1978 280Z Heater Core Bypass Help

[oki_all_day]

Hi, new here, some guys on Zeroyon sent me over. I have had this mess of a 280Z parked for over half a year now (hard to believe it's been that long).

 

It's got something leaking, not sure if heater core or valve but the poor thing had been pissing coolant in the interior for a long time before I got it.

 

The car doesn't run due to electrical that I'm working on sorting out.

 

It was an A/C car if that makes a difference. I plan on deleting that since it's not working and I don't want or need it.

 

I've read on various forums about heater core bypass and see people saying to just loop the system and people saying to plug it and that looping causes overheating, then people say they been looping the system since 19XX and they race their cars and blah blah blah and they never overheat. Most discussions were done over a decade ago and they don't have pictures that are still up.

 

I'd like to bypass the heater core because nobody makes them for the 78 anymore and refurbished ones sell for close to 400 dollars, nobody makes the valve either and that sells for around 200 refurbished. Too much for me to pay for something I don't need.

 

The car was overheating a little bit when it used to run but last time I checked it had rust chunks floating in the radiator so I'm pretty sure its due time for an upgrade anyways. The heater did save me from goin' over in stop and go on the interstate but that was when I first got this POS with all its problems.

 

It never gets too cold here so I won't need the heater unless I'm overheating (which probably won't happen once I get a not rusted radiator).

 

Should I loop these two?

 

Or should I plug it, and if so, what should I be plugging it, and if so what gets plugged?

 

Is it something here that gets plugged? I'm thuroughly confused on the plugging part.

 

Also, side note while I'm in here anyways, can anyone tell me what this connector is for? I don't have anything on the harness to plug into it, is it a block heater?

 

EDIT: In the future I'll try to get those pics rotated correctly.

Edited January 17, 2016 by oki_all_day

[NewZed]

Can't you read those various threads and posts and tell who knows what they're talking about and who's just talking like Ace Ventura?  Does nobody have the ability to draw a conclusion anymore?

[NewZed]

Because this thread will be just one more of all of those you've read.  Same people saying the same things.  You need to reason it out and the answer will make sense when you're done.

[NewZed]

A clue for you - http://forums.hybridz.org/forum/32-nissan-l6-forum/

 

What is Zeroyon?

[ryant67]

Don't loop, you will end up recirculating hot coolant back into the engine and encounter overheating issues.  You should plug the lines instead.  I have attached two pictures of the plugged lines, as I did on my engine.  The plugs should be readily available at any auto parts store.  

[oki_all_day]

Don't loop, you will end up recirculating hot coolant back into the engine and encounter overheating issues.  You should plug the lines instead.  I have attached two pictures of the plugged lines, as I did on my engine.  The plugs should be readily available at any auto parts store.

 

Thanks, I appreciate the pics, told me exactly what I needed to know.

[oki_all_day]

A clue for you - http://forums.hybridz.org/forum/32-nissan-l6-forum/

 

What is Zeroyon?

Thanks for the link, I'll be doing more research, I swear it is like you can never know enough on these cars.

 

Zeroyon is another automotive forum, mostly with people who have lived or currently live on Okinawa, Japan.

[TimZ]

A clue for you - http://forums.hybridz.org/forum/32-nissan-l6-forum/

 

Post #405 in that thread tells you everything you need to know.

 

Do.

Not.

Loop.  

 

If you anybody tells you otherwise you should ignore anything they have to say regarding cooling from that point forward.

[seattlejester]

Zeroyon translates to 0-4 which is usually an abbreviation from 0-400 which is short for 400m aka a quarter mile. At least that is what it means when you talk to most people about zero-yon cars in japan basically translates to drag cars.

 

But it might be a postal code for them for all I know.

 

Regarding the looping, that is frowned upon for the reasons listed. There are several references as to why, and I agree with new zed that if you find the references and rationalize you never will have to wonder who is ace venturaing. Make sure when you cap that you use a solid caping mechanism, not a rubber hose cap as those will blow out.

 

The red hose in your first picture and the black hose that is running along the engine in your second picture are the ones that get blocked.

 

However if you are only planning on bypassing because you cannot find an affordable heater core and if in fact you wanted a heater core I believe you can pull the ones from a kia something or other. It pretty much is a bolt in swap. A heater is nice to have to defog/warmup/bleed off excess heat.

 

Regarding the connection, that doesn't look like a block heater, more like a knock sensor? I don't recall my zx engine having it though so I'm not sure.