Astral Ace Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Yesterday I decided to get rid of the crappy block off job the guy I bought the car from did. He had hoses with random bolts in them. I went to autozone and picked up some rubber caps from somewhere off the shelves. I capped all the ones he had pluged like that, and I used some screw clamps to tighted them. Poured the some more coolant in and cut her on. I let the car idle, and she was fine. I drove it over 40 miles since, and nothing seems wrong. But what I really want to know is: Are rubber caps ok for a pressurized, high heat application as this? One of the caps are kinda thin too, it's on the line right behind the engine head. And sorry that I don't have any pictures to show, I don't have a digital camera. (military ain't the best paying commitment our there.) Any help is appreciated. Support our troops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo6inKY Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Those caps work for awhile, but the rubber breaks down. They will eventually crack and leak or burst. The best way is to remove any nipples you aren't using and plug the holes with BPT pipe plugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tannji Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 I think Turbo6 was talking about BSP (or BSPT) plugs... You tap a hole with the appropriate thread and then screw in a plug. Thats how I would do it as well, just take care and try to prevent any chips from falling back into the coolant system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astral Ace Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 So basically I should have left the crappy looking "home made" plugs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 You should be able to find pipe thread plugs for just about everything. I have a '77 and have removed all coolant stuff other than the rad hoses themselves and I needn't use any taps; everything was threaded. Yes, rubber caps will burst; usually where the worm clamp holds it down. Coolant is wicked nasty for electrical connectors. It gets on the contacts and impedes contact. It's not easy to get off once it tries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astral Ace Posted August 28, 2007 Author Share Posted August 28, 2007 Wait, so I can just remove the external hardline or the coolant bypass I think it's called? Then just plug up the open holes? Please show me some pics of your setup, and what size plugs you used, and where you got them from... And whatever else I need to know. And thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo6inKY Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 I think Turbo6 was talking about BSP (or BSPT) plugs... You tap a hole with the appropriate thread and then screw in a plug. Thats how I would do it as well, just take care and try to prevent any chips from falling back into the coolant system. Yes, it was late, I screwed up my acronym. Basically metric pipe thread. All those bypass nipples in the thermostat housing are British Standard Pipe Thread (BSPT). My local hardware store stocks a small assortment of BSPT pipe plugs, so I literally unscrewed the nipple from the housing and screwed the pipe plug in (yes, I used teflon tape). The other end of the bypass on the passenger side of the block, where the splitter runs to the heater core and around the block to the back of the intake manifold, I have blocked off with a rubber plug until I get around to putting a straight step-down and eliminate the T completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astral Ace Posted August 28, 2007 Author Share Posted August 28, 2007 Hey, Turbo6, can I get some pics? Basically, can I get everything I asked in the post above you? I may want to get this done tonight if you can help me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astral Ace Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 Help... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Are you eliminating all the coolant accessory items? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astral Ace Posted August 30, 2007 Author Share Posted August 30, 2007 Well, if you mean take out the line for say the hearter core, then yeah. I want that whole bypass system gone. I want to plug up the 3 lines coming from the thermostat housing, It looks like I can just unscrew the metal connection, and use one plug. And then I want to plug up the line where it connects to the lower radiator hose. So, basically all I want is the inlet and outlet, to and from the radiator. I don't care about A/c or heat... I've been outside, practically naked in -20* weather... for hours. (survival school) But like I said, I need to know what size the plugs have to be. And do I have to use thread lock, or should I use gasket sealer around the plug end? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Well, if you mean take out the line for say the hearter core, then yeah. I want that whole bypass system gone. I want to plug up the 3 lines coming from the thermostat housing, It looks like I can just unscrew the metal connection, and use one plug. And then I want to plug up the line where it connects to the lower radiator hose. So, basically all I want is the inlet and outlet, to and from the radiator. I don't care about A/c or heat... I've been outside, practically naked in -20* weather... for hours. (survival school) But like I said, I need to know what size the plugs have to be. And do I have to use thread lock, or should I use gasket sealer around the plug end? Yes, there is a large fitting screwed into the passenger side rear of the block for the coolant pipe; unscrew that and screw in a brass plug. All of these plugs will be pipe thread that you can buy from any auto parts store or even a hardware store. The second fitting is screwed into the aluminum coolant neck for the lower radiator hosel; unscrew that one and screw in a brass plug there as well. On the upper radiator hose, there is a smaller pipe that runs to a little circulation block on the intake manifold. You can remove that one as well (at the thermostat housing) and plug it, too. I think the sizes are 1/4" and 1/2" pipe thread, but there may be some 3/8", etc. I plugged a bunch of lines (both coolant and air) at the same time. The only thing you end up with is a lower radiator hose to the aluminum neck on the block by the water pump and an upper radiator hose from the thermo housing to the radiator. That housing should have two (IIRC) sensors for the car to operate and one for the coolant gauge on the dash (which I replaced with an Autometer). I hope that's been helpful. Just go buy several 1/4", 1/2", etc. pipe thread (tapered) plugs (ie., NPT) and it'll work fine. Be sure to get LIQUID teflon paste to seal the threads up. Use plenty and wipe off the excess. Read the description on the paste as there seems to be a couple kinds and they will usually list your typical auto fluids as OK when you find the right one. NOTE: some people think it's OK to take the big coolant elbow that's on the back right side of the block and turn it around and plumb it to the equally sized fitting on the lower radiator hose. This is WRONG. The coolant at the back of the block has already been through the block and is on it's way out to the heater core (when it leaves the block through that fitting; most of the coolant routes up through the head and then back out through the upper radiator hose, IIRC). If you plumb it to the lower hose (which is going to the INLET of the water pump) you will be recirculating a significant portion of coolant. While it's done from the factory, it goes through a liquid to air heat exchanger which will cool it down some (the heater core) and who said factory was efficient anyways? Now, if you could tap into the outlet of the water pump (kinda hard since it's the face of the block) and route it to that back fitting, then you might have something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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