I used exhaust heat as well, but went with a different method, as I prefer to custom fab parts if I can. My plate was made from a sheet of stainless, approx 1/16" thick, with two 3/8" NPT fittings. Those are fed/exhausted with 3/8" steel brake line with flared fittings (no leaks). If I were to do it over, though, I would have opted for a thcker plate, as the 1/16" plate did warp a bit.
