Soooo I havnt researched much about it but while I was flushing my truck today pieces of rubber came out of the radiator. About nickel size. I flushed it twice with pure di water. I found online a napa coolant filter kit 4019 is the part number of course I have to order it but can I run clear hose to it to see the flow of the coolant? If so what kind of hose?

 

And how does the heater hoses run? Previous owner replaced the radiator...and the heater hose is plugged into the bottom of the radiator on passenger side. Is this correct? I removed it to help drain the system and the radiator was just a pee stream of coolant. Not a very big diameter hole. The heater hose bled great lots of flow but the radiator was just a narrow stream and should the heater hose be plugged into the radiator anyway?

 

Thats wrong... heater core should come off the water pump, into the core, and go into the passenger side head. There is another "port" on the water pump, i would use that to plumb to your filter, then into the radiator.

 

 

As shown I had a heater hose coming frpm water pump to the far right side intake of heater hose closes to driver side. The passenger side return heater hose goes down to a TEE And continues to the passenger side of the head. The blue hose coming from the TEE goes to a very small opening on the bottom of the radiator passenger side.

 

​​​​​​​is this setup wrong? Like I said the blue hose goes to the bottom of the radiator but it's a very.small hole on the radiator.

 

I did more looking and found that it's all correct and the small hole on the radiator is correct


I also found this

THAT is the reason why I have cautioned AGAINST installing a coolant filter directly in-line in in either of the heater core hoses (most often it's installed in the return line back to the water pump). As the coolant filter becomes plugged and the coolant flow back to the water pump becomes restricted, cavitation is likely to result - that's my perspective. Thus, it is best to install a coolant filter directly across the two heater core hoses in a parallel fashion rather than 'in series' in one hose. The difference in pressure between the two hoses (one going into the heater core and the other one coming out and back to the water pump) will provide enough flow through the coolant filter for it to be effective and with no possibility of obstructing the flow back to the water pump.


​​​​​​​is he trying to say run the coolant filter as a bypass and not direct?

 

Here's the post I've been reading. Can anyone break it down to simple terms?

​​​​​​​The fitting on the lower tank of the radiator is 1/2 inch and it takes a 1/2 inch (Inside Diameter) heater hose.

Although the fitting takes a 1/2 inch hose, the passageway through that fitting into the lower radiator tank is very very small. Somewhere close to 1/32nd to 1/16th of an inch, (probably 1.0mm to 1.5mm) judging by the photo. Here is a photo of the radiator fitting that I posted in a different topic in Oct. 2015. This is from a very good quality after-market Brass/Copper radiator that was in a 1991 F350 parts truck with an E4OD.
The hole is counter-sunk (bevelled edge) so it's a bit smaller than than the initial opening.



1/2 inch Coolant Hose Radiator Fitting on Right for an E4OD transmission




It's purpose: After start-up the coolant inside the engine circulates mostly inside the engine, into the heater core and back to the water pump through the return hose from the heater core. The coolant does not go back into the radiator until it gets warm enough to open the thermostat (except a very small amount through bypass valve in the thermostat housing). During this 'warm-up' time the coolant in the radiator stays cold until the thermostat opens to allow the hot coolant circulating inside the engine to flow into the top radiator tank, and down through the tubes to be cooled. There is a heat exchanger inside the bottom tank (aka: transmission cooler) that looks like a big brass tube. It has some kind of fins or channels on the inside to conduct heat from the transmission fluid. Transmission fluid is pumped through that heat exchanger where under normal operating conditions heat is conducted from the transmission fluid and picked up by the circulating coolant to keep the temperature of the transmission fluid in the normal operating temperature range.

Slightly off topic but I want to point out here: Contrary to some opinions that I've read in other related topics, these automatic transmission heat exchangers are very efficient, much more efficient than external auxiliary transmission coolers that remove heat by airflow over tubes and fins or plates and fins. It's NOT a good idea to bypass the transmission fluid heat exchanger in the radiator and use only an auxiliary transmission cooler. (which is sometimes done when the exchanger begins to leak inside the radiator) Unless you have no alternatives at the time- such as "can't afford a new radiator" and you need the truck NOW). Two reasons: The aux. cooler depends upon adequate air flow and is not efficient at low engine RPM in stop and go traffic = transmission is more likely to overheat. Also, with the E4OD there would be no way to help preheat the transmission fluid through the heat exchanger during engine warm up which is the PURPOSE of the hose and fitting we are talking about.

 

Interesting note is the IDI NPT to 5/8 nipple on the passenger side head has a restrictor inside, a square cut washer reducing diameter that coolant can flow. There are usually brittle or disintegrated and no idea on size as I've never seen one removed and intact.



​​​​​​​what part is he talking about? Sorry for all the posting I'm just trying to understand how the cooling system works. I'm very confused and want to understand it plus I'm going to install the coolant filter as a bypass system and I want to make sure it s done correctly.

 

From what I've seen the small hole on bottom of radiator is a Trans warmer? I'm not sure how coolant going to the lower part of the radiator will warm the transmission but I read that some radiators have a built in trans warmer. This correct? And behind my grill I have a cooler but not sure if it's transmission or power steering? It was leaking on a clamp and I replaced the clamp and trans fluid did drip out of it but previous owner did run transmission fluid for power steering fluid due to a leak. My question is the bottom.of the radiator has a built in trans warmer? And behind my grill.is it a Trans cooler or power steering cooler? 94 7.3 idi with E4OD

 

The simple way to figure out coolant flow is just to start your engine, hold both hoses, and feel which hose gets hot first.

 

​​​​​​​I don't want to know the direction of the flow.

 

I think that might be a bit much... what happens when you turn the heater off? Oh right it blocks the coolant flow... but it would certainly impede your heater. Coolant filters have a little restricter orifice in them. Plumbing the filter into the hose running to the radiator would work, as far as how it is now being "right" ive never seen such a thing.

 

​​​​​​​I'll run it as a bypass system. Thanks for the input. This whole coolant system confused me. The big question i,have now Is I believe the radiator has a built in trans heater. But what is behind the grill passenger side a Trans cooler or power steering cooler???

 

Probably an aux trans cooler if auto. The one in the radiator is good, but not enough for regular heavy towing, so you add an aux air cooler after the radiator.