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4 corner water lines on sbc manifold

26K views 46 replies 27 participants last post by  427FAB  
#1 ·
Does anybody use water lines from front to back of manifold on sbc?
 
#4 ·
It's been a debate on a few forums.Im up in the air about plumbing my motor.Its a BBC I keep reading that it helps cool the rear cyls,thus preventing a lean condition.I have all the stuff to do it , #6 line,the fittings and even the tap .I'm just up in the air as to if its worth it.
 
#31 · (Edited)
I did the front to back -6 lines on our Filled to the bottom of the water pump holes.
Seemed to help with getting rid of air and seemed to run VERY consistent temperature.

Then again we, for some reason had trouble getting heat INTO the motor.
Race gas.

We are switching to a completely different combination.

We had a completely closed system, radiator, mechanical pump, fan, etc.

I would do it again on just about any engine, just to get rid of the air in the system and temp consistency.
You could put a valve in the middle of each line to bleed the air too.
We did not.

This is on a BRODIX BBC Tall deck manifold.
It came with the 4 holes, to in front and two in back.
Had the -6 hose and the ends, so we did it to try.
Worked well for our setup.

Your Pal, Gary
 
#5 ·
In my opinion, it's ABSOLUTLEY worth it......... you just have to have where they connect in the front right....
typically you run them into the front 2 holes already in the intake, but that tends to not flow well as the water coming out of the heads seems to block the water flow from the back..... better to feed into the t-stat area or housing.......
 
#7 ·
If the flow path is, into the block at the front, toward the back, then up into the head and forward to the front of the head for exit.....

If we're taking water away at the back, what are we accomplishing, besides robbing the water needed for the head? I think its ultra important to bleed air back there but with a small line...-3 or -4.
 
#36 · (Edited)
If the flow path is, into the block at the front, toward the back, then up into the head and forward to the front of the head for exit.....

If we're taking water away at the back, what are we accomplishing, besides robbing the water needed for the head? I think its ultra important to bleed air back there but with a small line...-3 or -4.
I also like to put water in at the lower center of the block (I use the block drains as an inlet) or if the heads will do it (sbc only here), I like to put water in by the exhaust ports

This photo isn't the best but you can see 2 lines from the pump to the drains, the bypass hose so that a thermostat can be used for faster warm up, and the 2 lines from the rear of the head to the front. There is also a pressure balance line on the front right valve cover and 2 external oil drains on the rear heads that you can't see. Lots of plumbing on this one.

Image
 
#10 ·
I have seen some blueprints that came from GM from back in the 18 degree maybe sb2 days.It show sizes and how to route the plumping.What I took from it with my 23 degree sbc is that all the extra plumbing is not doing anything or hurting it.What i do now is pay careful attention the the alginment of the block, head gasket and head of the water port below the center exhaust ports.I havn't used lines from the back of the intake but as Chris says a -3 or -4 might be a good ideal.
 
#12 ·
After Pulling the intake on one car I found bone dry pockets 3-4" into the heads. That car the temp gauge would stick/fluctuate kinda on start up some and it stopped with the bypass lines. I've also read large lines can take longer to warm up if the lines are plumed as a bypass. Recently even read that too large lines at the rear can cause hot spots in the center of the head because it evens out the flow to much, but idk about that. The basic area of two 4an lines and small hole in the t-stat is about the same area as the bypass in the block that normally gets plugged. C4 corvettes came with a 3/8 line out of of the rear crossover coolant passage of the tpi intake, so did some older gen but I can't rem if it was c1 or c2.

 
#18 ·
seems like a reverse flow set up would be better...remote water pump, up from bottom of radiator to a distribution manifold,from there to thermostat housing,small lines from distribution manifold to back of heads and between exhaust ports then, lines from where water pump would have bolted up to a Y then one line back to top of radiator
 
#34 ·
I always plumb ffrom exit of water pump to center exhaust cylinders. Center intake return to thermostat spacer plate under housing. I was always taught to give it plenty of flow and let the radiator do what it's designed to do. I haven't seen any line hurt temperatures other than one that leaks or sucks shut.