Trans Heater Hose Removal?

[hadley000]

I have to replace the original heater hoses, and I want to get rid of the heater hose to the radiator. I personally don't see much advantage to keeping the hose with such a small orifice in the fitting to the radiator and having an auxiliary trans cooler but I've been wrong many times before. My questions are, is the hose really needed? How much longer would it take to get the trans up to temp so the converter will lock up? Will taking longer to heat up hurt the trans? Right now it takes about 5 miles in 10 deg temps to lock up, and up to 10 miles when below zero if I don't let it warm up much before taking off. I'm running full synthetic fluid, if that matters.

 

[tbrumm]

I deleted that hose to lower tank of the radiator and have noticed no issues with TC lockup or the trans when cold. I think others on here have done the same. I cannot imagine that the radiator fitting with that very tiny orifice can allow much warm water into the lower tank of the radiator and around the trans cooler to actually provide much heat to the trans fluid. This may have been a good idea in theory, but in practice it doesn't really seem do anything.

 

[hadley000]

in practice it doesn't really seem do anything

That's pretty much what I was thinking. Does the orifice have a 1/2" pipe fitting?

 

[tbrumm]

That's pretty much what I was thinking. Does the orifice have a 1/2" pipe fitting?

I was thinking it was 3/8" npt.

 

[nostrokes]

I am thinking of doing this too when I finally get around to putting in my new rad. I do not see the need for it, its also kinda counter intuitive since we're trying to keep the tranny temps down, why would you want to circulate hot antifreeze straight from the engine block to the tranny cooler? Also hoping it will help the heat issue in my cab...... Maybe just a little at least???

 

[hadley000]

3/8" npt

I crawled under and looked at the fitting, it's definitely not 1/2", 3/8" looks correct. Thanks for the help.

 

[icanfixall]

Many have done this hose modification.I have and see nothing damaging my E4OD trans. Our engines have several design items that really have no good reason for being there. The fuel heater is one of them. when is the last time you applied heat to the TOP of something you want to warm up??? We put the pan on the stove and tuen on the heat UNDER it.
Another design that really has no known reason for being there is the head heater hose fitting.. It has an orifice in it. They do restrict flow from the head to the heater condenser but why?? Nobody knows yet. BTW that brass nipple fitting is no long offered by Ford. Navistar MIGHT have it but why use it...

 

[madpogue]

Another design that really has no known reason for being there is the head heater hose fitting.. It has an orifice in it. They do restrict flow from the head to the heater condenser but why??

Just a WAG, but maybe there was a concern, if the coolant pressure got too high, of over-pressuring the heater core and blowing a tube in it. Or maybe, since there's no heater control valve, it's their way of minimizing the impact of the heater core on A/C during the summer. Now that you mention it, for anyone doing the heater core shutoff mod, replacing that fitting with a full-flow one would probably be a good idea.

 

[hadley000]

I got it all changed out, and good thing I did. There were a few bubbles in the hoses and the hose going to the radiator was rubbing on the fuel line. It was rubbed almost halfway through, but not through the cords yet. The fitting on radiator orifice is 3/8 NPT. Easy fix.

heat issue in my cab

Not enough heat?

head heater hose fitting.. It has an orifice in it.

Mine doesn't have a restricted fitting on the head, somebody before me must've replaced it with a regular plumbing fitting. I can tell you the cab get's very warm. On a 10 deg day I have to set the fan to low and turn down the temp to 1/3 into the blue. You could bake a turkey in there on hot with full fan. Maybe that's why the orifice is there, to help regulate the cabin heat?

 

[nostrokes]

I got it all changed out, and good thing I did. There were a few bubbles in the hoses and the hose going to the radiator was rubbing on the fuel line. It was rubbed almost halfway through, but not through the cords yet. The fitting on radiator orifice is 3/8 NPT. Easy fix.


Not enough heat?

Mine doesn't have a restricted fitting on the head, somebody before me must've replaced it with a regular plumbing fitting. I can tell you the cab get's very warm. On a 10 deg day I have to set the fan to low and turn down the temp to 1/3 into the blue. You could bake a turkey in there on hot with full fan. Maybe that's why the orifice is there, to help regulate the cabin heat?

Yeah not a lot of heat. Both hoses get hot the heater core cover is hot so I know the core isn't plugged. Checked the blend door last year and it seals pretty good. Did find my fan doesn't have high unless you kick on the max a/c, so changing the switch on the dash soon. Hoping taking the radiator feed out will help push the fluid through the core better and probably taking (drilling) the orifice out of the nipple.