How did YOU block off...
 

Dear MT.net,

How did YOU block off your heater return in your coolant mixing manifold? I've been searching for days, the closest I've found is a reference to a 7/8" freeze plug which is not going in correctly.

Don't.

What is it that you think you're trying to accomplish?

Removal of the heater return.

That's not an intent. That is a step. What is your intention?

In more general terms: are you removing the coolant path through the heater core? Why do you think this is a good idea?

I have no heater core anymore (I do have a reroute, with no need to use the heater return anymore with how I did it), and I'd rather block off the return at the mixing manifold than at the pipe. It's just simply cleaning up the engine bay, nothing more, but it's turning into a hell of a headache.

Ahh, gotcha. You considered tapping it yet and putting a big ass bolt in there? Blocked off my EGR port with something like a 21mm bolt.

....Holy crap. I didn't even think of tapping it. Let me check if I have a big enough tap, thanks Fooger.

Don't use a bolt, hood rat. Buy a stainless grub screw in the correct diameter and epoxy or red loctite it in. The difference in doing it like a hoodlum working on a Monte Carlo and like a professional is pennies and 2 days to get parts from McMaster. There is no excuse.

If I have to wait on shipping, time to start sending parts to Abe.

Abe welded that bitch for me, we flipped it around, and I won at life. I have a turbo in the way so the stock orientation does not work.

Weld it. Everything else is a kludge.

I believe I had a plate welded over it and then drilled and tapped that, and it now has a 1/2"(?) NPT plug in it.

I was originally going to use an -AN line for the heater return there, but I found T-ing into the lower radiator hose was cleaner and cheaper. Hence the plug.

Can it be MIGed Curly, or do I have to TIG it?

Can be MIGed with a spool gun since its aluminum. Otherwise TIG.

Mail's been sent to Abe, :sadface: