Coolant Hardline?

[Phish]

I have an issue with the RX8 that involves some melting/cracking coolant lines. It jsut so happens that my downpipe runs right next to where all of my coolant lines attach to the block. i have had a few isses with the coolant lines melting and causing leaks, or cracking from the heat cycle of getting hot and cold from the engine getting hot and cool. Its Impossible to re route a couple of the lines to get them away from the downpipe so the only thing i can think of is to run some type of hardline.

My question is, What do you guys suggest i use for the hardline. Its a steel body that the lines connect to. I was thinking find some steel pipe the correct sizes for the lines, bend them to fit the routing that i choose, weld them on to extend them past the downpipe. Once the fitting piece is complete, paint it with high temp engine paint, or have it powdercoated. Are there any other options or ideas that i am not thinking of? Let me know some thoughts.

Here is an older pic to give you an idea of what i am talking about. Setup is a little differnt now, but you can see a mess of coolant lines near the Downpipe.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/Phish806/DSCF0339.jpg

[AutoMods]

wow, looks like your downpipe is already wrapped. I'm surprised your having issues with a wrapped downpipe. I have zip ties and wires hanging out by my wrapped downpipe and have no issues. You have OEM coolant lines? Because I know if you have an aftermarket line that isn't approved for coolant it can degrade.

try DEI heat tape
http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/the-14002.jpg

and or DEI turbo blanket
http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/dei-010145_w.jpg

let me know if you want the blanket I can quote you

[Phish]

Have the DEI heat wrap thats on it. Also, its not shown in the picture, but i am/as running a turbo blanket. However i jstu sold my turbo blanket and am having everything ceramic coated instead of running the heat wrap.

All of the coolant lines were stock lines. Since i have melted through two lines, and cracked another one due to heat cycleing. My EGTs at the header read around .... 15-1800 if i remember correctly.

[AutoMods]

have you always had the heat tape around the coolant lines? I wonder if heat needs to pass out of those coolant lines from the inside out and the heat tape is holding too much heat in????? just guessing

[Phish]

Yup, always been coolant wrapped. Lines themself were onl wrapped for about six inches. Just till it got passed the downpipe. Pretty sure i am going to hardline it now though. Just get rid of the issue all together. Just still not sure to use for line. I believe its actually aluminum where everything times into the thermostat housing. Not sure on that though. I will need to check and see what i can find for some kind of line.

[Phish]

I pulled off the coolant lines from the thermostat lats night and grapped my maginate. Turns out that the housing itself is aluminum, but the tubing that is stubbed off for the hoses is steel. I believe i am going to try and flare the tubing from the housing and put a tubing nut on it. That way i can still run hardline the same way with an -an fitting connection instead of welding them. Looks as if i can run hardline for most all of my coolant lines that come off that Housing. Whats keeping me from doing all that way would be connecting to the coolant resivor. Wouldnt know how to connect to platic with an -AN type fitting. Anyone know of any way to do such a thing?

[AutoMods]

maybe a bulkhead fitting with rubber orings http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/rus-670860_w.jpg

[Phish]

Not goin to lie ... Don't even know how that works

[Phish]

Scratch that, your saying jsut retap the tank withe a bulkhead fitting and not use the plastic nipples that are already on the tank. I do not think that would work in my situation. Also i would still have the issue of attaching to the plastic nipple on the rad. for one of the lines.

[AutoMods]

Just like a nut and bolt with a flat piece of metal or plastic in between used on fuel cells, oil pans, fluid tanks for alcohol injection etc

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS5qjKYi_yMF5Ue0ESH-6Z7cav5bQSOXyp3dltphgdhMtyxerKJ
http://www.diesel-max.com/my_files/images/bulkhead_fitting_2.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rcalley/gif/thermfit.gif

[AutoMods]

yea i was talking about how to get the coolant resivor to AN . But you do have to be able to reach inside the tank to hold the nut to tighten it. just thought i'd throw that out there. im not really following your whole setup, just kinda skimmed over the posts real quick

[Sleepy]

I.E. I suggested the same thing on DS. I did not think about how to tighten the nut inside though..
Do you have to use the stock tank? Can you use something aftermarket?

[Phish]

That was my solution. After thinking about it i will jsut use an after market tank or create my own. Just make it so thiere are threaded fittings in the bottom and whala. Problem solved.

[Grr]

blanket+wrap will keep surface temps 100s of degrees lower than ceramic, In fact the ceramic is only about 20% as effective as the wrap and blanket. Now coating AND wrap/blanket drops temps enough you can hold your hand on it.

[Phish]

The problem that i have with wrap is that in less then 2000 miles it looks like shit and is impossible to keep clean. If it looked and stayed on the car exactly how it was first installed, then i would not have an issue with it. I have tried wrap twice. The second time i sprayed ont he silicone wrap protectant stuff. Did not help at all. Also, the black wrap fades to white eventually.

[Grr]

use the titanium wrap, I have it on 2 cars and it still looks new after over a year and 10k miles. For sure put a blanket back on it anyway

[Phish]

I used the DEI Exhaust wrap. Cant believe how fast it went to shit. Your saying use something like this. http://assaultech.com/mishimoto/mishimoto_titanium_heat_wrap_set/mmtw235/i-298768.aspx ?

[Phish]

Well i dont knwo why i did nto think of it sooner, but i cut off the ports that were on the stock overflow tank flush with the tank. Then i took my Tap an Die set and tapped them for the correct size fittings Painted the bitch black instead of the crappy faded clear/yellow it is stock and whala. Done. Just ordered some aluminum line and fittings. We shall see how things go from here. Hopefully it will give it a cleaner look and more importantly, no mroe rubber line melting on the downpipe.

[Phish]

Well, had alot going on this weekend but i managed to get a little done on the car. I am now waiting on more fittings that were backordered. Here are a couple pics of the progress i made. Still need to paint the bracket and have alot more line to run.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/Phish806/IMAG0055.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/Phish806/IMAG0056-1.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/Phish806/IMAG0057.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/Phish806/IMAG0058.jpg

[AutoMods]

did you ever get your rotary leak fixed?

[Phish]

Nope, i am doing the hardlines in the process of tearing the motor down to pull it. I figured it would make things easier with the top of hte motor out of the way. Hopefully i can get this done then get the motor out here shortly. This is turning out to be alot harder of a project then i anticipated. Still do-able but alot more work involved.