heater hose bypass loop...
 

As our other thread mentioned the 70 L78 TH400 car has a leaky heater core. Since this car is not a cold weather driver, we decided to just install a 'bypass loop' for now, and deal with the repair another day.

What do you guys suggest for a good part to source. The heater hoses are originals...with the tower clamps.

thanks, wilma

In situations like this, I remove the hoses and nipples and install plugs in the engine. IMHO, a "loop" looks out of place, whereas no hoses isn't as noticeable and those old hoses aren't going to like being bent in a 180. Then there is the fact that one is 3/4 and the other 5/8. The 5/8 probably isn't going to stretch over the 3/4 nipple without cracking and the 3/4 will leak when you attempt to clamp it down on the 5/8 nipple.

You could take the heater hoses off at the firewall, put a couple of corks or rubber plugs in the nipples of the heater core & put the hoses back on until you can get it fixed. It does work.....Joe

I removed the heater hoses from my Camaro many years ago. You can get rubber caps that are made to go over the heater core tubes. I used plugs in the water pump and intake.

When I wanted to bypass the heater core in my 1978 Z28 the shop working on it installed a piece that had the correct diameter nipples, where you just attached the hoses to it, tightened, and it worked fine for many years. No leaks.

Bypass...
 

Ordered one of these yesterday...

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c...ss/doe0/626001

will gently blow out the core and plug the ends.

Don't need no heater for a summer hotrod :cool2:

Yeah, that looks exactly like what I was referring to having been used in my car.