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Thread: Vortec Bypass Hose/heater hose

  1. #1
    Registered Member Tabasco's Avatar
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    Vortec Bypass Hose/heater hose

    I bought a vortec crate engine complete with accessory drive and water pump. Instructions say to run a bypass hose from the water pump to intake. There is only one place to attach a hose on the water pump. If I do that where do I connect my heater hose?

    I know there are water pumps with two openings in the top for hoses. But this is the pump which Chevrolet supplies with the engine and I would like to use it and not have to buy another. Any suggestions?

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    Many Chevy trucks have heater return hose piped into the radiator. The inlet to heater core comes off front or rear of intake depending on year.

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    Registered Member Tabasco's Avatar
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    Thanks. After I posted the question i googled the water pump part # and found it is for a 88-95 truck. I checked my motor manual for Chevy trucks and see that what you said is true about the line going to the radiator. I don't plan on modifying my radiator. I may have to get another water pump.

    I bought this engine because it was complete from water pump to flex plate so the install would be easy. I keep running into little things that make it harder.

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    I was wondering why a bypass hose to the intake? That would make sense if you were not using a heater core, which wouldn't allow coolant to circulate through the block when the thermostat is closed. I would think the heater core have the same function as a bypass hose. On my 350 LT-1 I'm running a Stewart aluminum pump with no external lines, or heater, which I solved by using a bypass thermostat with bleed holes in it to circulate coolant in the engine until it warms up and opens. Also eliminates the air lock you get when filling the cooling system up. Not familiar with the Vortec engine though.

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    My 1972 Cheyenne Super and both my 1987 V1500 GMCs are plumbed this way so it is nothing new. My 1972 K/5 Blazer is not, might be due to no factory A/C.

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    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    I think it would be pretty stupid to use the heater core for a bypass on a hot summer day, and if you drill a hole big enough in the thermostat to circulate much coolant, you might as well not have a thermostat. Both "solutions" are nonsensical and don't solve your heater problem.

    Seems like you should be able to find another port on the intake to get hot water for your heater. Also, you could splice in a "tee" into your lower radiator hose for the heater return.
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    Quote Originally Posted by chevynut View Post
    I think it would be pretty stupid to use the heater core for a bypass on a hot summer day, and if you drill a hole big enough in the thermostat to circulate much coolant, you might as well not have a thermostat. Both "solutions" are nonsensical and don't solve your heater problem.

    Seems like you should be able to find another port on the intake to get hot water for your heater. Also, you could splice in a "tee" into your lower radiator hose for the heater return.
    It wasn't my idea anyway, I gathered that info from the Stewart Components site. I always thought on every small block car I've ever had, it sure looks like the coolant constantly flows through the heater core. I sure don't recall any shutoff valves to block the coolant flow. I thought they just blocked the hot air from coming in the car?
    https://www.stewartcomponents.com/in...ormation_id=11
    Last edited by 55 Rescue Dog; 06-12-2019 at 11:06 AM.

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    iI believe my sbcs in trucks rely on bypass. in block and water pump , The extra hole in drivers side water pump mounting surface,

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    Quote Originally Posted by markm View Post
    iI believe my sbcs in trucks rely on bypass. in block and water pump , The extra hole in drivers side water pump mounting surface,
    Yes there is a bypass hole there on most pumps, but maybe not all. I can see it circulating coolant in the block, but maybe it's the heads that need flow too, by using the heater core supply to the inlet on top of the intake manifold until the thermostat opens? That would equalize engine temperature during warm-up I would think. Don't really know for sure how it all works, but it works is all.
    The reverse cooling system that Smokey Yunic designed, that GM adopted on the mid-90's LT1 was a unique, complex system that flowed coolant through the heads, and then to the block. They were able to bump the compression ratio by doing so I remember reading many years ago.
    Last edited by 55 Rescue Dog; 06-12-2019 at 11:34 AM.

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    If the water pump is for an 88-95 truck, it is reverse rotation for a serpentine belt setup. Are you using a factory serpentine accessory drive? If not, you need to buy a water pump suitable for the old school v-belt drive. Many of those water pumps have two ports on them, one near the suction hose where the heater return hose is traditionally connected, and one on top that is typically plugged. You can use the one on top for the bypass hose.

    There's a lot of bogus info in the above posts.

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