GREGGPENN

Just curious,,,which direction does the water flow thru the motor? Here are my guesses....

in at top of radiator, out at bottom
water pump into motor (bottom to top)
out thru: intake manifold, block to oil cooler and back of manifold
manifold goes thru TB, then over to heater, then back to water pump/cooler

rodj

Oil cooler
Block to cooler , return through hardline under pan , connecting into the heater return line under A/c compressor , to WP

Heater
From intake through TB to heater core and return to WP picking up steam pipe at rear on the way

GREGGPENN

Sounds like I had it right. I raised the question for two reasons. I already performed the TB bypass (by removing that part of the IAC housing). Now, I'm also looking at removing the stock oil cooler.

I was trying to think of a more elegant routing for coolant lines but don't think there is one. Specifically, the one exiting the front of the intake manifold is what I'm looking at.

383vett

Put a plug in the block next to the oil cooler to replace the fitting. Plug wherever the other end of the cooler goes.

GREGGPENN

Well yeah.... I was looking at hose routing to get water out of the front manifold. Trying to go down, over to the heater and back.

engle1147

Can't help with the oil cooler...myself I always thought those were more trouble than they were worth.

I've got a super long hose (~7") for the front of the intake back to the heater core. I actually routed it straight out of the intake nipple and it runs up along under the MAF ducting then does a 180* turn just in front of the radiator before returning under the AC lines back to the heater core. Looks a little funky from a stock setup but it is not bad....there is no clearance issues. I'll snap a pick in the next day or so and you can get a visual.

383vett

Not all L98s came with oil coolers. Water goes from the radiator, to the block, through the heads, into the inake, through the thermostat, back into the radiator. You don't have to worry about getting water from the manifold back into the block.

GREGGPENN

What about the heater core though? A feed and return line still needs to go to it. It sounds like the return line is the one that connects to the water pump. Where would you tap a feed line -- if the front manifold nipple were plugged?

(Getting it from the bottom of the block would be an interesting thought. Though going up/around headers might not be that "fun".)

Where do the heater hoses connect on non-cooler cars?

engle1147

'89:
Upper hose (larger diameter hose with the "T" splice which feeds the intake riser passage by the EGR) for the heater connects to the output side of the H20 pump and the lower goes to the front of the intake.

engle1147

Its been awhile since I've seen a oil cooler installed but here's the rest of the deal.

L98:
For the most part the GEN 1 small block sucks from bottom of the radiator to the waterpump and coolant is pumped into the front of the block and around the cylinders. Coolant continues to migrate under pressure through the holes in the heads and then travels along to collect at the front of each cylinder head to the front of the intake. It continues through to the front of the intake manifold. Then once up to temp the thermostat opens and coolant flows directly back to the radiator. There is a coolant bypass built into the waterpump which feeds the heater core and the attached hoses such as the heat riser and TB the coolant for these ends up in the front of the intake manifold as well.

rodj

Would only get you cool water from the bottom of block which is why the oil cooler is fed from there

Same as cooler equiped cars except there is no T on the return line to WP to connect the oil cooler return line

rodj

WP is return (suction) side of heater circuit.
Hot water from front of intake ( hottest part ) goes to heater core returning to pump .Your flow path has coolest water from bottom of radiator going to heater core

GREGGPENN

Anyone think the oil cooler is worth a diddly-squat?

rodj

Once up to operating temp , consistant 15-20 degrees lower oil temps ( closer to coolant temps ) than without

GREGGPENN

You sure about that? Another member said his oil temps were a mere 5-10 degrees higher w/o the cooler.

What do you think of the idea of running the heater hose feed line thru the A/C bracket with it's return line?

rodj

That might be his experience
After owning my cars for 10 years, I know normal operating temps and that is the difference I see with / without cooler operation

Won't fit through the hole with other hose but will fit between A/c bracket and block to run parallel with return hose

engle1147

383vett

I use the oil cooler to heat up the oil on my bracket car. After 45 minutes or an hour between the first rounds, my oil temperature will be well below 150. The warm water circulating through the cooler helps raise the oil temperature before staging. With a 1/4 mile run, oil that is too hot is not an issue with me. Too cold is.

Da Mail Man

...........BACK TO THE COOLANT FLOW DIRECTION -

1988 vette coup.....Attached are a few picts of old water pump I removed and replaced due to leaking gasket as well as picts of the heater core inlet-outlet ports....







QUESTION ...Looking at the heater port picts,
1)....does coolant flow into the top of the heater core and out the bottom
OR OR OR OR OR
2)....into the bottom and out the top?
(notice the orig configuration of hoses where the top hose has a "T" out of the side of the hose and going to the block at the back - hard to see but, believe it is the block and not intake).

Tom400CFI

Didn't we already answer this in ANOTHER THREAD? What did GM say?