core loop) for a few years and there's no difference.Either way,they'll heat you right out of the cab.
I did however once have a penray need release plug up.It's SCA's evidently congealed.They specifically advertise how their filters don't do this,like their competitors.You know how nothing is perfect though I guess.Anyway,had I setup a bypass around the heater,I would of never known my coolant filter had failed and wouldn't have known to change it out without the loss of heat in the cab.
So it's kinda all in how you view things I suppose as to whether or not loosing heat in the cab due to plugged filter is good or bad.

 

[Dieselcrawler]

ironically three of the 4 IDI's i have are the wide short rads. all non ac, all bullnose.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

It is a 92, and it has the tall radiator with the heater line inlet. It's weird because the truck has a large external cooler so no lines run to the radiator. But ita been replaced before so I'm not sure if it's supposed to be the tall one

Things changed with the 9th gen trucks in this regard.Things got simpler.Starting with 1992/the body change,all the diesel trucks got the same radiator support/radiator.The one that came in the 8th gens with A/C.So if you have a 9th gen IDI truck with or without air conditioning,you got the "tall" radiator.

Edit; I guess I could of just worded that much easier by simply saying; in 1992+ the short/wide rad was discontinued. I didn't think of this way lol.

 

[Sidewinded_idi]

Cool thanks for the info!

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I think that it should have been discontinued before it was ever installed in the first truck. I just HATED trying to pull those things out!

 

[themechanicalford]

I'd do a bypass. Those filters and heads are designed as a bypass. Plus, if you get cold weather in the winter months, you'll not like the restricted flow to your heater core. Easy to get some "y" heater hose fitting from any NAPA. Both my IDI's have bypass coolant filter setups. They catch a ton of nasty stuff in the coolant and I stay warm in the cab in the winter. Important for me to have good heat. Running my trap line in the winter before sunrise/work would be misery without good heat in the cab heading out of the freezing dark woods.

Heath

I am just getting ready to install a filter housing on my 93 7.3L IDI and this sounds like a great setup. Do you have any pics of your install? Are all your bypass valves manually actuated? Ive seen some use a temperature actuated bypass but I’m not sure if I want to get into all that if I can just install a manual valve and reach under the hood and open it up?