The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop I'm Stuck....again!! TPI heater hose placemrnt

OK, this really shouldn't be that hard, but I'm stumped. I can't figure when the return line goes to on the heater hose. The TPI has a hose that fits on the intake and runs to the throttle body and then to the heater core. I'll more than likely bypass the throttle body as I was informed that I could gain some extra power, so It will run directly into the heater core. The problem is that I don't see any place to hook up the return line. I know that it's usually on the water pump but this one has nothing. Anybody else out there with a TPI swap that can fill me in?

those newer vehicles usually had a return line on the radiator right under the upper radiator hose. you can take a 3/8" extension and stick it in the plug in the water pump to take it out and get the fitting... i don't know why they did that but whatever..
if you bypass the throttle body then you will have problems with cold starts. the fuel will not atomize as well and you will have to run richer to start up (by a LOT-- thus reducing fuel economy) and may damage your catalytic converters if you run them.

basically at startup everything is cold. the gas comes out in droplets and does not mix with the air very well... the coolant going through the throttle body or intake warms up the walls thus heating the air and helping the two "mix". colder air is denser and thus improves efficiency only if you have the proper amount of fuel mixed in with it. your computer also wont know you made any changes and without O2 sensors will never know that less of the fuel the injectors is spraying is actually atomizing and being burned. thus-- a lean mixture ... etc

if you are running all the factory equipment (02 sensors.. and cats) this may not cause any problems for you and you may end up with a little more power at the expense of wasted fuel on cold starts.

38 is right, Throttle body is from outlet of core and radiator to inlet.
I bypassed my TB with no issues.
Check this site out. http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Parts_TPI-TBI_Brass-Tees.html
You could prolly put 1 of these in ur upper rad hose.

Did you put it in the upper or lower hose?

I didn't need one for mine cause I had my rad built with the heater hose provision built in to it.
The heater hose goes in the bottom rad hose, but if you have an lt1 then the rear vent hose would go in the top.

Thanks Wilbur, ordered it today.

I like that. Nice solution. I still think it is easier to just get the "nipple" that goes into the water pump... seeing as that takes only a minute and a bit of muscle to break the plug loose.. Breaker bar takes care of any lack of muscles though..
I'll have to remember about those hose tees.

That was the first thing I checked, however the water pump I'm using has no nipple.