When you guys remove the heater systems do you just plug the fitting behind the head and on the side of the motor? I know we have coolant shut off valves so I dont see anything wrong with a blank off, but figured its best to ask.

My hoses are looking a bit suspect + for the one day a year its cold in South Africa I dont worry about a heater, would rather save some weight.

i wouldnt blank it off, causes a hot spot where the coolant pools, i just used a length of heater hose and ran it across the rear of the engine bay and back into the inlet where the stock heater hose rejoins in the bottom radiator hose t peice.

Wont looping it just rotate hot water around the motor (shortest path) reducing flow to the radiator as well as heating the front of the head up?

Thats why I asked, most people loop, but with the 1200 having a coolant shut off valve (no coolant flow unless heater is used, and when heater is used it acts as a small radiator removing heat out of the coolant)

I see looping it adding a lot of temp into the motor? maybe im not seeing somthing?

well id rather loop it to not cause a hot spot at the back of the head increasing chances of a head gasket failure.
Cant see it increasing temps if its flowing still, even though heater core not disapating heat from the flow now.

rememebr that the back of the motor is the farthest from the radiator. So it's better to boost the cooling to there. Also, I wouldn't worry about that hose depleting your coolant presure. The heater hose is a far smaller daimeter than the radiator hose. I use an aluminium tube for most of my joining loop. This is to prevent the exgtractors melting the hose, which happened to me once.

I've blanked off the heater outlets in my race cars & haven't seen any problems. If you look at that diagram, the coolant path goes up one side of the engine & down the other. you can either remove the fitting from the back of the head & put a plug in there, or get heater blank off rubbers & plug them both. Here in Australia you can get these from local Auto stores, or GMH dealers, Don't know where you'd get them in South Africa. Bet you regret it the first time the windscreen fogs up, though

My 1200's heatbox's control pannel is stuffed anyways, no heater + the coolant control valve is stuck shut,

I havent seen blank off's, will go pick up a plug today and make another hose joiner without run off...

The way I see that diagram is that with the heater off its got no coolant flow, with the heater on its removing temprature, so by blanking the hoses and removing it will act just like a stock setup with the heater turned off...

I think it was Lemonhead(?) who said that he'd had cooling issues when he closed his heater valve, but he had to have a heater for his class of racing. just food for thought.
I'm going to put a heater back in my car. it's a real bastard without it.

Quote:Yes, if the radiator is marginal, the little bit extra cooling of the heater core can help.

But still, if the radiator is OK, then no worries plugging the heater lines. Closing the heater lever inside stops flow through the back of the head anyways, no problem with that.

Here's how the Nissan factory did for 1200s without heaters:


picture
The 'bolt' next to #7 in this picture is Part Number:
* 9-31306 PLUG-heater outlet hole
Also they used a 1-piece lower radiator hose, there was no place to connect a heater hose.

Thanks DD,

I could not imagine driving my car round the track with the heater on to try remove some temp, its very hot in summer here!