Heater removal: not sure what to do next...

[gs1949]

I remember reading something many years ago; I can't remember where for sure though, but I think it was probably in a motor's truck repair manual from the early 60s that I used to have. I've never tried this and I am not sure it's a good idea.

Anyway, what the author of this article recommended to alleviate airlocks in heaters is rather simple. He removed the hose clamp from the heater outlet, slipped the hose partially off the fitting, and then drilled a small hole through ONE SIDE ONLY of the hose fitting on the heater. He then started the vehicle and waited for coolant to start squirting out the hole he had drilled. When it squirted out did he slipped the hose into position and tightened the clamp. No more airlock

Like I say, I am not sure this is a good idea in the long term. I wonder if that hole could be the start of a crack in the fitting. But I put it out here now looking for comments.

[banman]

Originally Posted by gs1949

I remember reading something many years ago; I can't remember where for sure though, but I think it was probably in a motor's truck repair manual from the early 60s that I used to have. I've never tried this and I am not sure it's a good idea.

Anyway, what the author of this article recommended to alleviate airlocks in heaters is rather simple. He removed the hose clamp from the heater outlet, slipped the hose partially off the fitting, and then drilled a small hole through ONE SIDE ONLY of the hose fitting on the heater. He then started the vehicle and waited for coolant to start squirting out the hole he had drilled. When it squirted out did he slipped the hose into position and tightened the clamp. No more airlock

Like I say, I am not sure this is a good idea in the long term. I wonder if that hole could be the start of a crack in the fitting. But I put it out here now looking for comments.

I like the idea -- but instead of drilling the hole in the metal fitting -- drill it in the rubber (facing up) hose near enough to the end of the hose that when you slide the hose into place the hole is after the clamp.

Remember too, that the coolant won't be circulating through the heater core until your thermostat opens.

You can check for flow patterns using an IR thermometer (cheap one from HF does fine) to see if coolant is moving as expected in a system.

[gs1949]

Yeah, I think a hole in the hose would be better than the fitting. It is a bit of a stretch, but I am concerned the hole in the fitting could be the beginning of a crack if the weight of the hose could put stress on the fitting by the way it was hanging.

Putting the hole in the hose would eliminate that possibility, but because of the softer material of the hose it would probably be neccessary to put a somewhat larger hole in the hose to get the same coolant flow as through a hole in the metal fitting.

[sportyrick]

Heaters always get hooked up before the thermostat so they always have flow through them as engine heats up. I do not have a booster pump and I get plenty of heat from my 2 heaters, one up front for windshield and feet and mid heat, one inch lines, what is wrong with 1 inch steel tubing for long runs? I wouldn't want to run 50 feet of soft hose. My heaters have a vent on top to remove air. I had my mid heater blow behind the kitchen cabinets and out bottom vents....stuff sure gets warm in the cabinets though.

[gs1949]

It sure looked to me like the 1 inch hose I took out of my bus was OEM. If so it made it 24 years before I took it and hauled it to the dump.