Hotrod46

iTrader: (7)

I will be using a custom surge (expansion) tank in the cooling system in the LS powered Austin Healey I'm building.

I will be plumbing it like the early LS F-bodies were. I have found a couple of plumbing diagrams and they both show the heater return connecting to a "T" on the bottom of the surge tank and feeding directly into the low pressure side heater return port.

Is this "T" connection how they are actually connected? If this is true, is there a practical reason for this? The only reason I could think of was to reduce turbulence in the surge tank. It would make plumbing in my car a little simpler if I ran the heater return into the side of the tank and had the return to the water pump in the bottom. I'm fabbing the surge tank myself and could put any fittings in that are needed.

Here is a typical plumbing diagram that I have found.

garys 68

iTrader: (1)

That configuration has been used in C3 corvettes since the 60s. Yes they just put a T in one of the heater lines. It just makes plumbing easier to the surge tank above. Be sure the surge tank and it's pressure cap is the highest point in system so it can bleed air out. You also need to seal the radiator cap or use a higher pressure cap to prevent the coolant from expanding out the wrong cap. If the radiator has the nipple for the expansion tank, that has to be capped or "T"ed into the surge tank overflow reservoir line.

Hotrod46

iTrader: (7)

Cool. That makes it even simpler. I'll just put the T in the return line and plumb that over to the bottom of the tank.

The radiator I'm looking at will not even have a cap. The surge tank will have the only pressure cap.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

In fbodies the heater lines both go to the water pump.