Need to post it here as well since I know there are a lot of knowledgable people here that can help.

Thanks!!


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I noticed that on this manifld that the back and middle water jackets are blocked and only the front two are open and go directly to the thermastat housing. I was wondering if I could block those too and just use the threaded holes on the heads themselves and run them to a y into the radiator? Any thoughts on this, anyone ever try it? I know on an LT1 they use them on the back of the heads as a vent tube to get rid of air.

Thanks,
Anthony

 

There are no "middle" water jackets. All BBC intakes only have front coolant passages. The rear ones are always blocked off and the "middle ones" are the exhaust crossover for EGR, carb heat etc.

No you can't block the front passages off. At least not unless you have a filled block and are running alcohol. Are you planning on running without a thermostat? You would still need a high spot on the engine to bleed off trapped air in the block.

I use a flat aluminum plate to cover the thermostat hole with a drain valve in it to release trapped air. My upper rad hose is the coolant bypass hose coming out the front of the intake which normally goes back into the water pump.

I doubt you would be able to remove the plugs on the front of the heads. They're installed hot and likely will never come out. Aftermarket heads don't have those ports.

 

Planning on running a thermostat, just can't use the manifold one if I want to run my intake piping to the stock ram air box. This is in a 97 Ram Air T/A. I can use the manifold one if I run a cold air intake to the passenger side of the compartment but that looks like my only option.

I thought about using that hole, but wasn't sure if it was big enough to flow enough water. What do you do for a thermostat? This is going to be a street car so I have to run one. Was thinking of a remote one, but all I can find is the box shaped one, I was looking for a cylinder shaped one.

I plan on running the RHS BBC heads so I guess I'm outta luck there so it looks like I either can't use the ram air box or I have to find a remote thermostat housing that will work.

 

It's big enough for a drag car cooling system using alcohol for fuel. It would be a little small for street use. My radiator is for a Pontiac Firefly.

I don't use a thermostat. My car is drag race only and runs on alcohol. The engine doesn't produce enough heat on alcohol. At the end of the track, the temperature might be around 180 degrees. When I get back to the pits, I leave the electric water pump and fan on to bring the coolant temperature down to under 100. Using a thermostat will block the coolant flow during cool down.

A thermostat housing isn't very big. Even BBC engines running 6-71 or 8-71 blowers can use a stock location thermostat.

I'm not really sure what you're trying to do. You want to use a carb intake which has the inlet on the top but want to use a factory style ram air inlet that's probably on the front of the hood and designed for an EFI system that has an inlet at the front of the engine?

 

Yes, that's exactly right. Its a 555 going in a 97 Ram Air T/A. What about using the two holes on either side of the thermostat housing in conjuction with a remote thermostat housing? Would those flow enough?