What am I doing wrong? Rebuilt 59a flathead. On/off valve on right head Return into lower right side of block Millwork hotrod heater 180 thermostats It seems like there is air trapped as the right cylinder stays @20 degrees cooler then drivers side, i have checked witha laser temp and you can feel a difference . The heater and hoses do not get hot. I have removed the heater from the dash and moved it all around trying to get the air out. I can hear it gurgling and sloshing. I disconnected the upper heater hose and tried to burp it, getting some air out. I have tried multiple times to burp the whole system and still the heater is cold. Do I need to tap into the water pump it self? Or somewhere else? Thanks any helps appreciated.
My 1950 Ford 8BA flathead has a hose connection from the water pump to the heater and returns to the right side of the engine head where the shut-off valve is at. It sounds like the coolant isn't flowing properly or there is a blockage. If the heater is higher than the coolant flow and it is not being forced through the heater core, I don't think you can get the air out.
I've always seen the return connected into the lower hose. Is the location in the block equivalent to the that or is it on the pressure side of the pump.
I believe you have connected both heater lines to the “pressure” side of the water pump. Coolant leaves the top of the head under water pump pressure then it needs to return to the low pressure side of the cooling circuit. This needs to be before the impeller inlet. Looks like you connected to a block drain but that is still after the water pump (pressure side). On my 8BA there is a port in the water pump so that is my low pressure return. On my 59A the return is actually a fitting on the lower rad hose molded into the line. with out a difference in pressure from high to low you never will get coolant to flow.
Here's your fix. You cut a 5/8" hole in the driver's side lower radiator hose and install this part. The threaded goes through the hole with the thicker curved piece inside the hose and the thinner curved piece against the outside of the hose. Tightening the nut seals the ****** connection. Attach the return hose to the ****** and run it back to the heater. Sounds goofy, but it was Ford's solution to the problem.
Copy thanks all for the advice. I'll see what I can come up with tomorrow. I'm used to the 8ba style water pump that had the outlet already there.
When you install it use some of this: Amazon.com: Permatex 20539 Indian Head Gasket Shellac Compound, 2 oz. : Automotive
I can attest the heater working well as you never know when you just need to go for a dash in the snow
You have no coolant circulation with the setup you have, don't listen to anything that the guy who told you to do that again as I have to think he is still laughing. Rob28 showed you the correct way to do it so you actually have circulation in the heater core. Note: The "pressure side" of all water pumps on traditional engines is to the inside of the cooling system. they draw coolant from the bottom of the radiator or heater core and push it through the cooling system to the top hose to return to the radiator or go up and out through the heater to the heater to return to the pump as the heater core is just a smaller radiator.
Sorry for the thread hack DOUGLASB but as it looks like your issue might be solved I hope it is ok to enquire about your comment...................... "the right cylinder stays @20 degrees cooler then drivers side, i have checked with a laser temp and you can feel a difference" I have a fresh built 8BA (with Offy Heads) new 180 degree thermostats and am having a similar discrepancy between the left and right cylinder heads. Mine also runs 20 - 30 degrees hotter on the left side but on mine that brings the temp up under load to around 200+ on the left side. I have tried running with no thermostats, 160 degree thermostats but those changes make no difference. Is it "normal" for the left side to run hotter than the right on an 8BA? Any tips the brain trust can offer other than put a Chev in it
Thanks all problems fixed I tapped into the p***angers water pump and now have waterfow and heat at the heater. Once again the HAMB is a wealth of knowledge. Doug
My comment was that with the return line running to the block drain hole from the heater there was no way that the pump could draw the coolant through the heater core. In theory it should work because hot water will rise and cool water will fall causing somewhat of a circulation that actually works in the cooling systems of some br*** era cars. In this setup it didn't work because the water pump was putting pressure on the area that the coolant was supposed to return from the heater from but was not creating a venturi effect to draw coolant out of the hose. Moving the line to the suction side of the water pump cured that as douglasB stated in post 14 and life is good with a working heater.
Flatheads always ran warmer on one side than the other. Probably due to the fact that the two banks are not connected, but two different systems running through one radiator. Anyway, some of the info provided here is incorrect. The hot water supply is from the top of the head , not from the lower radiator connection. The lower connection takes the water from the heater and recirculates most of it through the engine without going through the radiator. One air trap you have is the hose from the shutoff valve. The loop at the top is a big air trap. Try to straighten it out and it will prevent one air lock when you're filling an empty system. These engines can be hard to bleed out air from the system to begin with. You should shut the valve off during months where you don't need heat. It will help the right bank to stay a little cooler. Having hot water recirculate without going through the radiator doesn't help things in hot weather. EDIT: The right side water pump should have a pipe plug on the water pump, facing out toward you right behind the pulley. This is for the heater return connection. You would need an angled fitting and possibly an extension (standard plumbing parts) to get past the edge of the pump without kinking the hose. Running the return through the block drain severely lowers the flow. That block drain is also on the pressure side. You need it on the suction side, hence the connection mentioned on the pump suction side.
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