ewingr

Before I do this, I thought I'd better get some feedback here.

I have AN fittings from Street and Performance that I want to use to plumb the heater. I understand I just need to use some vice grips and clamp down good, likely bending / crushing the current outlet tubes and twist them out.

Anyone have any feedback on this? Should this be successful? Any other things I need to be aware of?

truckdoug

iTrader: (26)

I removed some by heating with a heat gun and putting the vise grips on the tube and prying against the vise grips. Kinda worked it around and they came right out. this was a used '02 f-body pump.

ewingr

Thanks. Mine is a crate LS3/430. I suspect it'll be the same.

Hadn't thought about a heat gun. I have a propane torch, but the heat gun sounds better.

Project GatTagO

iTrader: (7)

Expensive way to go. Why not put a braided sleeve over regular hose and use the Gates heat shrink clamps. It'll look nice and much cheaper than fancy hose and fittings.

Andrew

Pop N Wood

iTrader: (1)

You can use Russel push on AN fittings with standard rubber heater hose. I did that to hook up my heater hoses to a bulkhead fitting with AN connections on the engine bay side. Works great, it has held for 10 years with zero issues.

Someday I might get around to putting the AN connectors into the water pump as well. Makes it easy to pull the hoses and pretty much eliminates any chance of a leak.

ewingr

I seem to have a gremlin in my head that makes me do it the expensive way.

Project GatTagO

iTrader: (7)

I have the same issue. If the budget is there, go for it. It will definitely look cool.

I gather the plan would be to take the nipples out and tap for NPT and use a NPT to AN male adapter?

Andrew

Razor

I converted mine over to AN fittings, -20.

U used a set of vise grips and a pry bar to rock the pressed in stock fitting out. Came out in a few minutes.

Make sure you use large enough AN hose to support the cooling system. It's expensive but they look awesome and the safety of never having a radiator hose pop off was worth it to me.

scj

iTrader: (89)

If you're only doing the heater hoses the edelbrock pump has npt threaded fittings on it so you can just use an AN conversion-npt fitting and run your AN hoses right off of that. The meziere pumps have that also and they even make the inlet/outlets in different -AN sizes. They're only electric though, not really ideal for anything but drag racing.

ewingr

Ok guys. Here's where I'm at.

I got the nipples out. The water pump is new, as the engine is new. So I didn't want to purchase a different water pump. It was a chore, but they're out.

But now I have other problems.

My A/C is Vintage Air, along with the hoses, and bulk heads. I purchased swivel 90 degree 3/8 and 1/2 NPT AN nipples from Street and Performance. VA does NOT sell connectors for their stainless braided hose that are AN. So I purchased a couple Russell fittings, and of course they don't fit the VA #10 hose.

I called VA, and they said they typically tell folks to purchase their heater bibs that are 0-ring type, but they only have straight out. By the time I put the fittings on hose to the straight out bibs, I don't think I have enough room between the heater and my water pump.

So, not sure what I'm going to do at the moment.

truckdoug

iTrader: (26)

can you put AN hose fittings from the vintage air heater core too?

ewingr

VA makes nipple type fittings that have A/C :o-ring type connections. Being nipple type fittings they use 5/8 heater hose. So I'm all hooked up to the bulk head with 5/8 heater hose...that area being not visible. My problems are on the other side off the bulkhead connectors where the hose is visible, and I'm wanting to use braided stainless steel house there.

I spent quite a while researching after posting this. I'm having no luck finding an adapter for either end of the connections...O-ring to AN or vice versa.

The thing that really is causing problems is that the Vintage Air hose is a smaller diameter than other brands of stainless houses (even though both are -10 size). So the AN fittings are too large to fit the VA house, and the A/C O-ring tyoe fittings are too small for the non-VA hose.

truckdoug

iTrader: (26)

is it the id or the od that is smaller?

ewingr

ID. For example, the ID of the VA A/C braided hose is .525. The ID of the braided hose from Jegs is .563. Russell's is .5625.

So, the AN fitting I have to hook to the pump is expecting .5625 ID hose, but the VA hose, which is hooked to the bulkhead via A/C O-Ring type connection, is .525 diameter.

ewingr

Boy, I'm running out of luck every which way I look.

I thought maybe I need to give up and get black hose, and get the covering like Project GatTagO recommended. But the problem I run into no matter what is at my water pump.

I have max of 3" clearance between the water pump and my A-Arms. So, I need to be able to put something in the pump that I then tie my hose to...in only 3". So, that led me to a 90 fitting. Then the problem is, I need to have a swivel fitting because the barbs are close enough that if I use a solid 90 fitting, once I put one in, the other won't turn to install because it would hit the one that is already installed.

So the only 90 I've found, at least up to now, is the ones from Street and Performance, which are -10 AN. I cannot find -10 AN female to hose barb, so no way to hook up a 5/8" heater hose.

I've tried looking for O-ring to AN adapters, and vice versa, with no luck.

I'm close to being out of options, it seems.

ewingr

I think I have a solution. NOt ideal, as it is going to be with black hose and cover.

Using this and this at the pump, I can use standard hose. I'll have to get the o-ring connectors for the bulkhead from VA.

Not an ideal solution, but looks like that's what I'm stuck with. At least I have a solution.