Capping heater hose ports

Discussion in 'Race 400/430/455' started by sriley531, Mar 18, 2018.

  1. sriley531

    sriley531 Excommunicado

    I have yet to even wire the blower motor in this car so I'm thinking of removing the heater hoses to the core since I'm not using it. What method are you race guys using to cap the ports that those hoses attach to?
     
  2. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

  3. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    I would use a brass pipe plug for the intake fittings over the rubber cap.
     
  4. Guy Parquette

    Guy Parquette Platinum Level Contributor

    Your local Napa store should have the caps on the "help" rack.
     
  5. sriley531

    sriley531 Excommunicado

    I was curious if those caps we're worth a hoot or not.

    This move is two fold. 1) I'm not using the heater core anyway, and 2) one of the newly unused ports is going to be used for the coolant temp sensor now needed by the fuel injection. Anything that can be plugged with a threaded pipe plug will be.
     
  6. BQUICK

    BQUICK Gold Level Contributor

    For the heater core those caps are fine but not anything with pressure on it at the track. I've seen them blowout at the track. One guy rolled his car. Not a good idea to trust your life to a cheap Chinese rubber cap. I tap the ones on the motor and put in pipe plugs.
     
    BUQUICK likes this.
  7. FJM568

    FJM568 Well-Known Member

    I've had one of those caps blow out. Luckily, I wasn't moving at the time. I ended up looping the heater hoses together with an adapter union, which, btw, is a good idea to carry one with you in case the heater core ever springs a leak.
     
  8. 300sbb_overkill

    300sbb_overkill WWG1WGA. MAGA

    I like having a heater in my old junk, driving back from the dragstrip on a cool humid early spring/late summer/early fall night when the windows starts fogging, having heat for the blower to blow on the windshield really helps visibility.
     
  9. chrome yellow

    chrome yellow Well-Known Member

    They blow off even with a hose clamp? Had those on my motor for 10 years now.
     
  10. FJM568

    FJM568 Well-Known Member

    Mine blew the top of the cap off, hose clamp stayed in place.
     
  11. dan zepnick

    dan zepnick Well-Known Member

    Ya I had one leak when I was on the starting line. Track guy jumped in front of my car.almost let the transbrake go! I always plug them and put the rubber cap on for looks.
     
  12. chrome yellow

    chrome yellow Well-Known Member

    That’s good to know. Think I’ll plug mine this weekend. Never gave them much thought.
     
  13. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    The rubber plugs they sell in the help section are terrible. They dry rot within a year or so. I wonder if dayco or Goodyear make quality plugs?
     
  14. Mike B in SC

    Mike B in SC Well-Known Member

    I used one of these to connect the two heater hoses together:
    Made by Dayco, brass 1/2" to 5/8" adapter. I believe Jason told me about it... Works great for bypassing the leaking heater core but plugging the nipples would be better/neater for a no-heat race car.
    dAYCO 80425 12-58.JPG
     
  15. sriley531

    sriley531 Excommunicado

    Anyone know pipe tap sizes that fit? I don't have my calipers handy where I can measure and cross reference tap drill sizes.

    This may be misguided, but I'm hoping to plug one and use the other as a port for the coolant temp sensor the fitech I'm currently installing requires.
     
  16. m louk

    m louk Well-Known Member

    See post 155-157 on tomahawk buildups slimfromnz
     
  17. sriley531

    sriley531 Excommunicado

    Nice find!! (Bet you're good at scavenger hunts...haha) Thanks, gives me something to consider/reference.
     
  18. m louk

    m louk Well-Known Member

    Good luck on your project
     
    sriley531 likes this.
  19. sriley531

    sriley531 Excommunicado

    So after examining my new TA cover, looks like it'll be simple enough. The fitech coolant temp sensor will go into the manifold port feeding the heater core, and I'll chop the neck on the timing cover and tap it for a pipe plug. Hacking a piece off my new $500 cover is a little bit of a butt puckering endeavor, but if I decide to hook the heat up down the road I can just put a brass pipe in to connect the hose to. I'll use the rubber caps to put on the heater core pipes and we should be good to go!
     
  20. BQUICK

    BQUICK Gold Level Contributor

    You don't have to chop off the nipple. Just tap it, plug it. Then put a rubber cap on with no hose clamp to make sure people are paying attention.;)
     
    1973gs likes this.

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