Good idea...certainly not something we did at the factory...
Coolant Plumbing
- Thread starter mcfling
- Start date
Here's what I did and the work was a lot easier than I imagined. I bought 15" long mandrel bends (they normally come 12" long) which allowed a direct connection from the 45* to the front 90* bend saving the additional weld joint. The pipes were already beaded on both ends so I just cut the bead off the end I needed to join and used a hose clamp to keep in the place for mockup and delivery to welder. I would highly recommend using a stationary band saw for the cuts like I did, the cuts (even the 45s) came out flawless.
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Howard Jones
Supporter
Mark, nice work so far, however I do have a suggestion. That hard 90 degree turn yor are making as you leave the wheel well will add quite a bit of unnecessary back pressure in your system. Rear engine/front radiator cars are marginal at best with the length of the plumbing and height of the pump in relation to the majority of the water volume.
It's hard enough to pump uphill without adding restrictions in the lines. It would better would be to put in a nice radiuses' 90 bend instead of that hard 90.
Here's how I did mine. You will notice that its in two pieces. The pipe inside the sidepod and then the piece in the nose section. Why? How will you fix the pipes without taking the car apart should you have a shunt and damage the nose. Just a thought.
The last two pictures are of the system drain. Just a bung in the lower wheel well pipe.
It's hard enough to pump uphill without adding restrictions in the lines. It would better would be to put in a nice radiuses' 90 bend instead of that hard 90.
Here's how I did mine. You will notice that its in two pieces. The pipe inside the sidepod and then the piece in the nose section. Why? How will you fix the pipes without taking the car apart should you have a shunt and damage the nose. Just a thought.
The last two pictures are of the system drain. Just a bung in the lower wheel well pipe.
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Point well taken on the sharp 90s Howard, it's definitely not optimal. My reasoning was I could save two weld joints that could become failure points, additionally I see everybody doing the sharp turn coming out of the water pump. I think I'm going to commit to this design for now and see how well it works in the real world and adjust from there.
I've also got the two piece pipes in the front separated by soft line as you describe but I never thought about the front impact scenario. Makes perfect sense!
I've also got the two piece pipes in the front separated by soft line as you describe but I never thought about the front impact scenario. Makes perfect sense!
I'm a welding inspector. If your using stainless steel piping and the proper welding pricedures you shouldn't worry about the weld being a weak point. What can help the weld erode at a faster rate will be to cause a flow problem in the pipe. The way the coolant will be hitting that hard 90 degree bend will be an issue. It will take time but, can erode that weld away.
I have a feeling that most of us will have left this world by the time a weld erodes in a SS coolant tube in an SLC....(if welded correctly of course)
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Thanks for the post Howard. Very nice.
This question doesn't really deserve it's own thread so I will bump this one.
People in this forum have used aluminum pipe instead of the stainless for the coolant.
1. I was wondering, would it be possible, or better yet, are there any downsides to using square aluminum instead of round for the coolant? The reason is, the square will better hug the side of the chassis. Yes, I will be putting heat insulation between the tube and the chassis. But I figure you would have better clearance for the second question.
2. Instead of routing the pipe below the front LCA, would it be possible to route it between the UCA and the LCA? I don't think there is a clearance issue, though when I get back home today, I'll turn the wheel and see if the tires hit.
People in this forum have used aluminum pipe instead of the stainless for the coolant.
1. I was wondering, would it be possible, or better yet, are there any downsides to using square aluminum instead of round for the coolant? The reason is, the square will better hug the side of the chassis. Yes, I will be putting heat insulation between the tube and the chassis. But I figure you would have better clearance for the second question.
2. Instead of routing the pipe below the front LCA, would it be possible to route it between the UCA and the LCA? I don't think there is a clearance issue, though when I get back home today, I'll turn the wheel and see if the tires hit.
What gauge is the SS tube? I can't measure it with my caliper because the lip throws off the thickness.
I'm going to get some 90 degree elbows and want to match up ones with the same wall thickness. Thanks in advance.
Ken Roberts
Supporter
I just measured it for you James. It's about .065" or more commonly known as 16 gauge.
Here is a link to where I bought mine.
304 Stainless Steel - 16 Gauge Mandrel Bends
Here is a link to where I bought mine.
304 Stainless Steel - 16 Gauge Mandrel Bends
