58-62 heater elbow
 

Does anyone know of a vendor which sells the correct heater elbow with the sealing ribs rolled in each end? All that most vendors sell is a common Street ell that you can buy at Home depot at 2000% mark-up. Is sealing not an issue with the smooth style? If sealing is not a problem then maybe I will cease looking for one and use the plumbing fitting. Thanks :seeya

Re: 58-62 heater elbow (John McGraw)
 

Hi, John. It's hard to visualize whut yer tawkin' bout dere...a "street elbow" has a male NPT thread on one end and the same size female NPT thread on the other. It would seem you would need a nipple into the female end to be able to either screw the street ell into the manifold or to attach the heater hose onto the elbow. Maybe I don't understand where this heater hose elbow thingy goes. :confused:

Outside of Patrick and JohnZ, I think you may be the only one posting here regularly that's ever owned one of those C1s, so unless those guys know the answer, I'm afraid response is going to be light. :D

Re: 58-62 heater elbow (Chuck Sangerhausen)
 

Thanks Chuck, I suspect you're right about the light response, but needed to try. The elbow goes right after the heater and increases the return hose from 5/8" as it was on eariler C1 cars to 3/4". This was accomplished with a elbow that was 5/8 on one side and 3/4 on the other. Coincedentally a copper solder street ell will work as it is internal fit on one side and external fit on the other. The original part however has a little rib rolled around each end to aid in sealing like the hose fittings on the manifold or the neck on the radiator. :seeya

Re: 58-62 heater elbow (John McGraw)
 

Double clamp it with stainless steel screw-type clamps. Put some black silicone Permatex gasket sealer on the pipe. It won't leak. Nobody can see any of this.

Re: 58-62 heater elbow (John McGraw)
 

Ahhhhh, now I see. Well, John, if it were me, I would really like to have those ribs on there, because once hose is clamped with those ribs in place (I assume it is clamped), it is darn near impossible to get the hose off.

I might be inclined to buy me some copper fittings, solder them to the ell and work'em over until they approximated ribs (e.g. with a male adapter, maybe saw off the threads, grind or file the hex until it is round and rib-like). You may also be able to find some copper swages (reducers) that would work even better and be less work. The hoses would cover up the extra hardware. Please note that this is just brainstorming: I don't know if the swages will fit the hoses or not...you would just have to play with it.

If Home Depot doesn't have what you need in fittings, try the plumbing supply houses; they tend to have more off-the-wall stuff. Just this week, I was looking for a 1/2" FNPT X 1/4" MNPT galvanized reducing street ell for my compressor drain, and struck out at Home Depot and Lowes. I'm not sure they make them; haven't tried the plumbing store yet. :D

Re: 58-62 heater elbow (Chuck Sangerhausen)
 

Paragon has them - 5/8" on one end, 3/4" on the other, with rolled beads - their #799, $12.00. Solid-axle guys gotta stick together - too bad they stopped making Corvettes after 1962 :D

Re: 58-62 heater elbow (JohnZ)
 

Thanks John, and all who took time to respond. Paragon it is then! John, I agree about solid axles, but midyear cars are beginning to grow on me. I might just have to buy me one for a driver, but will have to finish the 60 and the 59 to C4 conversion first. Too many irons in the fire!!!

:seeya :seeya

Re: 58-62 heater elbow (John McGraw)
 

Yeah, mid-years are OK too - here's the one I built - it has a trunk! :D

https://www.corvetteforum.net/classi...nz/GSscan5.jpg

Re: 58-62 heater elbow (JohnZ)
 

That's not very nice . Each series C1 - C5 is unique. I have had my 60 for 25+ years and just bought a brand new C5 and have owned just about everything in between. They all have their good points and short comings. You can't tell me your solid axle is a great handling car but I'll bet it gets a hell of alot more looks than any C5. Any Corvette is better than no Corvette. :yesnod:

Re: 58-62 heater elbow (pewter02)
 

You're absolutely right - that's why I also enjoy my '69 Z/28 and my Ferrari too - different cars with period technologies from different eras, all are great cars in their own right, from their own times. What a country! :)

not sure where that elbow goes in the overall picture, but sure is nice to know Paragon has (or had) one if I need it...passenger seat in my 60 filled with radiator fluid on my way to pick up the mrs on her last day of work before retirement so I have to start at grab bar and undo stuff to see what happened...hope it is bad elbow and 12 bucks fixes it :)

p.s. being a newbie at forum, should I ask permission before adding someone to friends list...if I should ask...then I am asking if it is okay to add you :P