1.6l Coolant Reroute - can't find what I'm after
 

In my "research", I've found several methods to rerouting the coolant. But every writeup seems to do it different than I need mine done. My criteria:

1. for a 1.6
2. keeps the heater core
3. runs either on the cold side or on the hot side but out of the way of the exhaust mani
4. can be done engine-in-car

I can't braise (sp?) ..yet. I would learn how before I did my reroute. Can't be that hard.

Pull the head and do it the way BRGRacer did the back, then go hot or cold side.

that's not in the spirit of rule #4 :)

Leave the engine in, pull the head. Simple to do, just need a new head gasket.

I'd rather use a JR spacer and replace a thermostat gasket. ;)

Is it possible to even work back there? Never tried it myself.

that's one of the many things I'm wondering too. Spacerless is the only method I've heard of that requires pulling the head, using the spacer I believe allows the head to remain on.

Drain the coolant, remove the radiator and coil-packs, disconnect the tranny from the PPF and unhook the driveshaft from the differential. Undo the two 14mm bolts, lift the motor slightly out, and bring it slightly forward. Don't touch fuel lines, any wiring, or anything else. Do your work, then drop the motor back in. If I were doing a reroute, this is how I would do it.

Ok, so even if I did pull the engine, how would you run the hoses to-

1. stay "coldside"
2. eliminate "mixing manifold"
3. return coolant flow to "original" FWD path

?

dang I use quotes a lot.

ok, how's this: how do I modify this to include the heater core?

http://www.miatamx5.com/coolantrerou...antreroute.jpg

Just bypass the mixing manifold and tee into the top of the radiator hose (you'll have to build or buy a tee for this). I plugged my mixing manifold with a heater hose cap.

This is starting to make MUCH, MUCH more sense to me as I look at my own engine (out of car still..) in person and reread the spacerless thread BRGracer made, and I've nixed rule #4...

So, since I'd like to do it much like BRG did but have the heater core coolant controlled by the Tstat, I could do everything but tap the head for the heater hose line, tee into the coolant coming from the head and run line to heater, then run the heater outlet to..? Further downstream on the same pipe?

Are you mounting the thermostat in the back of the head?

have you done your clutch yet? if not, that'll give you the access you need to the rear when the time comes

What do you do with that pipe and hose that comes from the heatercore to the waterpump?
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if you remove the coil pack and CAS, there's plenty of room.

get the JR spacer; tap it for the heater core & thermostat and mill a lip for a thermostat. Buy fitting for heatcore outlet.

Make or buy a thermostat neck block off plate.

buy a small length pipe drill/tap or bung for thermoswitch.

buy length of flexible heater hose.



remove outlet neck, replace with spacer, attach heater core outlet and thermosensor. place the thermostat in and attach waterneck outlet pointed towards intake manifold. run a length of hose back towards the radiator, attach the pipe for the thermoswitch, run another length to radiator. done.

For those of us who have come late to the party, where is this JR spacer to be found? I've searched all over the miatamania and supercharger.com sites and can't find a reference to it anywhere.

call moss motors, it's like $20. part number floats around on m.net, but its not listed online.

That's my plan, seems easy enough in BRG's thread.

engine's still out :) But I'm at the point now that I can yank the engine myself in about 90 minutes (as long as a cherry picker's handy), so I'll probably pull it again when the time comes.

Why use the spacer when the spacerless method seems easier?