Heater T's the $1 version

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Thanks but actually it was Macgyver motivated when your T's breaks during a 10PM inspection prior to leaving for Mexico the next morning:eek:
Which clamps did you use?
 
I'm sure this would probably work fine I just want to add that there are different thicknesses of copper pipe K, L, M and DWV with K being the thickest ID and DWV the thinnest ID. A base board hot water furnace will use a thicker ID pipe than a cold water line.
Personally my skills at buying a replacement part from the parts counter are better than my confidence in the longevity of my soldering
 
I really LOL reading this thread last night, your a funny guy LCPhile. But all kidding aside for a quick fix MacGyver style, I love this idea. Long-term I'd just stick with OEM, as I've been babying my water pump which now has 167K miles on it now. I may even keep in next T-belt change, just as test to see how long it will last. Would be unfair test if total system is not OEM.
 
I really LOL reading this thread last night, your a funny guy LCPhile. But all kidding aside for a quick fix MacGyver style, I love this idea. Long-term I'd just stick with OEM, as I've been babying my water pump which now has 167K miles on it now. I may even keep in next T-belt change, just as test to see how long it will last. Would be unfair test if total system is not OEM.

I sold the said vehicle :meh:equipped with the copper to a friend:eek: so he can worry about his engine rotting away.:hillbilly: I made the extra copper version as trail spare for some other unknowing sole in time of need. I run OEM plastic on MY LX470.:D
 
Is that a good friend! ouch...LOL

I was thinking be great for spare as well.
 
Congrats to @LandCruiserPhil for the most techie thread to date birthed from a last minute-non plastic-parts found laying around the house fix. Quite entertaining and psuedo informative all at once. Enjoying it even without any metal knowledge.
 
I don't get it when the plastic ones that lasted over 140K miles were only around $10. I doubt I'll be changing these again.
 
I don't get it when the plastic ones that lasted over 140K miles were only around $10. I doubt I'll be changing these again.

Because Land Cruisers go well beyond 240k - and that $10 part can leave the truck dead in the water.
 
Because Land Cruisers go well beyond 240k - and that $10 part can leave the truck dead in the water.

Knowing this, and the OEM parts being readily available and inexpensive they make perfect spares to keep in the glove box, tool kit, door panel pocket or cargo area pocket. I have two sets in my truck right now and don't intend on removing them until myself or someone else needs to install them.
 
Knowing this, and the OEM parts being readily available and inexpensive they make perfect spares to keep in the glove box, tool kit, door panel pocket or cargo area pocket. I have two sets in my truck right now and don't intend on removing them until myself or someone else needs to install them.

The only hiccup in that plan is how that OE part fails. It doesn't just stop working like a bulb going out... they deteriorate and crumble. If they fail while the truck is running, you're going to need more than replacement Ts.
 
I Had one of the T's fail on my wife's LX470. Of course it failed while she was driving, in the middle of moving to our new home, with the LX packed, heading up the mountain at night in the rain & late to pick up our daughter...

She was following me in a loaded pickup, and thankfully she was watching her gauges. She flashed me & we pulled over. She said the gauge had gone above half way, so she started paying close attention, it then climbed sharply for a moment & then began to drop just as she felt the engines power decrease too.

Thankfully she is trained well enough to know it was time to pull over immediately.

Admittedly I should have found the problem earlier.

I ended up taking the longer heater hose off my truck, bypassing the trucks heater core with one hose, & bypassing the heater cores on the LX with the other hose.

Thankfully I had just enough stuff in the trucks to get us back on the road with only a half hour delay. There were 3 gallons of drinking water onboard, one 10mm socket & rachet, & my leatherman.

I had literally no other tools as everything had just been put in the garage of the new house on the previous load.

This part will always fail at a critical & incredibly inconvenient moment. Not a fan of plastic cooling system components at all.

I Didn't even consider the only local dealer as they never have Anything in stock, & with heavy rain, & flurries of snow on the mountain, it was time to fix the heater immediately.

I Thought I was original in my selection of copper parts from the hardware store & took photos to do a write up.

Nicely done LCPhil. Not really worried about the heads corroding away at this point, as I put in prediluted Zerex Asian coolant. Upgrading to the Steel T's is something I will consider later on.

image.jpeg
 
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T's all soldered up. I used short bits of pipe in the T, & couplers to increase to OD for the 3/4" to clamp on to.

I couldn't find the plumbing solder at the time I was making these, so hopefully no one will get lead poisoning from drinking my used coolant.

image.jpeg
 
Installed in the rig with all new hose clamps. So far so good, no leaks & heaters both working again.

Now carrying a spare length of hose & clamps in case I ever need to bypass the heaters again due to some other failure.

I expect these T's will outlast the truck.

Are ther any other pesky heater hose problems to look out for?

I know the 80's needed PHH attention in ackward spots, but this is my first 100.

Thanks.

image.jpeg
 
Should out last the Cruiser

1/2" Copper T with a short piece of 1/2" pipe soldered in.

View attachment 1304110
NO - NO -NO. I do not think Cu will go well with Al - No No No - they are the who most corrosive metals when they are together . Especially with coolant. The older radiators where brass with Cu heat sync so there were no contacts with Cu, but bare Cu is a trouble for Al. Trust me I work with elements .
 
NO - NO -NO. I do not think Cu will go well with Al - No No No - they are the who most corrosive metals when they are together . Especially with coolant. The older radiators where brass with Cu heat sync so there were no contacts with Cu, but bare Cu is a trouble for Al. Trust me I work with elements .

:eek:Nuns are going to die.....
 
NO - NO -NO. I do not think Cu will go well with Al - No No No - they are the who most corrosive metals when they are together . Especially with coolant. The older radiators where brass with Cu heat sync so there were no contacts with Cu, but bare Cu is a trouble for Al. Trust me I work with elements .

For those of us that didn't pay attention to high school chemistry can you explain this to us like we were 5?
 
For those of us that didn't pay attention to high school chemistry can you explain this to us like we were 5?
how can I explain you on 5 years old level , trust me on this one Aluminium(radiator, head, any alloy) will get major Corrosion when Copper is in the mix. in this case you have 3 factors Al(radiator,head)+Cu(T-pipe)+Coolant (electrolyte) = Corrosion
you can say that not a lot of Copper just some T-pipe , that just enough to do the damage.
the best way to enplane to look at this picture and read some materials

galvanic+corrosion.jpg
 

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