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Check out this just released video.
At 13:21 he talks about the coolant return lines. Further along in the video he gets into some things that you may want to consider while you're all apart.
So I'm in pondering mode about the coolant recirculating kit. This guy I can watch for about 30 seconds. Proving the theory about a blind squirrel, during that 30 seconds he mentions an air pocket at the back of the head, and that's something I've thought about for more then 6 months. AKBlackfoot's experience with the coolant recirculation kit solving a coolant overflow issue, and why it's the passenger side head that typically, not exclusively, cracks and gets fuel into the coolant is the second part of what has had my curiosity up.
But I'm trying to figure out how this kit actually works. Coolant primarily comes up through the block to the back of the head and moves forward to the exit back to the block and water pump. There is definitely an area that can have an air pocket which can alter the Degas bottles compressed air volume, the air reservoir.
In the head gaskets there are restrictive orifice bleed holes at the individual ports located in the larger ports for both the head and deck surfaces. They move some coolant and from my understanding also help to eliminate any air pockets at the top of the cylinder jackets. The ports are eliminated at the front of the block.
At the back of the head the kit installation is straightforward.
The other end of the hoses go to the base of the front cover where the thermostat resides.
So this is often referred to as increasing the flow in the heads, and I can't see how it does that considering the coolant flow paths. I can see when the T/S is closed flow going from the back of the heads towards the radiator, bypassing the T/S. And with the T/S open, acting with a Venturi effect, the main flow of coolant through the T/S pulling coolant out of the hoses. But either of these situations do not flow more coolant through the heads, they bypass the heads going from block jacket to radiator.
So to me this would act as an air entrapment relief, similar to the bypass hoses going to the Degas bottle from the EGR cooler and also the radiator top tank.
Am I thinking about this wrong from too many hours starting at a block and heads?
If this really only is about relieving any air pockets then a smaller pathway with maybe a directional change direct to the Degas bottle could be just as effective without disturbing the flow through the heads.
Maybe only interesting to me, but the first cousin of the 6.0, the 6.4, gets head gaskets where the lower flow ports get a more wide open pathway at the center two cylinders. Does it mean anything, God and International engineers only know.
Jack the hose kit allows the coolant from the back of the block get detoured straight to the front cover instead of it having to flow with the other cylinders' hot coolant through the head, then back to the block until it finally flows into the front cover.
Where the hoses get tapped into the head, theres no restriction. Theres definitely a good flow of coolant through them and they are hot to the touch when upto temp. I used the Driven Diesel kit.
Over the last few days I've been trying to figure this out more. My initial interpretation was there was more flow through the heads to keep them cooler. But the way I'm looking at this now is this diversion of coolant is not improving the head flow, it's giving a parallel pathway from the back of the block with a short connection through the head to the front cover. I was looking for this to 1) eliminate any trapped air in the back cavity of the head; 2) flow more coolant through the head.
I know it worked for AKBlackfoot to eliminate the puke problem he had without gasket failure, but now I'm wondering if it did that just with "burping" the back of the head, not so much flow.
Edit - from my perspective I don't think the highest thermal transfer to coolant is in the block, but within the heads.
I'm not theorizing more flow through the heads with this. I can see it either leaving it the same with the water pump doing its push-pull thing, and at the very worst stealing some of the flow that would go from the back to the head to the front. Now I don't really think it's stealing flow, if it was then there would be more of an issue with hot spotting in the heads, an more puking.
These are 1/4 fittings and hoses I believe (at least the fittings) so they can't flow mass quantity of liquid.
Think of it as relieving flow within the head to allow more efficient flow of coolant up the water jackets. I wish I could do some 3d graphic animation showing the difference of flow pattern to post but I don't have that talent. I can picture it in my head but to put it all in type is hard. This is all what I theorize since I haven't seen any demonstration of this. I do know they make a kit also for the Cummins that relieves hot spot pressures and reroutes the coolant from the back of the head. Same theories there.
You had to use the word animation and sent me down a path.
The Cummins kit that I know of moves coolant from the water pump to the back of the block to avoid the issue of scorching the rearmost cylinders. It adds a fixture replacing the rear core plug and the coolant is going to the back cylinders and up through the head. At first, I thought these kits were doing that until I looked closer at the connections to the front cover.
If you don't mind me using your picture as its the best, here's my sort of animation. Narrative on the fly.
Jack, I popped back in over here since you said your installing the bubble remover lines 😊
Are you installing the fuel line kit that ties both heads together via the rear fuel rail ports? If so careful on the angle you drill them on. The fuel line kit is from Amazon sold by TamerX. Heres some pics from my install.
No Pete, not tieing the fuel together. Also not using any kit, building my own with stainless tubing and stainless Swagelok 1/8" npt / 3/16" tubing fittings. Although the fuel might clear these.
So I'm in pondering mode about the coolant recirculating kit. This guy I can watch for about 30 seconds. Proving the theory about a blind squirrel, during that 30 seconds he mentions an air pocket at the back of the head, and that's something I've thought about for more then 6 months. AKBlackfoot's experience with the coolant recirculation kit solving a coolant overflow issue, and why it's the passenger side head that typically, not exclusively, cracks and gets fuel into the coolant is the second part of what has had my curiosity up.
But I'm trying to figure out how this kit actually works. Coolant primarily comes up through the block to the back of the head and moves forward to the exit back to the block and water pump. There is definitely an area that can have an air pocket which can alter the Degas bottles compressed air volume, the air reservoir.
In the head gaskets there are restrictive orifice bleed holes at the individual ports located in the larger ports for both the head and deck surfaces. They move some coolant and from my understanding also help to eliminate any air pockets at the top of the cylinder jackets. The ports are eliminated at the front of the block.
At the back of the head the kit installation is straightforward.
The other end of the hoses go to the base of the front cover where the thermostat resides.
So this is often referred to as increasing the flow in the heads, and I can't see how it does that considering the coolant flow paths. I can see when the T/S is closed flow going from the back of the heads towards the radiator, bypassing the T/S. And with the T/S open, acting with a Venturi effect, the main flow of coolant through the T/S pulling coolant out of the hoses. But either of these situations do not flow more coolant through the heads, they bypass the heads going from block jacket to radiator.
So to me this would act as an air entrapment relief, similar to the bypass hoses going to the Degas bottle from the EGR cooler and also the radiator top tank.
Am I thinking about this wrong from too many hours starting at a block and heads?
If this really only is about relieving any air pockets then a smaller pathway with maybe a directional change direct to the Degas bottle could be just as effective without disturbing the flow through the heads.
Maybe only interesting to me, but the first cousin of the 6.0, the 6.4, gets head gaskets where the lower flow ports get a more wide open pathway at the center two cylinders. Does it mean anything, God and International engineers only know.
If I'm following you correctly: the head gaskets themselves are the flow restrictor(s). If this is the case, then any of us with "commonized" 6.0s would have the newer gasket, and the "different" (only God and International knows) coolant flow? So, yeah, I think it is of interest to the owners of later 6.0s, as in what problem were they solving and does it help our engines?
I just had a really long response here, and all ya got to do is hit the wrong button .....
Short answer, the 18mm and 20mm don't change, it's the 6.4L.
Not my hoses, I'm going tubing.
Sorry, nice job on the fittings then...! So, the head casting changes which were done for the commonization engines + new head gaskets with new coolant ports, have no matching source of coolant cast into a 6.0 block... Is that a longer short answer?
Scott
2 things. First, the 6.4 has DUAL thermost. I wonder if flow control is more fine tuned at the thermostats so they opened up the orifice on the head gaskets.
Second, Jack if you're using hardline be sure to secure it along the way with retainers or clamps. The harmonics may reap havoc on them resulting in cracks ect.
Oh and to add, are you making a jig to duplicate these hard lines so you could offer a kit? 🤐
It will be secured with more than a wire tie, once I figure out the routing. Until I get the motor together on the stand I'm not going to know where this is going. If I bail I can cap the Swagelok or pipe plug the hole I made. These will be 3/16" stainless lines 0.035" wall (somehow I have mass quantities of 3/16" stuff) so not much chance of fatigue stress for the length, and the thought is bringing them up on the driver's side then up to a tee in the degas line. I'll have to see. We have different thoughts on this, I'm just trying to eliminate any possible air entrapment, not moving much coolant.
Nah, no kit. Not my thing.
Black plated high-pressure brass tee and ell, stainless Swageloc. Not necessarily in this configuation.
Possibly this routing, using Adele clamps off the HPOP cover bolts or / and the intake stud. Have to have it together to see the layout, especially with the '03 ICP sensor.
I was thinking about remote mounting the ICP sensor too. The cover can be redrilled and tapped for NPT to Swagelok, but the problem is the sensor end. That o-ring fits into a tapered recess, not a flat or square fitment, a lot of compression for a tight seal at these pressures. Used covers are cheap to play with. But I pretty much gave up on that.
