Confused about heater hoses
#1
Confused about heater hoses
To go along with my oil pressure and tranny temp gauges that I just finished up on my V6 Tacoma (I have a spare space in my 3 gauge pod) I want to install a *real* coolant temp gauge. Should be simple enough, right?
Most folks say "tap a heater hose". Fine. Except - hot coolant only flows through the heater hose when the heat in the cab is turned *on*, correct? I even noticed Gadget did this on one of his trucks. Wouldn't that make that an very inaccurate location for the temperature probe? Does the heater control valve include a small bypass to allow minimal coolant circulation? Am I missing something here?
My only other thoughts were to either splice into a TB coolant line (tiny fittings, not sounding like fun to work with) or the upper radiator hose. I prefer to do whichever is the least amount of work, and the heater hoses are convenient, so the wiring run will be pretty short. Clues?
Thanks
Most folks say "tap a heater hose". Fine. Except - hot coolant only flows through the heater hose when the heat in the cab is turned *on*, correct? I even noticed Gadget did this on one of his trucks. Wouldn't that make that an very inaccurate location for the temperature probe? Does the heater control valve include a small bypass to allow minimal coolant circulation? Am I missing something here?
My only other thoughts were to either splice into a TB coolant line (tiny fittings, not sounding like fun to work with) or the upper radiator hose. I prefer to do whichever is the least amount of work, and the heater hoses are convenient, so the wiring run will be pretty short. Clues?
Thanks
#3
Banned
The best spot to tap a hose would be right between the thermostat and the radiator. It has the biggest and shortest hose and thats where the hottest water should be.
As far as I think...
As far as I think...
#6
Banned
Originally Posted by obscurotron
I don't even know what you're talking about. The 3.0 and the 3.4 are pretty different engines in terms of layout, hose routing, etc.
yeah, but ALL engines have thermostat and a radiator inlet. The inlet will be at the top of the radiator, the outlet at the bottom.
#7
Just for the record, if some other poor hapless person comes along this thread looking for the same answers, the heater hose is a no go, and I don't want to cut my radiator hose.
My solution - home depot - 1 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8" brass 'T' fitting and 2 1/4" barb x 1/8" NPT hose barb fittings. I'm going to splice that into the inbound throttle body coolant line and get my reading from there.
First benefit - no need to wait for the thermostat to open to get a reading. This should give me a reading right from the start as the coolant circulates in the head and block. 2nd benefit, if I have a leak, it's a 1/4" hose leaking, not a 1.25" hose leaking! 3rd benefit - plenty of good spots to ground the sender with a minimal wire run. 4th benefit - closer to the firewall for getting the sender wire inside the cab.
My solution - home depot - 1 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8" brass 'T' fitting and 2 1/4" barb x 1/8" NPT hose barb fittings. I'm going to splice that into the inbound throttle body coolant line and get my reading from there.
First benefit - no need to wait for the thermostat to open to get a reading. This should give me a reading right from the start as the coolant circulates in the head and block. 2nd benefit, if I have a leak, it's a 1/4" hose leaking, not a 1.25" hose leaking! 3rd benefit - plenty of good spots to ground the sender with a minimal wire run. 4th benefit - closer to the firewall for getting the sender wire inside the cab.
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