Coolant Pipe Rework Surprise! Pipe Maker?

[elderair]

Done and filled with antifreeze and distilled water and air bled! All in all an easy task with the 3M panel bonder. 24 hour full cure in my heated shop.

 

[lookforjoe]

View attachment 9842 View attachment 9843 View attachment 9847
Done and filled with antifreeze and distilled water and air bled! All in all an easy task with the 3M panel bonder. 24 hour full cure in my heated shop.

Nice work! Did you use rivets or sheet metal screws to press it during the curing process? Did you go back and secure the left side front support bracket after taking those pics ? It appears to be detached in the photo.

 

[elderair]

I used 12 sheet metal screws and yes, I did spot weld the front brackets after the fact. I laid copper strips inside the frunk and put weights on them where the spot welds were to go. The paint in the frunk did discolor just a bit but worked great. Mainly used the copper because I had one spot weld drill through into the frunk and the copper let me fill the hole from below.

 

[tightwadracers]

The stainless solution is wonderful. However has anyone considered aluminium tubing or even good quality rubber or braided hose.
Any thoughts or discussion would be welcome.

 

[Ulix]

Yes, I looked into aluminum tubing.
Seems to be available, but the small weight savings wasn't worth it for me.

 

[tightwadracers]

Yes weight is one issue as you say, however I was thinking more about availability, cost, workability and overall suitability.

 

[lookforjoe]

The stainless solution is wonderful. However has anyone considered aluminium tubing or even good quality rubber or braided hose.
Any thoughts or discussion would be welcome.

Have you priced the material for aluminum mandrel bends, etc.? I don't think it would be cheap either. Given that it won't last as long as the SS, and would you want rubber running front to back through that tunnel? Seems to me if not the SS, then thick wall copper seems the most practical alternative.

 

[RZSR X]

I'm back at it again!

I have two questions though since I can never remember how things were before I took them apart...

First, is this the correct distance for the coolant pipes to stick out the front? I don't want to assemble and mount the rad etc. to check since this is the first area of the X I will be paining.


Second,which heater pipe connects to which heater pipe? The pipe closest to the center console is my replacement for the one that ran inside the car even though it now runs in the underside tunnel box on top of the other one.


I'd hate to hook up the heater pipes so the flow is in the wrong direction! So which heater pipe connects to say the new Heater Tube Pipe (upper right)?

The end is in sight for this nightmare!

 

[Dr.Jeff]

Very glad to finally see the "stacked" heater pipe concept come to reality. When I proposed it I had not verified it will work, but all of my measurements and inspections indicated it would. I think this is how it should have been done originally. The factory design makes no sense to me at all. Excellent work, keep us posted.

 

[lookforjoe]

Looks about right. Here's mine with hose attached, can't find one I took with no hoses in place. looks to be a similar distance (few inches past the lip?). There is some latitude in the hoses. Hopefully some others can corroborate.

The heater pipe inside the car is the feed from the head, so that should go to the heater valve I believe.

EDIT: Found one with no hose

 

[Dr.Jeff]

On a related note, is the heater hose that attaches to the head the HOT supply to the heater and the hose attached to the pipe between the water pump and the T-stat housing the COLD return?

 

[lookforjoe]

On a related note, is the heater hose that attaches to the head the HOT supply to the heater and the hose attached to the pipe between the water pump and the T-stat housing the COLD return?

I would say so. The branch pipe is the coolant return, ergo the heater pipe on it is the return.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

Isn't that what I said? Or am I misunderstanding you? Hose on the head goes to the heater. Hose on the pipe comes from the heater. No? (as you say).

 

[lookforjoe]

Isn't that what I said? Or am I misunderstanding you? Hose on the head goes to the heater. Hose on the pipe comes from the heater. No? (as you say).

? You posed it as a question, not a statement

 

[darwoodious]

First, is this the correct distance for the coolant pipes to stick out the front?

Yours looks right. I'll post a photo of where mine are but since I bent/welded them myself I can't be sure it's 100% correct - in fact, I know they're wider at the front than they were stock. As Hussein pointed out, it doesn't matter much as the "S" shape of the rad hose hookups gives you a lot of room to fudge.

Second,which heater pipe connects to which heater pipe? The pipe closest to the center console is my replacement for the one that ran inside the car even though it now runs in the underside tunnel box on top of the other one.

Hmm... I think another huge benefit of your new setup having them in tandem in the tunnel means that it doesn't matter: if it doesn't work right, just go under the car where they connect and switch them. From a heater core point-of-view, I thought that the valve intercepts the hot side before it enters the core and makes sense from this photo:

Stock the return goes in the lower tunnel box and the hot-source comes from the engine on the right thru the firewall and into the inside part of the tunnel. It passes behind the return line which you can see in this photo:

 

[Dr.Jeff]

? You posed it as a question, not a statement

I see what I did. I misread your reply as "I would say NO" rather than "I would say SO". I thought you were answering my question as what I said was incorrect. Hope that all makes sense. Sorry for my confusion.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

O.K., now that I am clear on which hose is hot and which is cold (thank you Huss). To determine which heater hose to connect to either pipe, just trace the flow. The hose from the head nipple goes to the heater-pipe that ends up connecting to the heater valve. The hose from the water-pump pipe nipple goes to the heater-pipe that connects directly to the heater core. So Darin is correct that it does not matter which pipe so much, as long as they connect to the respective components to direct the flow as follows: Water from the head (closest to the timing belt end of the engine) goes to the heater valve. Water from the heater core goes to the pipe that is between the water pump and the T-stat housing. In other words, what they said.

 

[rx1900]

[QUOTE

First, is this the correct distance for the coolant pipes to stick out the front? I don't want to assemble and mount the rad etc. to check since this is the first area of the X I will be paining.
View attachment 12031 View attachment 12032 View attachment 12033
[/QUOTE]

I have an '81 X1/9. Had it since the late 80's. 99% sure it has the original coolant pipes. No accident damage. All looks stock.

Currently on a hoist in my garage with no rad or hoses, so was easy for me to check.

The end of the coolant pipe on the passenger side sticks about 7/8" past the edge of the metal lip. On the drivers side about 1 1/8"

But I guess not sure if any differences between my '81 and your '74. But probably the same for this.

Let me know if you need any pics or more measurements.

Hope this helps. Doug

 

[Mechanogeek]

Here is the solution I used for the front when I updated to 1.5" SS tubing. I also ran BOTH heater lines through the tunnel...

Sure, flexible corrugated SS tubing not the best choice for long term, but I will replace with fitted SS pipe in the future. Also used 1/8" closed cell neoprene to insulate the brackets that attach to the frame.

 

[CnC79X19]

Nice job Mike