Steam vent tube alternative for an LS motor
11-20-2012 | 05:56 PM
#41
My hypothesis is that yes, a stock CAR (not just motor) should be fine with the rear ports blocked. But when you start introducing suspension changes, tire size changes, fuel system/lambda changes.... The gm engineers didn't have to account for that when they decided that blocking the rear ports was acceptable.
Let's face it, it's possible there is more than one culprit to #7 cylinder failures. Why not play it safe and run rear steam tubes? How long does it take to take off the intake? How much is $50 in steam tubes worth to you compared to a short block?
Guys, install rear tubes. Forget about them. Know that when your #7 cylinder burns up, it WASN'T due to an air pocket in the back of your head.
Let's face it, it's possible there is more than one culprit to #7 cylinder failures. Why not play it safe and run rear steam tubes? How long does it take to take off the intake? How much is $50 in steam tubes worth to you compared to a short block?
Guys, install rear tubes. Forget about them. Know that when your #7 cylinder burns up, it WASN'T due to an air pocket in the back of your head.
11-20-2012 | 05:57 PM
#42
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,077
Likes: 12
From: So.Cal.
...
Let's face it, it's possible there is more than one culprit to #7 cylinder failures. Why not play it safe and run rear steam tubes? How long does it take to take off the intake? How much is $50 in steam tubes worth to you compared to a short block?
Guys, install rear tubes. Forget about them. Know that when your #7 cylinder burns up, it WASN'T due to an air pocket in the back of your head.
Let's face it, it's possible there is more than one culprit to #7 cylinder failures. Why not play it safe and run rear steam tubes? How long does it take to take off the intake? How much is $50 in steam tubes worth to you compared to a short block?
Guys, install rear tubes. Forget about them. Know that when your #7 cylinder burns up, it WASN'T due to an air pocket in the back of your head.
11-20-2012 | 06:57 PM
#44
It is not as clear cut as your question...
the problem is not when your engine makes killer power... the problem arises when operating in the boundary conditions... and this is compounded by various things like PE fueling being not sufficiently rich and cooling system being in other than good condition
(you will not know about these conditions unless you constantly monitor lambda/egt sensors and view thermal spectrographs).
[ do you ever remember seeing the external steam hose mods on SBC/BBC...? ]
As you can see from other posts above there are aftermarket solutions.
the problem is not when your engine makes killer power... the problem arises when operating in the boundary conditions... and this is compounded by various things like PE fueling being not sufficiently rich and cooling system being in other than good condition
(you will not know about these conditions unless you constantly monitor lambda/egt sensors and view thermal spectrographs).
[ do you ever remember seeing the external steam hose mods on SBC/BBC...? ]
As you can see from other posts above there are aftermarket solutions.
No steam hose I know of on SBC/BBC
11-20-2012 | 07:16 PM
#46
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,077
Likes: 12
From: So.Cal.
11-20-2012 | 08:03 PM
#49
11-20-2012 | 08:26 PM
#50
Ba81z, why so angry? The ls6 intake design didn't likely happen without some understood sacrifices from the ls1 intake... Aka steam tubes. But seriously, why are you so opposed to improving on a design? It's almost like you've decided the gm design is infallible... Is the exhaust manifold also the best design?
11-20-2012 | 08:36 PM
#51
Ba81z, why so angry? The ls6 intake design didn't likely happen without some understood sacrifices from the ls1 intake... Aka steam tubes. But seriously, why are you so opposed to improving on a design? It's almost like you've decided the gm design is infallible... Is the exhaust manifold also the best design?
11-20-2012 | 09:05 PM
#52
Interesting....I'm doing a LS1 swap and thought I can just block off these steam ports and it was fine. On my stock 300zx motor coolant lines were ran under the TBs as well to warm the incoming air in freezing conditions...area became prone to leaking and almost everyone deletes it as its not needed....so yes it is possible that GM over engineered something....
Maybe we can ask a GM tech or expert what the system is actually for?
Maybe we can ask a GM tech or expert what the system is actually for?
11-20-2012 | 10:26 PM
#53
Interesting....I'm doing a LS1 swap and thought I can just block off these steam ports and it was fine. On my stock 300zx motor coolant lines were ran under the TBs as well to warm the incoming air in freezing conditions...area became prone to leaking and almost everyone deletes it as its not needed....so yes it is possible that GM over engineered something....
Maybe we can ask a GM tech or expert what the system is actually for?
Maybe we can ask a GM tech or expert what the system is actually for?
11-20-2012 | 10:51 PM
#54
Also, many older small blocks have been drilled and tapped to bring water up to the front. The tbi engines and newer take water from that area of intake, and cross under the intake to the front.
The older engines without this water passage cast into the intake can and are modified to bring water from the back of The head to the front thru tubing and fittings, much like the stock 97-00 ls1's.
11-20-2012 | 11:28 PM
#56
Kurt urban makes one, as already mentioned.
Also, many older small blocks have been drilled and tapped to bring water up to the front. The tbi engines and newer take water from that area of intake, and cross under the intake to the front.
The older engines without this water passage cast into the intake can and are modified to bring water from the back of The head to the front thru tubing and fittings, much like the stock 97-00 ls1's.
Also, many older small blocks have been drilled and tapped to bring water up to the front. The tbi engines and newer take water from that area of intake, and cross under the intake to the front.
The older engines without this water passage cast into the intake can and are modified to bring water from the back of The head to the front thru tubing and fittings, much like the stock 97-00 ls1's.
I've drilled and tapped more than my fair share of water pumps and cylinder heads, in an effort to send pressurized "cooler" coolant to the troublesome hot spots on the sbc heads between 3&5 and 4&6. This proved effective in cooling our engines down.
Here's the deal. No one can tell you or me the cooling schematics in the heads. I worked in a shop that built cup engines, as I mentioned in my build thread, and we studied this subject endlessly, with no answers.
The purpose of the crossover tube is for steam. You have to get it out, if you want your cooling system to operate correctly, and efficiently. I personally feel that putting a rear steam exit out back is a good idea, if you have room.
11-21-2012 | 12:09 AM
#57
And trust me, all this pipe work to move water from the front to rear, or vise versa, was doing absolutely no good.
I've drilled and tapped more than my fair share of water pumps and cylinder heads, in an effort to send pressurized "cooler" coolant to the troublesome hot spots on the sbc heads between 3&5 and 4&6. This proved effective in cooling our engines down.
Here's the deal. No one can tell you or me the cooling schematics in the heads. I worked in a shop that built cup engines, as I mentioned in my build thread, and we studied this subject endlessly, with no answers.
The purpose of the crossover tube is for steam. You have to get it out, if you want your cooling system to operate correctly, and efficiently. I personally feel that putting a rear steam exit out back is a good idea, if you have room.
I've drilled and tapped more than my fair share of water pumps and cylinder heads, in an effort to send pressurized "cooler" coolant to the troublesome hot spots on the sbc heads between 3&5 and 4&6. This proved effective in cooling our engines down.
Here's the deal. No one can tell you or me the cooling schematics in the heads. I worked in a shop that built cup engines, as I mentioned in my build thread, and we studied this subject endlessly, with no answers.
The purpose of the crossover tube is for steam. You have to get it out, if you want your cooling system to operate correctly, and efficiently. I personally feel that putting a rear steam exit out back is a good idea, if you have room.
I believe the point of the coolant cross over on the bottom of the tbi intakes was an effort to warm the incoming air in freezing conditions, since the exhaust cross over was eliminated.
11-21-2012 | 12:18 AM
#58
