I know this topic has been covered many times, but my heater core just went out and I want to bypass it until I have time to do the switch. (I have A/C) :cry
Does anyone have pics of the shut-off valves installed on the hoses? I think I might be imagining a much more difficult job than what it really is, and just want to be sure. I've also heard many different valves that have been used....most though that I've seen have been ball valves from Home Depot.....is this a good way to go or does anyone have other opinions.
Thanks for your help !! :cheers:

 

I can tell you what I did.

I went to home depot and bought the following:

-about a foot of 5/8 in automotive heater hose
-5/8 in ball valve with long red handle
-(2) 5/8 in male rubber hose fittings. These fittings are about 2 in long and have ribs on one side that the rubber hose slips over and a 5/8 in male thread on the other side.
-teflon tape

I only used about 4 in of the heater hose for the project.
I removed the cars heater hose from the existing shut off valve near the passenger fender well. I installed one of the hose fittings in this heater hose and clamped it in place. I then used teflon tape on the male side of the fitting and screwed the ball valve in place.

Next I cut about 4 in of the new heater hose and installed a fitting in one side of it, again, clamping in place. I used teflon tape on the male side of the fitting and then screwed it into the ball valve I had previously installed in the car.

Finally I attached the new hose to the old heater valve on the passenger fender well and clamped it in place.

I chose this setup because I can flip the valve shut in summer or leave it open in winter. And, by not removing the old valve which is vacuum controlled, if it is cold outside and I have the shut off valve open, but for some reason I need to run the A/C, the original valve under vacuum control will still shut off the flow to the heater core.

Sorry I don't have any pics but I don't have a digital camera yet. I know, I know....... :cheers:

Russ

 

This is what I did.

I went down to the local auto parts store. Autozone, etc, etc.

I asked for a Heater valve cutoff. They asked me what size I wanted, either a 5/8 or 3/4. I went with the 3/4, as they said I didn't need to cut off both. I cut the 3/4 directly in the middle coming from the engine to the heater core and spliced it in with 3/4 gates clamps.

All in all, it cost me $11.00 to do this.

It varys where you want to put it, I put it where it was hidden but still accessible for me to turn off and on.

 

Just remove the two hose and put a platic connector in the middle. Not sure if they make one to reduce it for the two different size hoses. Any one who is using a shut of might want to open it up once a month in the summer so it get some fresh fluid in there to flush it out. Image how much gunk will build up in the heater core sitting unflushed for 4 to 8 months. :eek:

 

kgraumann,

I didn't want to cut the original heater hose in case someone later down the road wants to do the NCRS thing. This way I get to keep the hose in tact and still have the bypass. I think my total was about $12-$15.

Russ

 

Just remove the hoses and get some caps from Pep Boys or Autozone. They go over the nipples and are held on with hose clamps. You can then take your heater hoses completely off.

 

Yep. Just remove the hoses completely and install plugs in your manifold and water pump in place of the nipples.

 

My car had originally AC but one of the previous owner removed it.When i bought it i couldnt get it to stop blowing hot air in to the car.So i got me a Vacuum assisted cut of valve and installed it to one of the heater hoses,and connected the vacuum hose with a t to the "Defrost" actuator under the dash.So if i need some heat to defogg my windshield i just put it in "def" and Voila,hot air.When i pu in any of the other locations"Bilevel"heat",i get just nice,cold engine fumes in to the car :smash:

 

Here's what I did;



I put my valves underneath so you can't see them from the top. I used these parts:



to make this assembly:



Now I can turn off both sides of the heater, and disconnect and totally drain the heater core so there is NO heat transfer to it during the summer. When winter comes, I simply reach up under and open the two valves, and put a little extra coolant in.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you only need to bypass the upper heater hose? If I understand it correctly, the coolant flows through the upper hose, into the heater core, and out the lower hose back into the water pump. Why would you have to block off both hoses?

Thanks,

Russ

 

I ran into this problem just the other day. The Moroso aluminum water pump that I purchased didn't have an outlet for a heater hose so I really had no choice. I just took both heater hoses off and capped the nipples. IMO the engine bay looks much cleaner without the extra hoses and on top of that I now have two less hoses that I have to worry about blowing out.

 

Blocking both hosesdose make a big differance that you can feel heat will still travel through the hoses with no valve by way of conduction{heat will still travel with no flow through the hoses}

 

am i to understand that you guys are not running heat at all?--thats what i wanted to do, but everyone talked me out of it :seeya

 

Thanks everyone for all of the input...this is exactly what I needed to know !!
Sorry I didn't respond sooner....I had a 500 mile sales call to make today.....not in the Vette....but well worth the trip !! (Now I can buy my new heater core for the "future" project)

Thanks again !!! :seeya

 

This eliminates any heat conduction through the water in the hoses. There may not be any *flow* but there will still be some heat that makes it through. By emptying out the heater core completely of any coolant, you eliminate that.

Not to mention it makes a great flushout setup since it uses garden hose connectors!

BTW, Erika, yes, it's for no heat at all - when it's 110+ degrees outside, heat quickly becomes your enemy. :)

 

About two weeks ago, I removed the vacuum valve and put
in a gate valve. What a big difference! However, I noticed
today that there is still a little bit of heat coming out the floor
vent. Must be the conduction from the return side of the
heater hose that everyone just mentioned.

But blocking the one side is still better than nothing!!

 

I did the same, and it sure cleans up the engine bay. Why bother with the heater.

 

instead of caps i just went to the hardware store and bought two 1/2" pipethread plugs...removed the hoses AND the nipples on the water pump and the intake and screwed the plugs in...looks real nice and its simple and cheap...oh yea...use a little teflon tape on the threads for extra insurance for leaks.