I've see the traditional version (a task much easier to undertake with the motor out of the car), which made me think of this.

Has anyone done a reroute as I have described here, and if so where did you plum the return line into?

 

I can't recall anyone on this board that's done the "traditional" (read:more effective but more difficult) Miata coolant re-route.

 

Depends what you call "traditional"

 

Starsky did the "traditional"... since the head on his car is from an Escort.... so the themostat housing was already back there with a freeze plug on the "front".

Dave,

 

Right...by "traditional," I mean the one first seen on the power list and M.net forums in which the thermostat and housing are moved to the back of the head, routed directly to the radiator and the front neck capped off.

 

like mine (and yes, the heater source is on the wrong side of the tstat, but that was easy thing to do at the time)

 

Thats the one I'm planning on doing. I'm unsure how to tap for my water cooled turbo now though...

 

Most of these guys use the coolant source that's at the throttle body and then runs across the front of the engine. If you're a 1.6 there's that boss on the back of the head that Uncle A mentioned. Or you could just T off your heater core source - or just use a reducer if you've ditched the heater.

 

Heater will be getting ditched, so the only coolant lines will be from the head to radiator and from the radiator to the block.

My fear is sending too much coolant into the turbo, i can't remember if its designed to handle pressures or a trickle or what. I think it can handle any coolant i send its way... but it makes me nervous

 

As said before, the heater core acts as a route for cooling before the Thermostat opens. Bypass it, but don't block it.

 

I did this EXCEPT: I moved the thermostat up front in the line to the top of the radiator so that it is accessable.

 

Well, you won that bet!
With the re-route it takes my car about 2 to 4 more miles to warm up. But once it is warm, the operating temps during cruise and on boost are about 5 deg. C less than before.
Stephanie

 

My coolant reroute consists of a Gates 28473 5/8" hose (60" + 90degree leg at 4 ") from the heater return to a tee 1.25X1.25X5/8 (from Jags that run) in the upper radiator hose, plus a 5/8 Dorman cap for the normal heater return hardpipe.

The car (2003 NA) no longer overheats, but sometimes takes too long to warm up and throws a corresponding MIL code. Not a problem on warm days. Temps have gone from regular boilover to below 200F. {I just got the ODB code reader (ELM327 bluetooth to Torque on an android phone)to reset the codes, but it also reports temps.}

My next step would be to replace the Thermostat in the front housing with a restrictor and place an inline thermostat after the T in the upper radiator hose. Somehow, it just doesn't seem right to me to have heated water not being cooled.

 

 

my coolant reroute we done this diy aboyt 2 years ago
my car now with reroyte system


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

and this fotos is the oldest who has inside all the materials to do this diy

http://img193.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=dsc07720s.jpg

 

^^^ Holy Blue Rat's Nest Batman!!!

 

beat me to it!

 

Dogtits

 

dogits, is that an aux fuel rail I see on the left of the manifold?

 

Yes, you can clearly see the first injector.

I don't know whether to cry or throw-up my hot pocket. This car has so many bandaids that I want to throw myself down a steep hill full of sharp pointy rocks so I have a place to put them all.