Base Model Turbo Install

Briann1177

Goblin Guru
No, I'm not 100% sure. :) I'm going off the assumption that the coolant feed is the cold side, and the return is the hot side. I'm going to steal Tony's picture, and hack it up. Red is feed, and yellow is return.

Turbo.jpg


Coolant.jpg
 
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Briann1177

Goblin Guru
Edit. It appears you would be correct. The "feed" and "return" terms seem backwards to me. I guess the feed is the hot side.

Flow.jpg
 
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Waterdriver

Goblin Guru
Not running a thermostat could cause overheating issues in of itself if a flow restricter is not used and a stock sized radiator.
Water in the radiator needs to sit in there and get cooled down, then return to the engine.

If your having cooling issues or require additional cooling, you might consider a radiator with a thicker core or more rows for added cooling for the same square in. sized radiator.
Or a dual pass radiator. Shifter karts use these types to keep the overall size down and keep the water temp from climbing over 120 degrees. Work awesome but pricey.
 

JSATX

Goblin Guru
Not running a thermostat could cause overheating issues in of itself if a flow restricter is not used and a stock sized radiator.
Water in the radiator needs to sit in there and get cooled down, then return to the engine.

If your having cooling issues or require additional cooling, you might consider a radiator with a thicker core or more rows for added cooling for the same square in. sized radiator.
Or a dual pass radiator. Shifter karts use these types to keep the overall size down and keep the water temp from climbing over 120 degrees. Work awesome but pricey.
Oh I’m not having cooling issues at all. In fact I have never seen it go above 190° even in the summer. The fan has never turned on. I believe this is largely due to not having a hood/engine compartment retaining heat.
 

Waterdriver

Goblin Guru
I was thinking more at a road race track, running WOT, 15-30 minutes with a water cooled turbocharger center section and elevated horsepower.

A couple of hard pulls here and there you should be OK.
 

DanPerryy

Well-Known Member
You guys probably know a lot more of this than I do but when I figured out the thermostat I concluded that the heater flow kept the hot water flowing past the thermostat so the thermostat could sense the temp for opening up allowing the radiator flow cooling the engine. I saw the note about not being able to use the thermostat but I think that we would want to keep the engine temp in a more constant range. Don't know.
 

Adam

Administrator
Staff member
Coolant Flow with Hoses Looped (or with a heater core)
On a cold start with the thermostat closed, almost all of the water exits the engine through the port on the rear of the cylinder head and goes to the passenger side heater hose tube. The coolant passes by the temperature sensor at this point. The water exits the first heater hose tube and either goes to our hose loop or to a heater core. It then returns through the driver side heater hose tube. The hot water from this tube strikes the back side of the thermostat and begins to heat it up.

water flow arrows.jpg


heater tube to thermostat flow arrow.jpg


When the water striking the thermostat is hot enough, the thermostat opens and water begins to flow from the passenger end of the cylinder head, up to the radiator and then back to the thermostat. Even after the thermostat is open, you still get coolant flow from the driver end of the cylinder head through the heater hoses.

Coolant Flow with the Heater Tubes Capped/Plugged
If the heater tubes are blocked off, the only flow you have early on is through the small bypass holes in the thermostat. Instead of getting hot water hitting the thermostat early on, you will have a small flow of cool water passing by. The thermostat will stay closed much longer than before because the only water it is seeing is the cool water. The hot water from the engine will slowly work its way to the front, through the radiator and back to the thermostat. The flow of this hot water will be restricted by the thermostat. There is no telling how hot your engine will get before the thermostat finally opens. Perhaps heat will find its way to the thermostat from the cylinder head heating the thermostat housing but you will still have a large supply of cool water from the radiator slowly passing by the thermostat to cool it off.

You would never have water flowing past the engine coolant temperature sensor so your readings won't be as accurate.

Finally, it is possible the engineers that designed the passages inside the block and head took into account that water would be exiting near the thermostat housing. Without that opening, the water may not flow as they intended and you could end up with a stagnate area on the driver side of the block and head.

We recommend looping the hoses to maintain the coolant flow as the engineers originally intended it to be.
 

JSATX

Goblin Guru
Coolant Flow with Hoses Looped (or with a heater core)
On a cold start with the thermostat closed, almost all of the water exits the engine through the port on the rear of the cylinder head and goes to the passenger side heater hose tube. The coolant passes by the temperature sensor at this point. The water exits the first heater hose tube and either goes to our hose loop or to a heater core. It then returns through the driver side heater hose tube. The hot water from this tube strikes the back side of the thermostat and begins to heat it up.

View attachment 2402

View attachment 2401

When the water striking the thermostat is hot enough, the thermostat opens and water begins to flow from the passenger end of the cylinder head, up to the radiator and then back to the thermostat. Even after the thermostat is open, you still get coolant flow from the driver end of the cylinder head through the heater hoses.

Coolant Flow with the Heater Tubes Capped/Plugged
If the heater tubes are blocked off, the only flow you have early on is through the small bypass holes in the thermostat. Instead of getting hot water hitting the thermostat early on, you will have a small flow of cool water passing by. The thermostat will stay closed much longer than before because the only water it is seeing is the cool water. The hot water from the engine will slowly work its way to the front, through the radiator and back to the thermostat. The flow of this hot water will be restricted by the thermostat. There is no telling how hot your engine will get before the thermostat finally opens. Perhaps heat will find its way to the thermostat from the cylinder head heating the thermostat housing but you will still have a large supply of cool water from the radiator slowly passing by the thermostat to cool it off.

You would never have water flowing past the engine coolant temperature sensor so your readings won't be as accurate.

Finally, it is possible the engineers that designed the passages inside the block and head took into account that water would be exiting near the thermostat housing. Without that opening, the water may not flow as they intended and you could end up with a stagnate area on the driver side of the block and head.

We recommend looping the hoses to maintain the coolant flow as the engineers originally intended it to be.
This exactly matches what I found out this weekend. Adam beat me to it.

Now my question is if it’s safe to use the heater loop to cool the turbo. The downside being the water is a little hotter than what comes from the radiator. The upside being a very easy routing job.
 

Briann1177

Goblin Guru
Dumb question, but what happens to the flow when the climate control temp knob is off? I would assume that no water would flow between those two hoses. Or is there bypass in the core?
 

Briann1177

Goblin Guru
With the housing back on the block, I took a peek inside on the other heater hose, and you can clearly see that it was designed to channel water into the heater core as soon as it comes out of the block. Just like what Adam said. It's not obvious with it off the block because all you see then is a bunch openings that lead to a common area.

Too bad I already tapped threads into mine. I guess I'll have to buy some NPT fittings and put a bypass hose back on.
 

JSATX

Goblin Guru
With the housing back on the block, I took a peek inside on the other heater hose, and you can clearly see that it was designed to channel water into the heater core as soon as it comes out of the block. Just like what Adam said. It's not obvious with it off the block because all you see then is a bunch openings that lead to a common area.

Too bad I already tapped threads into mine. I guess I'll have to buy some NPT fittings and put a bypass hose back on.
I just got these for my turbo you could get them and just connect a hose between. 1/2npt to 1/2barb
5770D8B1-A31A-4B35-9618-E48C514D0293.jpeg
 

Silverback

Well-Known Member
Here is my solution to the heater core plumbing issue:

WIN_20180217_14_29_49_Pro.jpg


It provides a compact low-profile set-up for taking the SS/TC turbo exhaust straight out & may work for other configurations. The original stainless steel tubes were removed and the remaining holes tapped to 1/2" NPT. eBay-sourced 1/2" NPT 5/8"hose elbows were installed with a 5/8" silicone elbow cut to fit.
 
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ctuinstra

Goblin Guru
Here is my solution to the heater core plumbing issue:

It provides a compact low-profile set-up for taking the SS/TC turbo exhaust straight out & may work for other configurations. The original stainless steel tubes were removed and the remaining holes tapped to 1/2" NPT. eBay-sourced 1/2" NPT 5/8"hose elbows were installed with a 5/8" silicone elbow cut to fit.
Looks great!
 

KJP

Well-Known Member
Here is my solution to the heater core plumbing issue:

View attachment 2824

It provides a compact low-profile set-up for taking the SS/TC turbo exhaust straight out & may work for other configurations. The original stainless steel tubes were removed and the remaining holes tapped to 1/2" NPT. eBay-sourced 1/2" NPT 5/8"hose elbows were installed with a 5/8" silicone elbow cut to fit.
I was thinking about doing this same thing. After seeing it I think I deffinatly will because that looks great!
 
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