Cooling question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 259
Likes: 6
Cooling question
I have a 1971-4 spd with a 400 sb and it has never had the heater core hooked up since I bought the car 6 months ago. I noticed that the carpet on the passenger side was messed up from what appeared to be a leak from the heater core so I assume that it was leaking and so they just looped the heater hose from the water pump back to the intake and by passed the heater core and the car does not have a surge tank either. I have noticed that the radiator has a few small leaks and I have been thinking I will get a new one from Dewitt's and I already have two fans that are hooked to the front of the radiator that are controlled by a toggle switch and I guess I can use them with the new radiator. Now my first question is can I just do away with the looped heater hose and plug the outlets where the hose comes from at the water pump and the intake? If I'm getting a much better radiator and also have the cooling fans I don't really care about having the heater work anyway, I just drive on mainly nice days. I have added a picture so you can see what I'm talking about. Thanks for any advise or opinions. And please allow me to ask a few more questions on other subjects with this car.
Johnny Y.
Johnny Y.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 285
Likes: 36
From: Cedar Park TX
BTW, mine are pluged and have done it on other cars. Think race cars have heaters?
enjoy
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 259
Likes: 6
I think the person who had my car before made it into a race car and then when it was time to sell the car they tried to put it back together as a could be driven on the street car so I have been trying since I got it to make back into a good street driver. It had a large Holley double pumper and high rise intake and roll bar as well as the mallory distitrbutor and MSD electronic ignition box and MSD coil and as you can see the looped heater hose and no surge tank and I put the little over flow tank and had to cover it in heat resistant tape just to keep the headers from melting it which did happen on the first one that was mounted where the surge tank was and it got hot enough to melt it. I am really glad to hear that I can just block those lines off and not worry about the over heating. I hear that most folks say it's just as cheap to get a new Dewitts and that it cost about the same by the time you recore your old radiator and it still won't cool as good as a new Dewitts. I have added a picture of under my passenger side fender where the surge tank would be.
Thanks
Johnny
Thanks
Johnny
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Racer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 285
Likes: 36
From: Cedar Park TX
Interesting on the recovery tank. All tracks require you to have one.
Maybe you can find an aluminum one on e-bay, I pick mine up from Jegs. It is a Moroso purge tank.
I too had the origional radiator re-cored, then changed my mine and went with the DeWitts anyway. When it finally runs, I'll post results
Anyway, you do have options and you are becoming HOOKED on the Vette deices
enjoy the ride
Maybe you can find an aluminum one on e-bay, I pick mine up from Jegs. It is a Moroso purge tank.
I too had the origional radiator re-cored, then changed my mine and went with the DeWitts anyway. When it finally runs, I'll post results
Anyway, you do have options and you are becoming HOOKED on the Vette deices
enjoy the ride
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 259
Likes: 6
I think you are calling it a recovery tank and I guess that's also a overflow tank an if thats right can a person just plug the overflow out let from the radiator and not have a recovery or overflow tank? What is the best pressure cap to use and what pressure should it be?
Thanks
Johnny
Thanks
Johnny
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
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Whatever rad cap GM decided. Check your manuals.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 259
Likes: 6
Thanks, I have found a lot of info since looking around on the forum. I see that I need to check the fluid level I bet I have been over filling, also as you point out I should not need a overflow tank plus I bet my clutch fan is bad. So I'm sure I have all kind of cooling issues to sort out.
Johnny
Johnny
Racer
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 424
Likes: 9
From: Killeen Texas
Why not just fix or replace your heater core? After all, it's just nice to have everything working on your car. And although replacing the heater core isn't as easy as changing plugs, it's not that awful hard to do. Only my opinion.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 259
Likes: 6
That's a good point, I do have the other radiator problems anyway but I just have not really felt like fooling with the heater core issue and since I do'nt drive the car a lot I just wanted to focus on the cooling issue first and I guess I can always fix the heater core later.
Thanks
Johnny
Thanks
Johnny
