Coolant reroute

[Kyp J]

Since I had the engine out to be rebuilt from overheating, I decided to improve cooling.

The machine shop put in a tappped hole for the heater outlet and I used a thermostat outlet housing from a KIA (sportage I think, I forgot to look at other than the engine) which has the hose port pointed in the direction I wanted.

http://upload4.postimage.org/631278/100_1514.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/631278/photo_hosting.html)

The problem with the heater hose barb is it comes out pointing right at the EGR crossover tube from the ex. manifold. I put a right angle formed hose section there and found a "loop" formed hose to get to the heater and a fitting for a temp sensor for the added water temp gauge inserted between hose sections. Another 90* before the temp sensor. The local Auto Zone let me go in the back and stare at all the hoses for the right shapes. The EGR mod was an idea from someone elses reroute and uses a flex pipe and part of another rip off from the same KIA that has a better angle at the valve end.

http://upload4.postimage.org/631337/100_1500.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/631337/photo_hosting.html)


http://upload4.postimage.org/631346/100_1525.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/631346/photo_hosting.html)

The flex connection causes the EGR valve assembly to be unsupported on that side so I made a bracket that yokes the bottom of the assembly and raises it up off the manifold which positions the tube between all the components in the back that don't want to be melted.


http://upload4.postimage.org/631383/100_1527.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/631383/photo_hosting.html)

The hose from the back thermostat (180*) to the driver's side was more or less an angled "C" shape that I didn't take a picture of. It is an AC Delco 20027S if that helps. The metal sections are an aluminum vacuum cleaner wand section parallel to the engine and a 12" 1 1/4 drain pipe from Home Depot plumbing dept. There is a right angle Delco 26348X and a piece of the original lower stock radiator hose (I didn't buy enough right angles). I tied the whole thing in the middle to the AC bracket with a cable tie and another clamp snug around the middle of the corner hose. Also a Koyo 37MM radiator that was supposed to fit with no AC mods. NOT TRUE. I had to move the top mounts to the other (front) sides of the brackets to keep the tank on the condensor away from the radiator and bend the pipe with the Schrader valve.


http://upload4.postimage.org/631493/100_1533.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/631493/photo_hosting.html)

[Wayne-n-Fla]

pic's won't inlarge ???

[Kyp J]

When I first posted it this morning they came up and I could enlarge them. Now at 7 pm my time I can't even get the small ones. Don't know.

If you aren't taking the engine out it would be almost impossible to do this unless you are good at arthroscopic engine repair. I heard of a gynocologist who tore down, rebuilt and reinstalled an engine through the exhaust pipe. :roll:

[raceskier]

Very nice Kyp! A number of people have "rolled their own" coolant re-routes. Gee, it sure would be nice if one of the say, supercharger vendors, created a coolant re-route kit!
Hint.
Hint.
Hint.

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

That's one good looking job. very nice.

Raceskier, what seems to be the stopper for a kit is that spot where he machined the block and added the brass hose barb. It would be nice if there was a specific model/year thermostat housing like that which you could buy (new or used) and bolt it on but the block work is a stopper.

Pictures work fine now.

[Kyp J]

Another way to get heater hose from the back may be the smaller hose barb on the IM side at the back for the oil cooler/heater. Maybe it would be possible to drill and tap for a bigger barb while the IM is off for a coldside install, then use some kind of "T" with 2 sizes. For that matter, maybe the heater doesn't need that big of a hose outlet.

The reason for having the extra barb is what I think is a need to have pre thermostat flow thru the heater and I don't see any way to get a thermostat outlet housing with that provision.

It would be pretty tough to get the thermostat housing changed back there with the head mounted in the car. I hope I don't ever have to change the thermostat. Of course, everything involved in the Coldside install has elements of "@#$%^&* it I can't get my hand in there. What the *&^% is that doing in the way G%$#^it anyway!

[raceskier]

One of the re-routes I've seen uses a thermostat housing spacer that is used in the JRSC. (I have no idea what it is used for.) I got one from Moss. It is a piece of aluminum extrusion, basically the cross section of a thermostat cover gasket. I think it is about 2 inches long. It is easily beefy enough to accept that brass pipe nipple that Kyp added to the block. The thermostat would be mounted on the out board side along with the KIA (or 323?) cover. In another of the re-routes, the cover was sawed in half and welded back together in order to get the outlet to the radiator pointed exactly where you want it. That's the approach I will pursue, when and if I decide to do it.

Ken

[Kyp J]

The spacer with barb sounds like a good idea if you can find or make it. That would put the heater outlet were it was originally and avoid conflicts with the egr. It puts the thermostat housing pretty close to the firewall I would think. A better shaped therm. outlet would save some space too. I will have to look back there and see how much space is left.

My project wasn't the most perfect way to do it, just what I ended up with from what parts I could find. An actual "engineered" kit with all the parts would save a ton of time searching junk yards. Since my engine was hostage for over a month I had the time (until my house sold and I had to get the hell out.)

[99mx5]

Kyp, looks like you need to put that revised throttle bracket to use ;)

[Kyp J]

No more time to work on the car, I'm packing up to move to Texas. I need to drill a hole for the pulley between the other 2 for adjustment range. It was just out of range in both holes. When I get a house in Texas I will retrieve the Miata where I am going to store it at my son's house. Too many vehicles for the RV park where I'll be staying temporarily.