HELP Heater Core to Engine Coolant lines......

[mike macadams]

I am helping a friend put his 85 ranger 2.3L truck back together and he does not remember which Coolant lines goes where on the heater box. Does the one from the thermostat housing go to the one on the passenger side outlet? And does the one on the Water pump go the engine side outlet? Any help would be great.

 

[AllanD]

How the lines are actually connected to the heater core itself is irrelevant.

The core itself doesn't have a specific in/out

whichever way allows the lines to "lay" neatly.

BTW, you can simplify the lines by a bit of "junkyard upgrade"

The ONLY reason for the little "T" in the line and the small (3/8"?)
line that goes around the back of the engine to the lower intake manifold
is to get coolant flow past the Engine Coolant Temp (ECT) sensor for
the engine management.

If you can get to a junkyard and find a dual plug 2.3 Ranger or Mustang
that sensor was relocated to a better location... an inline fitting
in one of the heater hoses.

This will allow you to blank off the connection in the lower intake
and eliminate the hose that feeds to it... AND the leak prone T in the
heater hose.

Other than that "little hose" all the connections on a 2.3 in a gen1
Ranger heater hose system are 5/8"

AD