Does anyone have an idea of the coolant capacity of a 914 - V8?

I have a Chevy 283ci with an older brass radiator and otherwise a similar set up to the Renegade Hybrids versions with 1” id lines from the radiator and 3/4” id lines to the radiator.

For reference I’ve read that a 1965 Chevy 283 with a heater core can have up to 18.5 quarts.

45 feet of 1” id lines holds 1.836 gallons according to a pipe volume calculator.

I guessing around 6.5 gallons of coolant total - any thoughts?

Sounds like it's in the ballpark, a 996 takes 22L which is just shy of 6 US gallons.
You really should use something like an Airlift to get all of the air out of the coolant system.

My v6 system is about 3 gallons iirc.

Also I only used about 22 feet of 1.25" hose....

Thanks, Mark.

Great tip- the Ford tech across the street and his pal (also a 30+ year tech at BMW) both suggested the vacuum method a few weeks ago - a local parts store ( national “ Irish” chain) has been dropping the ball on getting Gates green stripe coolant hoses in various sizes for 3 weeks now .

We are going to pressure test first, as well.

Thanks, Chris . . .I wish this setup had only 20-something feet of hoses, especially since I’m trying to treat the ol’ fighter to the best $$$ hoses and stainless 5-bar clamps I can get.

Although the autotech friends I mentioned above both had a lot to say (and laugh about) when they saw the old red Insulone hoses, frankly, on the inside they looked great. . . they could possibly have gone a few more decades without issues-but we’ll never know now (if ever I can get these bloody hoses from McFlaps ).

Ok seriously, how do you use 45 feet of hose in a 13 foot car?

The RH kit only comes with about 12 & 13 feet. Unless your counting the 5/8 heater hose to the air box?

I bought mine in bulk from Amazon, sold half to another swapper.

Mine maths out to ~3.5 gal with heater core in air box, so 4 gal needed with reservoir & spillage.

Add another 10 feet and you might get away with no radiator

I bought Chris' extra Gates Green Stripe hose and I've got almost 6ft extra but you need that for a cushion. It tailored down nicely and I used adapters to my stock Subaru hose bits just to line up with the stock inlet and outlets.

Remember - these hoses are routed along the inner fenderwells , down to the rockers and back up. The Rod Simpson conversion uses alot more hose in the engine bay as the water pump is on the passenger side - one of the two 3/4” hoses goes from the right lower side, under the engine towards the driver side, up to the top of the motor, and back down to the custom water inlet on the front of the motor (and jammed against the firewall with nearly inaccessible allen head bolts :shoot2kill - that was literally a few days of hell since there was no way I was going to drop the motor on the slanted street).

Here’s the actual footageof Gates Green Stripe hose cut and purchased by me:

18’ x 1” id

21’ x 3/4” id

3’ x 3/8” id

This does not include the 1.5” id and 1.75” id hoses.

For the 1” id, I did have to put a loop in the front, and may have 2 to 3 feet left over when I have everything done, as the new routing was experimental and I had to return the 50ft rolls to the parts store asap.

For the 3/4” id, I may have 6” left over at the end, and I have used 1 foot more than a tight direct fit to the engine water outlet so I can install an inline bleeder and temporarily raise it above the expansion tank and thermostat housing if necessary.

Without the loop and extra routing, the final (taught routing, if you will) would be:

13+ to 14’ x 1” id.

19.5’ x 3/4” id.

Essentially, the Renegade setup is a straighter shot from pump to block (very short hoses coming from the same side of the motor) and a straight shot from the motor to the radiator ( which has the inlet and outlet on the same side). However those hoses are generally (not always) routed underneath the pan whereas the Rod Simpson set up has the main hoses fairly well protected by the rocker and fender wells.

I have some friends who have a highly built first gen 911 and their oil cooler hoses are routed under the pan - that car is pretty low and when I first inspected it, I cringed at how naked those hoses (and clamps) were even though they’re made from tough rubber composite. I far prefer to have 10 feet more of hoses and have them routed through the rockers - although cutting holes in the car especially whilst all bent up in the engine bay coming from the top wasn’t any fun-lol.

I have also read that centrally mounted hoses ( especially those mounted within the central tunnel ) can generate quite a bit of heat in the cabin.

Having had a Rod Simson System with 283 with headers I have a bit of old school 914 mod at the time when I could go over to Rods house and get parts right there.

One hot point!
If the heat does not go out the fenders. it gets very hot inside of the cabin.
If you run your lines in the heater ducting it gets can hot in the interior.
Hot air is pushing through the area above the fire wall before the gas tank and leaks all over and enters the cabin all over the place. This all needs to be sealed up very well. The area above the metal fire wall and all the holes that come into the interior. If you want it hot don’t cover those.
On my first v8 conversion back in 1980, I used a corvette aluminum radiator. On my second v8 conversion I used a Ron Davies radiator with custom shroud with twin fans like the Renegade set up. I would go today with the electrical water pump so you have more technical Tech on your side.
Headers or just a factory ram horn for the headers work fine.

Rod Simson was a very nice guy and it was nice to know him back in the day

Bob B