different cooling options, need opinions

[DustinsDuster]

so my short block(4G63) is assembled, and the head is ready to go on. about a week ago i was reading about some problems i would run into with relocating the thermostat housing.

as some of you may know, i purchased a thermostat relocation kit from Jay Racing for my build. when turning the engine forwards, the thermostat housing directly interferes with the firewall. the kit consists of a blockoff plate for the stock location, and a fitting that goes in place of a freeze plug in the front of the head and mounts the the therm. housing directly in front of the engine. aparently with this setup, there can be problems with the lack of coolant flow from the back of the head.

it seems there are a few options to go with from here:

1. i could drill holes in the head to line up with the coolant passages in the block, punch holes in the head gasket to match. with these holes in the back of the head opened, but not in the front, coolant should flow pretty well from the back of the engine. i would also be able to utilize the kit i got in the manner it was meant. but there are downsides- the extra cost of having a shop drill the holes and make sure everything lines up. and also, if i ever needed to replace the head or head gasket, i would have to perform the same modification to make it work again.

2. i could drill a hole in the back blockoff plate, weld in an AN fitting, do a similar setup in the front, and run both lines into a remote surge tank, and then run a hose into the radiator. i kindof like this idea for the potential amount of coolant flow i could achieve. i also wouldnt have to modify anything, which i also like. but then i wouldnt use the Jay Racing fitting, unless i somehow had it integrated into the surge tank. i also dont know how much i would like the lines running all over my engine bay- even if they are steel braided. not to mention i have no idea what kind of radiator hose i could run.

3. there is an other option-and it seems to be the most K.I.S.S. friendly option. the idea is to drill a hole in the blockoff plate with a 90 degree AN fitting as before, but instead of to a surge tank, i could just run a line to the thermostat housing in front, drill a hole in the bottom of the thermostat housing, weld in another 90 degree an fitting, and connect the line to it. i like this option for how simple it is. it wouldnt clutter up the engine bay(i could run the single line through or under the intake manifold). its probably also the cheapest and easiest route to take. and lastly, if i ever had to replace the head, i wouldnt have to modify it at all. i could just unbolt the bypass and bolt it to a new head.

here's a link to an interesting conversation about this on another forum i am on, with a lot of different ideas and points of view:

http://www.projectzerog.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=393&start=0

so what do you guys think? any other ideas not covered here or on the other site? let's hear them!

[Scott]

Dustin, I would think option number #3 would be your easiest and best bet.. Look at all the SBC's around here that have that same problem flowing coolant through the head, if you just run 1 or 2 lines off your block off plate to the T-stat housing just like the millions of SBC that do it succesfully I think you would be just fine. Cooling is more about the right amount of flow and not the MOST amount of low, and this is usually restricted by the T-stat anyway. IMO

[TbTalon94]

I'd say #3, or #2...in that order. #3 is obviously gonna be your easiest, cleanest and cheapest...but with my help #2 could look pretty sweet if you let me build a few things :)

Either way if you need something built or welded just drop me a line and I can take care of ya.

[DustinsDuster]

i went and talked to Steve at Performance about it(theyre building my engine), and he seemed to have complete faith in option three, which is about all i needed. i was leaning towards it anyway, just needed one or two people to agree with it.

the only thing im thinking about now is what to make the line out of. i could use steel braided, but i worry about the mix of heat/pressure/coolant passing through it and the line failing somehow. stainless steel would probably be best, but i am not sure how much it would cost. i could make it out of copper as a model for all the bends; my grandpa is a plumber after all.

thanks for the imput guys- with stuff like this, i always like to hear different opinions. never know what will spark an idea, you know?

[Scott]

braided stainless for sure, much easier to do, easy to remove later on, looks better IMO

[TbTalon94]

Braided stainless, or Braided Nylon (pro-classic). They Nylon is easier to install, lighter, safer for Water/Antifreeze and looks like stock hoses. Costs a little more though.

[xci.ed6]

drill the holes in the head and gasket yourself. only would have to buy a drill bit if you dont have one.

[DustinsDuster]

drill the holes in the head and gasket yourself. only would have to buy a drill bit if you dont have one.

yeah, but then i would have to worry about getting them straight and in the right place, keeping debris out of the head, and there are no gaurantees that will flow coolant better than option three.