i hate those banjo bolts, and stupid tube. has anyone switched up to something else?? can you retap them and use 90degree elbo's into heater hose or braided line or something?? or maybe just cut the metal tube and join it with rubber hose for easier removal?

looking for some ideas here, lets brainstorm!

mike

 

I just had a set of heads where the holes were stripped out, so I put in some 90* brass fittings and ran the hoses from each to a t fitting and coupled that with a piece of hose to the rubber line up front that goes in the radiator. Been workin fine now for about a month. The hoses I used were 1/4" fuel line I think, but 3/8" would be better cause that's the size of the hose into the radiator, I think.

 

I have seen it done. Don't remember exactly how they had it. Don't remember exactly where I saw the pic. All I can tell you is there is hope that someone know what I'm talking about and post it up.

 

I'm also wondering if it is just possible to plug those holes all together.

 

bad idea, it messes up the flow of the reverse cooling..

 

That's what I thought, but wasn't 100% sure. Oh well, does anyone know the thread pitch and size for the holes?

 

The holes are .25" straight pipe tap thread. Don't get the tapered pipe tap thread fittings. Found this out the hard way... You can put a 90 degree fitting in one side, a T-fitting in the other and run braided stainless line between them and up along the manifold to where it meets the other coolant line. Been there, done that, banjo bolts really arent too bad. By the time I had all the lines made to length and bought the fittings, it cost a lot more than a new crossover tube. It does work though.

 

What was used to seal the threads on the fittings into the heads? Teflon tape?

 

I used teflon tape and it sealed OK.

 

How many times do you take off your heads to make those bolts that big of a deal? New bolts have wider heads so they don't strip as easily... And I guess you can cut them and use rubber hose. But why create another leak point? I just have a buddy help and remove both heads at the same time with the tube attached. And I start the bolt and put both heads back on at the same time then tighten them up. They are easy bolts to get to. I just don't see the big deal with them.

 

stripping isn't really the issue for me, twisting one off because it corroded into the head can be a problem, but i do most of my work myself, i don't always have an extra set of hands to help me pull my heads. i'm just not crazy about hard tube, it can be easily kinked and sometimes is a pain to get the bolts back in if it bends at all.

really not a huge deal, i was just looking for other options and ideas other people have come up with.

 

I cut about 2' in the middle of the tube and install a piece of rubber line on ALL of my customer cars. It's been like this on my car for almost 5 years now with no leaks. Just make sure to tighten the hose clamps up right. As long as you get the clamps in the right position to tighten, they are very easy to take off.

-Shannon

 

Any pics?

 

In the reverse flow LT1/LT4, the coolant is pumped from the heads down through the block, and bubbles don't like to go down.
So, this pipe is to allow the bubbles (steam) to be collected at the top and cycled through the system.

Tom Piper