FJ60 rear heater delete

[John Staton]

So in the middle of my new carpet install and had looked at taking the heater our to make it easier. Ordered new hoses, etc... and then I ran across some threads that mentioned deleting the rear heater altogether. I am in Texas and in the winter we drop down into the 60s for a couple weeks so I dont see the need for it. Seriously, we can get get to 32 but really short cold season.

Anyway, I dont see the need for the heater and would like to remove it before I do the front section of carpet. Would buy me some room under the seat as an added bonus and would be really simple to add it back in should someone want to down the road. I am looking for a simple solution to do this. I would think you would just loop the hoses or cap them off altogether in the engine compartment. This would reduce the chance of developing a leak in the lines from the engine back to the heater. Can anyone post pics of this mod and tell me what they used?

My Engine bay:

 

[ROFF]

Hey, you're missing a LOT of very important components under that hood!!!

Need to do the heater removal as well, and when I move to Texas, Im leaving my smog crap here!

 

[OSS]

If you want to do it quick & simple, just remove the hose ends at the pipe ends that are under the car that lead up through the floor and clamp a small length of 5/8" heater hose to both ends of the pipes— then kink it at the bend & wrap it with twine to keep the kink pressure tight. I had mine like that for 25 years. The kinked hose was fine.

 

[John Staton]

Hey, you're missing a LOT of very important components under that hood!!!

Need to do the heater removal as well, and when I move to Texas, Im leaving my smog crap here!

Ha, hell, I still have more s*** I could pull out of there. This truck is not going to end up in California, that is for sure. Was so nice to get to pull all of that out, add headers and a new carb. Was like I got a race car compared to what I had before.

 

[joebattle1]

Man... I wish we could de-smog.

John, As you've probably gathered by now... I love my rear heater. lol... I live in NorCAL and it doesn't get as cold as Texas and I would not get rid of mine. That thing warms the whole truck up quick and good. Buuuuut.... I Totally hear ya on the added under the seat space. You could fab up a nice little pull out tray. The Suzuki Grand Vitara and the 2003-2008ish Audi A4 has a sweet under the seat pull out tray that I bet would fab up nice under your seat. I would keep my eye out at the pick and pull for one of those if I were you.

 

[John Staton]

If you want to do it quick & simple, just remove the hose ends at the pipe ends that are under the car that lead up through the floor and clamp a small length of 5/8" heater hose to both ends of the pipes— then kink it at the bend & wrap it with twine to keep the kink pressure tight. I had mine like that for 25 years. The kinked hose was fine.

Thanks for the reply...so low pressure and easy to clamp off. Wondering if you might suggest that I clamp it off closer to the engine eliminating the chance of those long metal lines ever corroding and leaking.

 

[IslandJ]

interested in this as well.

 

[OSS]

Wondering

Well if you really wanted to get rid of the rear heater (like I did since my new seats needed that space) SOR has a rear heater bypass hose with the right preformed bends. I couldn't find it anywhere else. It works great. Then you can cap off the Tee fitting rear heater outlet with a plug.

The entire rear heater plumbing under the car is then unused.

 

[John Staton]

Well if you really wanted to get rid of the rear heater (like I did since my new seats needed that space) SOR has a rear heater bypass hose with the right preformed bends. I couldn't find it anywhere else. It works great. Then you can cap off the Tee fitting rear heater outlet with a plug.

The entire rear heater plumbing under the car is then unused.

View attachment 1827015

View attachment 1827016

THANKS....I think I will clamp it off for now and give SOR a call. I cant find it on their site. I have bought a lot from SOR, even though sometimes their shipping charges make me sore. If a part, like this one, is not in a main category or goes by an obvious name it can be hard to find. I will call them. Just to confirm....I will just order the bypass hose from SOR and then source a plug for the existing T fitting. Not under my hood to look right now.

 

[OSS]

Here's the plug I used. Stainless steel. Threads fit exactly.

 

[John Staton]

Well if you really wanted to get rid of the rear heater (like I did since my new seats needed that space) SOR has a rear heater bypass hose with the right preformed bends. I couldn't find it anywhere else. It works great. Then you can cap off the Tee fitting rear heater outlet with a plug.

The entire rear heater plumbing under the car is then unused.

View attachment 1827015

View attachment 1827016

I ordered that plug, but could not find the hose on SOR...I sent your pic and asked them if they could get me a part number. I see a part number on the hose but have had no luck with it. Any chance you know a good part number for it. Looks like there is more writing that I cannot see on it.

 

[OSS]

Hmmm
I'll snoop around on their website and see if I can find it again. I originally found it on their website. Bought it in 2014. I have since sold my 60 so I can't check the PN.
It's a Gates hose that does have a number stamped on it, but when I tried to find that hose (4 years ago) after I bought the pricey one from SOR. I couldn't find that part number anywhere on the internet. I think I even downloaded a Gates. catalog and couldn't find it back then.

I'll know by today if SOR still has it on their site. I'll post back here to confirm or deny. @John Staton

 

[HemiAlex]

Just use a normal hose. It’s worked fine for me.

 

[OSS]

I can't find it on their site anymore

 

[NMfjCruiser]

I’m sure you can find a hose that will work at the local auto parts store. If you really want a correct metric hose try Belmetric.com

 

[John Staton]

Ok, done....thanks for all the comments and advice. I had a hard time getting that bypass part off to put the plug in. Was too close to another part and could not turn it so ended up cutting off the hose nipple. Once I got it out the plug would not fit. Went to napa and got a different one and still no luck. Ends up the threads seemed to be an oval shape and would not accept the plug. May have been easier if it would have been a tapered plug, but I could not get it to screw in.

Took out the connector all together and went with one with a barb connector....deletes another possible leak point so I am happy. The other side I just cut off the part that siphons off coolant to the back heater and went with about a 13" section of hose. Started it up, topped it off and no leaks. Back heater deleted. Will keep it all together in case someone wants to add it back in the future. Now time to finish that carpet kit.

Is that the temp sensor behind my connection with the green wire going to it??? All rusty and dirty....maybe order a new one.

 

[maxbob002]

Yes that’s the temp sender for dash gauge. I like the barb. Looks clean installed.

 

[OSS]

Looks great. Make double sure that the new heater hose arrangement coming out of the head can not possibly touch the valve cover when there's a lot of offroad vibration. The valve cover gets really hot and maybe could melt the hose? Dunno if it's possible, but better safe than sorry

 

[dcoy]

I removed mine as it was necessary for a seat upgrade (it seemed like overkill for heating purposes as well). All I did was loop the hose from the input to the output line right underneath the heater, taking the heater out of the loop. I half flooded the garage with antifreeze while I made the connections but it was otherwise not too difficult and seems to be working fine. I'm trying to wrap my head around what y'all did to consider whether it would make sense to cut off the flow from the engine bay like it appears you have done. I guess it is an unnecessary loop of coolant that could leak from the various connections.

 

[John Staton]

small thing, but I ordered plastic plugs from Amazon. The pack I ordered came with 50 with 4 of each size. Since the place where the hoses come into the cabin travels through a channel you actually need 4 plugs. The first two you will have to bend to get into the top holes and then push them until they snap into the holes. Then you do the same up top. Makes for a very tidy way to seal it all up. Finished my butyl layer last night in this spot and the front....now on to the new carpet set. I did cut the butyl out around the plugs so the holes can be located in the future in case anyone wants to add the heater back.