Heater bypass

Hi All,

Since I live in florida I was thinking of deleting the heater from my system at least for the summer. I just bought a new heater control valve but before I install it I had this idea.

I know that I can get a bottom rad hose without the heat tube but do I have to remove heater valve and use a blanking plate on the block? If so where can I get one or can I just leave the valve in place in the closed position?

Cheers.
Larry

ltelencio Wrote:

you know you'll lose some defrost.

I made a homemade blanking plate so I could drive my car while I waited on a heater valve. I put a cap on the heater core side. Paul

Thanks James, Thanks thats a great idea, I already spliced the feed hose when I put my webers on, I'll just replace that with a valve.

Larry

The other choice, if you want to completey disconnect the heater, is to take the hoses loose from the heater core and connect them together with a short pipe nipple and a couple of clamps. Then take a short piece of hose - connect one end to the lower fitting on the heater box. Pour anti-freeze in it until it runs out the top heater box pipe, then connect the other end of the hose there. The anti-freeze has rust inhibitors that will prevent your heater core from self destructing....

That is a great idea.

Thanks

I connece the two heater hoses together with a piece of copper tubing.

For that matter, you could just plug 'em solid. There's not going to be any coolant flow through there anyway unless your heater valve is open....

One problem (small problem) with bypassing the heater is that this bypass also bypasses the thermostat. Expect longer warmups.

How does that bypass the thermostat? My thermostat is between the front of the head and the top radiator hose! All you're doing is replacing one pipe (the heater core) with another...

when the heater valve is open that flow bypasses the thermostat. If you bypass the heater, it's the same-O same-O. Look where the heater flow returns to. It goes to the pump suction which then pumps into the bottom of the block. Water then flows thru the block, up into the head and out the thermostat to the radiator - Except for that portion of the flow up to the head that goes out of the head to the heater.

I understand that....but I'm talking about bypassing the heater core - not removing the heater valve. If the valve is in place, it doesn't matter if the heater hoses are hooked up to the core or to each other as far as the thermostat is concerned...

did you mean that you were leaving the heater valve closed during this bypass? If so - sorry - I misunderstood that.

Yep....it helps when we're on the same page :D

This is how I have mine:



Directly connected to the heater valve since the heater core inlet has a hole in it. I am putting in a new core when I get the car back in a couple weeks. (maybe)

Paul

You really need to fill that heater core with antifreeze by either plugging the outlets or connecting them with a piece of hose. As it is, the inside of the core is open to the air and may quickly deteriorate.

JoeReed Wrote:

You don't need a heater now anyway. Haven't you heard, Spring is here! :D

Another option (I did this when my heater valve failed) is the ball valve (off-on)conversion.
http://www.mgexperience.net/article/heater-valve.html
Don't know if you want to cut up a good valve, but it works for me, and reminds me of my first car, a '71 Midget. Except the valve is easire to turn.