Bypassing heater core, caused issues with steam/leaking

[TonyN]

Hello Everyone,

(69 Charger, 440 engine, in OK shape, working to get it restored).

So, the controls for the heater, etc. have seized. Usually not a problem, but the car is pumping out a steady breeze of warm/hot air all of the time through the dash vents. It is getting up to 30 degrees here in the summer (about 90-100 for you folk down south), so I was looking for a way to stop this until I could get the controls fixed.

Speaking to some car guys at a show, they suggested I just 'bypass' the heater core and make a loop of tubing off the waterpump. Theory being if no hot fluid going through heater core, no hot air, and less sweating.

So, I got about 2' of 5/8 hose, which we found was the shortest we could go to make sure there were no kinks, bends, etc. I removed the heater core cables (tied them off) and put on my 'loop'. Initial tests were positive. However, I took it out on the road and in about five minutes I heard a slight 'ppssshhhhhh' sound coming from under the hood. Looking, much steam was happening, the 'burnt syrup' smell, and a quick turn around home to the garage.

I was hoping that it would be my fault, in that maybe I didn't tighten the hose-clamps enough. However, not to be the case. I couldn't even tell where the coolant was leaking. It seemed to be 'around' the main block/water pump. After about 10-15 minutes, the 'pssshh' sound gradually subsided, and all is cool again. (I have not restarted the car, nor done anything with the hoses). There is a relatively small amount of coolant visable (under the engine), but nothing major.

I am looking for input as to what happened here. Did I do something terribly wrong with my 'loop'? Was there a pressure issue? Any other helpful insight appreciated.

I am attaching some photos:

1 - from the drivers side. You can see the main hose to the rad, and my 'loop'.
2 - from the passenger side.
3 - just a pic of the cables tied off
4 - close in of '2'

Thanks,

Tony

[Cooter]

Looks to me those clamps aren't very tight...Need to see what I refer to as "Squish", meaning, you see a little bit of rubber hose squish out around the clamp sides all the way around...Maybe the hose wasn't sealing properly from a loose clamp and sprayed the hot header?

Possible the left over coolant in the heater core could have run out onto the header as well..A loop shouldn't have caused any problems with overheating, unless the heater was being run all the time to cover up an overheating problem in the first place.

Of course, it could have been a small air pocket in engine cooling system and it "Burped" as well...

[flyinlow]

One nipple is 5/8 and one is 1/2 on most BB Mopars. You are probably not getting a good seal on the 1/2 inch one.

Bypassing the heater should not cause overheating.

[firefighter3931]

One nipple is 5/8 and one is 1/2 on most BB Mopars.

That is true for 70 & up BB mopar engines but the earlier 69 & older had 5/8 on both heater hose nipples.



Ron

[tan top]

  what the other guys say  

, could be the way the picture is but   be an idea to see if the cooling fan is not  chipping lumps out of the hose
also  ,  that out side hose dont look like its on far enough & clamp too high  

[c00nhunterjoe]

The last pic looks like the clamp is falling off.

Also noticed your vaccum advance is plugged. Any particular reason?

[TonyN]

Thanks for all of the responses. I am continuing to work on it.

Firefighter3931 : the engine is a '71. I didn't that germane, but it turns out to be an incorrect assumption!

Tan Top: no, clearance is OK.

Tomorrow night I am off to the parts store to get a 5/8 - 1/2 adapter, some 1/2 inch hose, and will then flex my muscles doing up all the hose clamps in the right place. I will report back.

c00nhunterjoe: You mention that my 'vacuum advanced is plugged'. Can you elaborate on that a bit? Where would I be looking, and what would be the info around that?

Thanks,

Tony

[TonyN]

Cooter and flyinlow: thanks for the advice. The hoses taken off were 5/8s, but when I went back out to check, one of them came off very easily.

[TonyN]

Success! My 'adapter' setup is working well. It was quite clear when I pulled the 5/8 hose off (and it just slid off) and when I put the 1/2 on (which I had to really push to get on).

I have to give the answer points to flyinlow for this one, but thanks everyone for their input!

Tony