Watercooling hoses through longs?, I need feedback from those who've done it. Options

[pktzygt]

I'm finalizing my Suby conversion and I can seem to make myself put the cooling lines under the car.

I can think of one person (Britain) who has put the cooling hoses in the longs, but I was hoping to get some feedback on the difficulty of installation and how well it works form some suby or V8 guys. Part of the problem is that I haven't ever cut into the longs myself.

One one hand I don't want to put extra heat in the cabin or lose foot space but on the other, I hate the shortcut look of the under car routing.

Do the bends in the hose cause cooling issues?

Can the hoses go into the longs without taking foot space?

Should I put them under the car and re-route them as a future winter project?

Thanks!

[ruby914]

I'm finalizing my Suby conversion and I can seem to make myself put the cooling lines under the car.

I can think of one person (Britain) who has put the cooling hoses in the longs, but I was hoping to get some feedback on the difficulty of installation and how well it works form some suby or V8 guys. Part of the problem is that I haven't ever cut into the longs myself.

One one hand I don't want to put extra heat in the cabin or lose foot space but on the other, I hate the shortcut look of the under car routing.

Do the bends in the hose cause cooling issues?

Can the hoses go into the longs without taking foot space?

Should I put them under the car and re-route them as a future winter project?

Thanks!

I tried and gave up quickly. I ran mine under the car. That was just too easy at the time. I don't recall my hose OD. Think smaller would be easier.
What ID, OD is your hose?
I am still thinking of a way over the jack post, out side of the long.

[pktzygt]

I tried and gave up quickly. I ran mine under the car. That was just too easy at the time. I don't recall my hose OD. Think smaller would be easier.
What ID, OD is your hose?
I am still thinking of a way over the jack post, out side of the long.

I am using those NAPA yellow stripe that Renagade uses. I think it was 1 1/2" and 1" ID. I'll get the measurements on them next time I go out to the garage.

[ruby914]

I tried and gave up quickly. I ran mine under the car. That was just too easy at the time. I don't recall my hose OD. Think smaller would be easier.
What ID, OD is your hose?
I am still thinking of a way over the jack post, out side of the long.

I am using those NAPA yellow stripe that Renagade uses. I think it was 1 1/2" and 1" ID. I'll get the measurements on them next time I go out to the garage.

Just checked my hose, ~1.2 ID 1.6 OD. Green stripe I think.
I don't think it needs to be so big.

[v82go]

Another option is aluminum conduit (under the car), I have been using it for several years without problems. It should also help dissipate heat.

Bob

[pktzygt]

Another option is aluminum conduit (under the car), I have been using it for several years without problems. It should also help dissipate heat.

Bob

I'd be afraid that aluminum would be more prone to damage than hose. I like to drive my car and I don't want to live with the fear of being stranded because I did something the easy way as opposed to the best way. I know that sounds dramatic, but you know what I mean.

Anyone with hoses through the longs care to comment on issues involved or install tips?

As far as I can tell the biggest difficulty will be hiding the hose where it comes through the firewall and into the long. Cutting and welding is no problem for me, so that isn't even a factor.

I'm going to steal one of Britain's pic here. This seems like the best way to go, but I'll have the full interior back in, which may look funny. I need to ask him, but it looks like he cut the tube out from the top and just put a patch. How long is the little heater tube on the front? It seems that I've seen a pic with the long cutaway and the tube is a short 90 degree section.
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[McMark]

Here is what's inside.

[Mike Bellis]

Project Anklebiter has them in the longs.

My first V8 had coolant hoses run through the center tunnel. The PO did this and it worked well. The problem was radiated heat inside the cabin. Rubber hose and copper are great heat conductors. They will radiate heat in every drection.

Aluminum through the tunnel may be a better option. It can fit and Aluminum is not a good heat conductor. Most of the heat will stay inside the tubing. Thick wall aluminum conduit is available from most any electrical wholesale house. It can be threaded too. I am considering this solution to replace my under body hose. My car is low and the hose now is damaged from putting it on my trailer. I am replacing it today in kind but I'm considering other options.

The longs look great until you get to the front. Hoses have to go past your feet to get past the front firewall. Great feet warmers in the winter...

[pktzygt]

Here is what's inside.

Thanks Mark! Exactly the pics I was hoping for, but not what I was hoping to see. It looks like significant surgery to get that stuff out. Maybe a cooling lines phase two project for next winter.

[J P Stein]

Brit followed the same path as set up for oil cooler line routing.....just singled up the lines....one to each side. No need to be cute. A hole saw thru the inner long AND the inner tube(it's a little brutal). Oblong the hole or dress as necessary with a die grinder. A split gas hose around the cut outs for those sharp edges. The intrusion is minimal.
IIRC the drivers side is tougher but email him for a pic. He does face book & there might be a pic there.

[pktzygt]

Aluminum through the tunnel may be a better option. It can fit and Aluminum is not a good heat conductor. Most of the heat will stay inside the tubing. Thick wall aluminum conduit is available from most any electrical wholesale house. It can be threaded too. I am considering this solution to replace my under body hose. My car is low and the hose now is damaged from putting it on my trailer. I am replacing it today in kind but I'm considering other options.

The longs look great until you get to the front. Hoses have to go past your feet to get past the front firewall. Great feet warmers in the winter...

Aluminum sounds expensive, but seems like a better idea than the hot hose under the feet. I'll do some research on that one.

I want this thing to look like it is all original, at least to the untrained eye.

[pktzygt]

WOW, that aluminum tubing isn't expensive at all. Probably less than a new set of those rubber hoses.

I plan to cut the top off the tunnel eventually to make sure the rust isn't taking over and to run all my conversion cables properly. Aluminum and maybe some foam insulation may be feasible if there is room. Maybe one in the tunnel and one in the passenger long with some foam insulation.

[pktzygt]

Brit followed the same path as set up for oil cooler line routing.....just singled up the lines....one to each side. No need to be cute. A hole saw thru the inner long AND the inner tube(it's a little brutal). Oblong the hole or dress as necessary with a die grinder. A split gas hose around the cut outs for those sharp edges. The intrusion is minimal.
IIRC the drivers side is tougher but email him for a pic. He does face book & there might be a pic there.

OK, I'll get in touch with him. I was trying to figure out how difficult it was to get that hard 90 degree tube out. not easily is the answer.

[ruby914]

Another option is aluminum conduit (under the car), I have been using it for several years without problems. It should also help dissipate heat.

Bob

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I have always liked the idea of aluminum because it seems like it would dissipate heat better.

[DBCooper]

You can also search for Rod Simpson V8 conversions. For decades they all used hard plumbing through the longs, dozens done, and worked well.

[pktzygt]

You can also search for Rod Simpson V8 conversions. For decades they all used hard plumbing through the longs, dozens done, and worked well.

I looked at those, I've had enough engineering classes in thermodynamics to at least be cautious of the 90 degree bends. I'm going to go out to the garage and take another look at where he put those hoses through.

Maybe it can be done with some gentler bends behind My AP speaker pods.

[Cracker]

Yeah, this was the dilemma I faced too when deciding how to run the hoses. I ended up deciding that although I don't care visually for "under" routing - it made sense for a couple of reasons (so I choose it).

1) shorter, direct runs to cooling.
2) Service-ability
3) Heat outside of car, in air-flow.
4) Avoid over crowded tunnel as it is now (expecially so if you have a shifter in there).
5) I like to "see" things should there be problems - relates to #2

I run DE's and 99% on the street. About 530 hp with an aggressive stance. I like the
idea/look of internal routing but I've been very happy with the functional results of the "crude" method. Food for thought...

[bulitt]

Ferrari 308's 328's, 512bbi's have aluminum tubes through the center channels and they get very hot in the summer!

[pktzygt]

Yeah, this was the dilemma I faced too when deciding how to run the hoses. I ended up deciding that although I don't care visually for "under" routing - it made sense for a couple of reasons (so I choose it).

1) shorter, direct runs to cooling.
2) Service-ability
3) Heat outside of car, in air-flow.
4) Avoid over crowded tunnel as it is now (expecially so if you have a shifter in there).
5) I like to "see" things should there be problems - relates to #2

I run DE's and 99% on the street. About 530 hp with an aggressive stance. I like the
idea/look of internal routing but I've been very happy with the functional results of the "crude" method. Food for thought...

I see your logic. I'm probably going to do it that way and go back and re-evaluate later. I've had this car off the road for too long. I want to see if I can get it back on the road before it hits the 3 year milestone.

[dlo914]

Why not route them behind the rocker panels? Ive seen others route their oil lines that way.