Rerouting the heater hose-- a journey into excessive obsession

[zed1]

XXL,

Two questions:

1) Would it have been less expensive to fabricate this out of aluminum tubing and aluminum jounts?

2) Are you interested in fabricating another one to sell?

Keith

[XXL]

XXL,

Two questions:

1) Would it have been less expensive to fabricate this out of aluminum tubing and aluminum jounts?

2) Are you interested in fabricating another one to sell?

Keith

 

#1-- aluminum would have been nominally cheaper, but it would have been much harder to TIG than stainless, IMO.  The original plan was to bend it with one piece of aluminum, but as I mentioned above, it's just not possible to make the 2 bends so close together.

 

#2-- No.  After materials cost and even minimum wage-like labor, the amount I'd need to do another one would probably send you to the ER.  If the Nissin bender could have done 1/2", I was going to make a few dozen of them just to offset the setup charge on the machine, but cutting and welding them together like I had to do this one is just not practical.

[MikeRL411]

Here's the "How to" on the prefab hose replacements.

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/24736-diy-preformed-heater-hoses/

[XXL]

Here's the "How to" on the prefab hose replacements.

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/24736-diy-preformed-heater-hoses/

 

Thanks for the link.  I tried searching for it earlier, but couldn't find it.  The search function on this board is... well... unusual.

[XXL]

Found a hose from a 2004 Sienna V6 that has the shape I need... Gates #18476.

 

 

 

This was a piece that I also cut down... but it turned out to be slightly larger than 1/2" ID, and I couldn't get it to seal with normal clamp force.  I don't know what it originally fit.  I just picked it off the wall at the parts store.

 

[XXL]

And done!

 

 

 

[XXL]

For my next project, I'm going to drain all the water out of the ocean so I can grab a fish for dinner (ie, doing things the hard way).

[datsunrides]

I know it's done and all, but you may have been able to bend a 90 into a 45 instead of using 2 90's, or kick a 45 out to a 90. Not quite as mechanical looking, but could have saved you $90 smackers. Nice work BTW.

 

Mark

[highdesertdatsun]

XXL

That pipe is great . Very clean , looks like could be OE. ? Nice work .

i got my heater hoses finished , kept it simple

 

[highdesertdatsun]

i used a 13mm unicoil to retain bend at water pump.

the straps on head studs are the ones that held h hose to firewall prior