Front waterneck removal question (water lines)
 

I want to remove the front waterneck and plug the head while I do the coolant reroute. I need a source for the two water lines on the waterneck so I want to tee them into the a radiator hose. It be the upper hose right?

I've been searching but haven't really found info on the waterneck thing. So I thought about it and going through the radiator hose makes sense to me. What do yall boys think? If it's lame I'll just make a block off plate.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...8&d=1276410026

1. It had better be a metal hose if you're going to "t" into it. This will require some creative welding. You're also going to have a low pressure differential coming off so close to the radiator.

2. Perhaps a better solution is to plug the front of the block with a block off plate instead of a freeze plug. 3/8" aluminum will provide ample thickness to drilll and tap for hose fittings/AN attachments. Then run your hoses straight out of the front of the block.

I like your option 2. I could look at my spare motor to come up with a design. Thanks for the advice fooger.

Sorry to bump this old thread, but I'm curious if there is a premade blockoff plate that anyone sells? It looks like BEGI is just capping the waterneck and leaving the ugly thing hanging there (which is what I have now). From the pictures I've seen I believe M-tuned blocks off the water plug but wasn't sure that piece is for sale by itself. Anybody know where to get one? I'm sure I'd screw it up if I tried making it myself.

Plugging the front of the head looks so much cleaner. I was able to route the coolant line behind the rear timing cover and down to the nipple on the Begi bypass water pump inlet.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1327893231

Once you remove it you can just put a freeze plug in the hole, and it's generally advisable to make a plate over the freeze plug to keep it from backing out. Are you looking to retain your fittings there though?

Yes, I would like to keep the water supply to the oil cooler and turbo. I was hoping someone made the plate thing that was pretapped.

what year miata do you have?

My car is a '99.

Looks like this:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1327964559

been thinking about the same ---- lately...
the 90-93 has a threaded hole for the sensor...but perhaps you could use it for a hose barb to run to the mixing manifold

http://www.bellengineering.net/produ...roducts_id=502

i think i'm gonna take the neck off and tap the block off plate to run to the mixing manifold.

You have 2 hoses that go into the front of the water neck, one is from the oil cooler. Just connect the 2 hoses and get rid of the water neck.

I believe that the function of the two hoses was originally to flow water out of the oil cooler, under the thermostat, and then to the mixing valve(intake to the water pump). The water passing under the thermostat was heated in the head and passed through the oil cooler, and would be more reliable in causing the thermostat to open at the right time. If not for those lines, the thermostat might not see the temperature rise correctly.

Splicing the lines, one to the other, and blocking where the neck was would be the most correct routing.

If water is required for another function after the neck is removed and the freeze-out plug installed(such as cooling the turbo), this can be accomplished by putting that function(turbo) between these two lines. It looks as though pdexta has done this already, but having the pressure hit those lines from the old neck stalk may be stopping flow thru the oil cooler.

thank you

Do you have the Begi plate/spacer in the back of the head? If so doesn't it have fitting spots for heater return and another unused or tap-able spot? Would it be wrong to use the lower water feed, delete the front neck, and re-route the other turbo coolant line to the back of the motor post thermostat? I might have the coolant flow direction all messed up in my head, but as FM routes or most turbo coolant I've seen pull from the lower rad hose ("cold line") feed through the turbo then become a "hot line" and fed to the thermo housing and sent to radiator? As in we aren't pumping heated water into the motor post turbo? So if the begi spacer/thermo is in the back why not just route the turbo coolant line back there?

Or I'm way off and need to re look into coolant flow direction.

The bottom drivers side of the motor is the water pump inlet. I believe you are thinking of it the other way around. Refer to the diagram.
http://www.miata.net/garage/CoolingS...s/image002.png

better way to look at it:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1328625174

^pics saved for future less noobness. If I see it right in the the ^ pic the turbo takes hot water from the thero neck and makes it hotter then sends it to the rad? And is my idea of one turbo line from front/lower pickup then thru turbo to rear begi post thermostate going to make the line just non moving stagnant water? Also looking at the pic the heater just routes water from the back to the front of the motor and doesn't really hit the rad?<which a begi spacer routes heater like normal

The area at the pump/neck just confuses me. I study it more later to limit the hazing.

It returns it to the mixing manifold, which is after the radiator. So the water heated by the turbo is not being cooled before re-entering the waterpump and then engine. The blue arrow on the lower radiator hose was supposed to illustrate that.

There's a water line on the intake manifold, is this ok to use for a water feed? That was my plan, and I know it squirts out water when the plug fails. Hence the fuel injection line, bolt, and two clamps.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1328667237

So is it a horrible idea to not want the hot water from the turbo going into the motor? With the Begi spacer can I route it to not put hot water into the motor?

That is really interesting - so it would be correct to just connect the two hoses and remove the waterneck?

How would you remove the waterneck - is it screwed in?
EDIT: Sorry just seen it's held by 2 screws.

What kind of freeze plug would you need to close the opening (is there a part-nr. ?)

Thanks