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Anyone ever use the eBay black coolant steam vent kit for $149? I tried doing the mod to flatten the stock ls1 tubes to fit under my fast 92 but unfortunatly I flattened one just a little to much and it pinched it off. Now I'm on the hunt for a good 4 corner cooling set up. Kurt urban makes a nice one but $250 is way out of my budget. Any other ideas would be great trying to do this as cheap as possible without looking as cheap as possible lol
Why is $150 in your budget but not $250? Why not save up 100 bucks and get something you know has been engineered and proven instead of risking $150 bucks and end up with a problem.
I'm trying to avoid any risk. If people have had success with the kit I would rather save the $100. If people are telling me it's junk I'll wait and save more.
I'd bet you're referring to the alpine stuff... it's fine, works like a charm. I haven't bought the kit, I bought components like their crossover line and the blocks with vents. They're not complicated, this is definitely somewhere you can save a few bucks.
That kit starts on the rear of 1 corner, crosses over, then runs towards the front and crosses over again. Is there any reason it couldn't start on a front corner, run down the head to the rear, cross over and come back up the front and then go into the water pump or radiator? I'm guessing it wasn't designed that way because the air rises up but the system would travel down as it went to the rear of the engine and then come back up???
I'm frigging OCD and having the tube on 1 side would bother the crap out of me. Just curious.
Same here. I have been doing more thinking and I can't justify spending $250 on 4 lines and a block. I have found a 6 port billet vacuum block on eBay for $20 and am thinking about buying that and the steam vent adapters. Probably have $80 into it and it will look great. Just not sure if it's going to work
I think nitrous outlet makes a kit too for around $250 it looks like a nice kit too, as it doesn't run above the intake now which is better it or the Kurt kit I have no idea.
That kit starts on the rear of 1 corner, crosses over, then runs towards the front and crosses over again. Is there any reason it couldn't start on a front corner, run down the head to the rear, cross over and come back up the front and then go into the water pump or radiator? I'm guessing it wasn't designed that way because the air rises up but the system would travel down as it went to the rear of the engine and then come back up???
I'm frigging OCD and having the tube on 1 side would bother the crap out of me. Just curious.
What about my question though as far as how it's ran? Can it be modified and still work properly?
What about my question though as far as how it's ran? Can it be modified and still work properly?
I thought you answered your own question when you identified gravity as the main driver of design. Without an illustration or mocked up tubes, I'd say no.
Certainly air bubbles will travel with some liquid velocity through the steam tubes, but the motor is sloped downward to the back. In the end, the purpose of the tubes is to let steam pockets escape the heads. So trying to run steam back to the back of the engine will probably generate a pocket where steam/vapor can collect at a high spot.
If you have ever had these vents plumbed into the radiator so that you can see what comes out of them, you might be surprised. It's not steam. It's LOTS of water. It doesn't matter how the four vents are tied together, as long as they all dump back to the radiator, top hose, or water pump.
I have a Kurt Urban and see no reason any other brand wouldn't be just as good. I've used Fasster fittings and despite them most likely being made overseas and the total ripoff of FAST's name I had no problems with them. This is a few fittings, a few hoses and a block or whatever tying it all together; not exactly rocket science. That said, if you can get to $225 buy the KU (if it's made here). If everyone keeps buying cheap Chinese stuff then people here will quit coming up with new things.
That ebay aluminum thing would probably work but there are a few too many needless ports and potential leak spots for my taste. $80 for random slapped together ebay scraps vs a well-liked and proven system. Resale on that ebay thing linked to will be less than nothing, so that is something to consider as well.
After several days trying to figure out what to do, I finally ordered all the parts last night. After a few short emails back and forth I ended up Getting the eBay an vent adapters and the rest I bought from jegs. I couldn't justify spending $250 on 4 ugly hoses and a block with some guys name plastered all over it. Although I spent the same maybe even a little more I ordered all nice an stuff and just going to make my own. I'll post some pictures when it's done
Guys there are a lot of options on how to do this. Sure the Kurt Urban kit is nice but it offers no performance benefit. If you want four corner venting I'd suggest looking at what I did as an option for way less money.
I used a 6.0 rear vent tube from a Denali I believe and my stock front vent tube. I tied them together with some stainless tube and compression fittings to a T fitting then used a cheap short section of -6 braided to the radiator neck. I've got maybe $40-$50 bucks total. Looks sweet and works like a charm. Personally I think it looks way better than the other kits as well. Mine is on an LS3 based motor with a FAST intake. The lines run down the drivers side of the engine just above the manifold runners.
Sounds like a nice set up! I am
Not in a rush and the car won't be done for sometime so I figured I'd try to make my own. I don't know if it's going to work or not yet so don't go out and buy everything I did lol. But it's not rocket science as previously stated. hopefully it comes out like I have pictured in my head. Here's some of what I ordered.
I used a 6.0 rear vent tube from a Denali I believe and my stock front vent tube. I tied them together with some stainless tube and compression fittings to a T fitting then used a cheap short section of -6 braided to the radiator neck. I've got maybe $40-$50 bucks total. Looks sweet and works like a charm. Personally I think it looks way better than the other kits as well. Mine is on an LS3 based motor with a FAST intake. The lines run down the drivers side of the engine just above the manifold runners.
This ^ is a good solution, it makes use of stock parts (from various year/model vehicles), has a stock appearance (for most part; he braided where it passes close to serpentine belt), and is priced right.
And there is enough variety of truck steam tubes to allow to allow configuration to either side of intake manifold.
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eBay coolant tubes 
