Newbie getting Hosed (1 Viewer)

[Brent82FJ60]

First and foremost I would like to thank all of you for this forum and the comprehensive information each of you continue to post each day for all of us that are new to the Cruiser family. About a year ago I purchased an 82' FJ60 Cruiser(5K). Not being a mechanic and falling blindly in love, I failed to realize how much time she was going to take up to keep us both happy. The 2F engine had been replaced somewhere along the way with a 350 small block. Virtually no rust (came from northern California). In the last year I have replaced one of the front knuckles, transfer case rebuild, replaced the faulty fuel injection with a new carb, intake manifold, fuel regulator, fuel pump, also had to replace the power steering pump. And let us not forget about the heater core I replaced that didn't actually need replacing. After a year of work and a lot of money she has only taken my money(2K) and I have only taken her out 3 times. I still love her and I am in it for the long haul till death do us part. Here is the problem; The heater is not currently working because there is no place to attach a hose going back to the radiator. The way it was hooked up, top of intake and between spark plug 2 & 3 was pushing fluid both ways to the heater core. NAPA had a part that I could attach the 5/8 hose to the bottom hose coming out of the radiator. The heater worked until the fitting began to leak. There is no place to attach the heater hose on the reverse water pump or on top of the original 60 radiator. Thanks for helping me out guys

 

[gregnash]

You are going to have to dig through some of the swap threads or look online for some information on the SBC swap... Just from a first glance, and mind you I know nothing about SBC swaps, it seems like your lines are hooked up incorrectly. It seems like your inlet line, come out of the firewall horizontally at the heater valve, is connected to your lower radiator hose. If that is correct that would seem inherently backwards as the lower rad hose is what produces cooled coolant to the engine I thought?

 

[Brent82FJ60]

How it is hooked up now; the hose from the top of the intake manifold gets pumped thru the firewall by the water pump, thru the heater core and back to the radiator. On a normal SB Chevy the radiator has an input for that return. Not so on the 60 radiators that were not setup that way. So I am not sure if I need to find a new radiator or build a tee on the lower radiator hose with a 1 1/2" pipe with a 5/8" welded nipple?

 

[Brent82FJ60]

The heater never worked because the previous owner had the return hooked into the block where the sending unit is supposed to be. One thing for certain; should have taken auto shop in high school.

 

[gregnash]

@orion Not sure if he can help but he is in the process of pulling his SBC to put in a Vortec, maybe he can help with how his truck was setup. Can't think of any other SBC runners off hand.

 

[Brent82FJ60]

@orion Not sure if he can help but he is in the process of pulling his SBC to put in a Vortec, maybe he can help with how his truck was setup. Can't think of any other SBC runners off hand.

Thanks. That guy is taking on a huge project. I messaged another guy thru the thread- hope he can help.

 

[gregnash]

Other person that has more of an SBC engine is @Elbert, however his is the 5.7L Vortec version (L31 I think) so might be slightly different.
Or there is @norsk build too.... dougbert's future 350 swap: How much torque is too much?

 

[tmxmotorsports]

How it is hooked up now; the hose from the top of the intake manifold gets pumped thru the firewall by the water pump, thru the heater core and back to the radiator. On a normal SB Chevy the radiator has an input for that return. Not so on the 60 radiators that were not setup that way. So I am not sure if I need to find a new radiator or build a tee on the lower radiator hose with a 1 1/2" pipe with a 5/8" welded nipple?

The return is the nipple on the intake manifold the out put is on the water pump there might be a threaded plug on the water pump take that out and put a nipple there and plug wherever the hose is going to now. I can't see all the pics right now my internet is slow af right now. Water pump output intake return the input to the heater core is the top with the control valve the bottom is the output.

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

You should have a nipple on the water pump that is the return side from the heater core assembly. Sometimes they will have a pipe plug in them. The pressure side of the water is to the left of the thermostat housing.

 

[Brent82FJ60]

The return is the nipple on the intake manifold the out put is on the water pump there might be a threaded plug on the water pump take that out and put a nipple there and plug wherever the hose is going to now. I can't see all the pics right now my internet is slow af right now. Water pump output intake return the input to the heater core is the top with the control valve the bottom is the output.

I see what you are saying and I think I have it backwards with the output on the top of the control valve. It is a reverse water pump with no points of attachment. The intake is a plug on top of the intake manifold.

 

[gregnash]

Sounds like part of your problem is modification from starting its life as a TBI engine then moving to a carb'd engine? Again not familiar with SBC at all so could be wrong.

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

You should still have water pressure on the intake manifold after the thermostat. This would be the hose going to the upper valve inlet fitting. The return can be inline with the lower hose as it is currently. In other words it has to flow through the system. If any part of that flow is blocked or restricted you will experience low to no heat through the heater core. Can you blow compressed air through the infeed hose through the valve into the cab? Your hose connections seem to be correct but might just be blocked or limiting in flow.

 

[Brent82FJ60]

Get what you are saying . I went to a welding shop and will add this mod in line with the lower hose.

 

[Brent82FJ60]

After install let you know if that takes care of the problem.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

@POTATO LAUNCHER is correct. I am waiting on my buddy fxxxitupchuck to get here he has a tbi chevy pickup I think it is a 88 or 89 sbc. @POTATO LAUNCHER shouldn't he still have heat either way the hoses go to the heater core just no way to stop hot coolant from going into the core thus still having heat in the core with the valve set to cool.

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

Yes, that's why I'm thinking it's flowing the wrong direction. Through the firewall and then to the valve would produce heat but is plumbed wrong. If it flows freely the heat would always be at the core side.

 

[Elbert]

looks like a carburetor powered 5.7 ? If you don't get it working you should post up pictures of the intake manifold with the large air filter removed and post up picture of the water pump (top of the water pump). Traditional old school 5.7 has a number of options for heater hoses depending on water pump and intake manifold. Generally there is one or more plugs on the intake manifold that can be plumbed for coolant and the same for the water pump. You can scrounge around on the internet to look at like something in the year range of a 78-79 camaro or pickup with 5.7...

in practice on old school type setup on 5.7. One hose runs to the water pump and one hose connects to the intake manifold. I think other old school setups had one hose that ran to the front of the intake and the other to the rear of the intake on 5.7 with no connection to the water pump.

Do not buy or use the cast heater hose fitting that is in some 5.7' setups...its crapola

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

It's running a reverse serpentine set up. Doesn't look like the water pump has a port for the nipple.

 

[Elbert]

example of old school fittings that were used on 5.7 intake and water pump...there are various styles of these...but this is one.

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

This is the way the standard rotation inlet and outlet look for long water pump on my 40.