Quick Disconnect Fitting on Heater Inlet Hose

Supercharged111 said:

Sucks for you guys, I've done 3 and they all threaded right out.

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Mine did too, but it wasn't more than a couple years old when it started leaking and I replaced it.

By any chance, is this the restrictive fitting that fits on the intake? The 3/4 heater hose would go from the intake to the inlet pipe of the heater core..

3/4 heater hose is a little loose on the top of this fitting I believe it is for 5/8 hose

So the heat in my truck is a little on the wimpy side. The cab does eventually get warm but it takes a while. If you open the rad cap you can see the heater return water flowing. Hard to tell what kind of volume it is, but looks like the hose runs full. My truck has had the heater adapter replaced at some point in it's life as it is a steel unit. Would there be any issue in opening up that adapter a tad to allow a bit more water to flow? Thanks!

Ken

kenh said:

So the heat in my truck is a little on the wimpy side. The cab does eventually get warm but it takes a while. If you open the rad cap you can see the heater return water flowing. Hard to tell what kind of volume it is, but looks like the hose runs full. My truck has had the heater adapter replaced at some point in it's life as it is a steel unit. Would there be any issue in opening up that adapter a tad to allow a bit more water to flow? Thanks!

Ken

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My 88 would roast you out of the cockpit, something else is amiss.

Mine is a 90. BUT I failed to mention... I assume the previous owner (PO) dumped radiator sealer in to cure a head gasket/cracked head leak. The water was brown but did not look like rust. That may be causing some issue. When I did the heads I did back flush the heater core with a garden hose. It ran a good solid stream. I also think the core has been replaced as I found some real fresh part # tags that did not look 30 years old.

Ken

I flushed mine with a garden hose and then compressed air, rinse and repeat. Got great heat after that.

I was thinking if you still wanted to use the straight brass barb fitting, you could restrict it's flow by using a ball valve. It would have to be a ball valve that you could partially close

GRAINGER APPROVED BALL VALVE,3/4 IN,FNPT,FORGED BRASS - Ball Valves - GGM6GD15 | 6GD15 - Grainger, Canada

If the heater nipple has enough wall thickness it can be threaded for a reducing bushing or two to restrict the flow.
Don't ever restrict the return hose. The heater core will hate you.

I replaced that stoopid fitting on my 6.5TD three times before I got tired of it enough to put a barb fitting in.

kenh said:

So the heat in my truck is a little on the wimpy side... ...Would there be any issue in opening up that adapter a tad to allow a bit more water to flow?

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Supercharged111 said:

My 88 would roast you out of the cockpit, something else is amiss.

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^^^Agreed.

When it was MY '88, I had to wear a snowmobile suit when driving to work...30+ highway miles away.

Eventually tore the dash apart. GM used crappy foam seals on the HVAC system. Those foam seals turned to jelly. Had a MASSIVE cold-air leak between the sheetmetal of the cowl, and the plastic ducting into the blower-motor box.

The heater was working just fine...but it was being over-powered by the outside air pouring through the gaps in the ductwork that were supposed to be filled by foam seals.

Home-improvement store foam weatherstripping and lots of harsh language solved that problem. Cab is hotter'n heck, now.

P. S. The A/C cools better, too.

Frank Enstein said:

If the heater nipple has enough wall thickness it can be threaded for a reducing bushing or two to restrict the flow.
Don't ever restrict the return hose. The heater core will hate you.

I replaced that stoopid fitting on my 6.5TD three times before I got tired of it enough to put a barb fitting in.

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Love the graphics! Yes, only restrict ouput 3/4 inch side..This is the piece I am working with, I guess with some machining a reducer could be installed.. 90° male pipe elbow | Hose barb fittings - brass | Fairview (fairviewfittings.com)