Heater pipes and Serp / pre serp

[saml666]

Hi,

I have fitted an intermediate (serp) front to my pre Serp engine, can anyone post a pic detailing how Serp normally connects the heater pipes at the front please?

I know the heater rails go down the side of the rocker, but not exactly how they connect?

Cheers,
Sam

Edited by saml666 on Sunday 6th February 01:20

[spend]

Essentially one into the inlet manifold (like your pre-serp) and the other goes all the way to the swan neck (metal pipe twixt rad and water pump).

Serp inlet manifolds are different, where the temp sender is stuck in the front of the bottom centre square casting (where your heater pipes went and the rear is not tapped) and the heater pipe joins where your temp sender went (but the casting is different).

The pipes have been routed a few ways, round the outside or inside of the O/S rocker cover, both using a specific steel pipe set.

My preference in conversion is to retain the rear heater pipe under the valley, and plug the front on the manifold. Tap and insert a BSP pipe stub to the top face of the water pump where the return hose fixes, then extend the other heater pipe to that point. Its far tidier keeping the heater pipes & bypass under the Vee IMHO.

[saml666]

Many thanks for the reply, very helpful ... Am I right in thinking then that the flow is as follows:

Pump to block
Block to heads
Heads to manifold
Manifold to header
Header to rad top
Rad bottom back to pump

Therefore, are you saying I should take my heater feed from the pipe exiting the small block under the inlet manifold (having blocked the connection pointing forwards) and then send my heater return (the plain steel pipe under the manifold) back to the waterpump via the 38mm return?

If that is about right, my only question is how (or should) water circulate when the stat is closed.

Apologies if you have answered this, I am just getting my head around the cooling system!

Thanks again,
Sam

[spend]

The water pump is still pulling (into the block) as the stat shuts off the coolant exit from the block. So you still get a decent bypass.

Normally they put the heater/bypass return into the swan neck to achieve this, I just suggest putting it into the water pump casting where the return hose clips as its neater.