Plenum coolant bypass..necessary to tap holes - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

Torchred96 · 11-14-2011

Haven't had much time for working on the car but been thinking...

I have the IH's off of course and I was just wondering why go through the trouble of tapping the coolant holes. Not just because of being lazy (or cheap...though I am trying to keep my cost for this hobby down) but It seems that I recall intake manifold gaskets years ago coming with block off plates for certain coolant passages...(I may be thinking of head gaskets coming with these pieces of aluminum or steel thin plates).

Either way, just wondering why I couldn't do the job more simply with tools I have rather than go hunt down and buy a tap (guessing the right size) and aluminum plugs to fit a tap that I CAN find.

Has anyone else done it this way? Or have other ideas..like using a bolt with slots cut in it for a tap, and then cutting off the threaded part of a ss bolt to plug in the IH. Or are we worried about the reaction of dissimilar metals in an electrolyte? You could still insulate the two pretty easily with something like JB weld. Just thinking out loud. I know most of you are very particular about your z's and want only the very best way to do something and this seems like another one of my hacks. I am trying to keep this car, a ZR1 and prove (maybe just to myself) that it can be just as inexpensive to own as an ltx or L98 car.

After getting done with the sec throttle delete and a few other mods, I think the car is going to be just as reliable, if not more so than my 96 (may she rest in peace).

sammy · 11-14-2011

i understand keeping the cost down, but doing it any other way is trying to cut corners . , what i have found in my 30 years of building my toys is everytime i did it other than the very best way to do something is it ended up costing me more as i ended up doing it the right way the second time . jmho, bill boudreau sells a metal tube that connects the 2 water passages and by passes the throttle body all that is needed is the tube and some new hose to connect to it .

Torchred96 · 11-14-2011

Sometimes money is better saved in other places than get an inferior result. I certainly understand that.....just wondering if anyone else did it differently and perhaps just as good as the tap method.
Thanks sammhy

XfireZ51 · 11-14-2011

Let's just say you don't want coolant going into 2-4 or 1-3 intake runners.
The tap you need and the correct plugs are minimal in cost.

Torchred96 · 11-14-2011

nuff said..tap it is...now to go hunting for dorman plugs, a tap and aluminum plugs..

thanks

11-14-2011	#1
Torchred96 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Homestead, Fl Posts: 247	Plenum coolant bypass..necessary to tap holes Haven't had much time for working on the car but been thinking... I have the IH's off of course and I was just wondering why go through the trouble of tapping the coolant holes. Not just because of being lazy (or cheap...though I am trying to keep my cost for this hobby down) but It seems that I recall intake manifold gaskets years ago coming with block off plates for certain coolant passages...(I may be thinking of head gaskets coming with these pieces of aluminum or steel thin plates). Either way, just wondering why I couldn't do the job more simply with tools I have rather than go hunt down and buy a tap (guessing the right size) and aluminum plugs to fit a tap that I CAN find. Has anyone else done it this way? Or have other ideas..like using a bolt with slots cut in it for a tap, and then cutting off the threaded part of a ss bolt to plug in the IH. Or are we worried about the reaction of dissimilar metals in an electrolyte? You could still insulate the two pretty easily with something like JB weld. Just thinking out loud. I know most of you are very particular about your z's and want only the very best way to do something and this seems like another one of my hacks. I am trying to keep this car, a ZR1 and prove (maybe just to myself) that it can be just as inexpensive to own as an ltx or L98 car. After getting done with the sec throttle delete and a few other mods, I think the car is going to be just as reliable, if not more so than my 96 (may she rest in peace).

11-14-2011	#2
sammy Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Lone Pine, CA Posts: 580	Re: Plenum coolant bypass..necessary to tap holes i understand keeping the cost down, but doing it any other way is trying to cut corners . , what i have found in my 30 years of building my toys is everytime i did it other than the very best way to do something is it ended up costing me more as i ended up doing it the right way the second time . jmho, bill boudreau sells a metal tube that connects the 2 water passages and by passes the throttle body all that is needed is the tube and some new hose to connect to it .

11-14-2011	#3
Torchred96 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Homestead, Fl Posts: 247	Re: Plenum coolant bypass..necessary to tap holes Sometimes money is better saved in other places than get an inferior result. I certainly understand that.....just wondering if anyone else did it differently and perhaps just as good as the tap method. Thanks sammhy

11-14-2011	#4
XfireZ51 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chicagoland, IL Posts: 9,686	Re: Plenum coolant bypass..necessary to tap holes Let's just say you don't want coolant going into 2-4 or 1-3 intake runners. The tap you need and the correct plugs are minimal in cost.

11-14-2011	#5
Torchred96 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Homestead, Fl Posts: 247	Re: Plenum coolant bypass..necessary to tap holes nuff said..tap it is...now to go hunting for dorman plugs, a tap and aluminum plugs.. thanks