Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Maintenance advice to keep your Spider in shape.
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joelittel
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Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by joelittel »

Can this metal hose insert piece be replaced? If so does anyone know what it's called and who sells them?

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vandor
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by vandor »

I've never seen them new and have not known anybody able to remove one.
If you had a replacement I suppose you could drill it out or have a machine shop do it.
Csaba
'71 124 Spider, much modified
'17 124 Abarth, silver
http://italiancarclub.com/csaba/
Co-owner of the best dang Fiat parts place in town
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joelittel
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by joelittel »

Ok thanks.
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by 131 »

Mick.

'82 2litre 131, rally cams, IDFs & headers.
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joelittel
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by joelittel »

That's a site I had not come across yet. Thank you.
weekend warrior
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by weekend warrior »

I've done a few of these in stainless as in Micks previous post, can ship statewide. Would post an image but it was easier and quicker to machine stainless !!
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divace73
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by divace73 »

Here you go WW
Image
Image
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That is a nice bit of gear
Last edited by divace73 on Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Cheers David
-=1980 silver Fiat 124 Spider=-
If you want to see pics of my car (and other random stuff) >>click here<< OR
see my >>You tube channel<<
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joelittel
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by joelittel »

Weekend warrior what do you charge?
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by weekend warrior »

Thanks Dave :D

Machined these from 316 marine grade stainless 7/8" hex bar ( so you can easily install/remove )

$60 aus or $55 us + shipping
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bradartigue
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by bradartigue »

Can you machine it to be about 4" taller so you can use a more common, molded U hose?
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by weekend warrior »

bradartigue wrote:Can you machine it to be about 4" taller so you can use a more common, molded U hose?
I could but the extra cost would probably outweigh the difference between the rubber hoses
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by bdinardo »

Hoping to revive this thread as that metal pipe is a bit more corroded on my 1979 than I would like. I'd like to replace it but the links in the thread above don't work any more. Has anyone been able to find a place to buy a replacement pipe? Thank you!
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by Spider951 »

I see that you have received no answers. I don't have one either, but I can tell you from my efforts to remove/replace that little piece of pipe that it is really, really in there. IIRC it is steel threaded into aluminum (so probably a galvanic action thing going on). I have tried on two different cylinder heads with no success - on one I applied so much torque using a pipe wrench (plumbers type) and "cheater" bar (about 4 ft of pipe on end of pipe wrench) that I feared I would shear the thing off (wouldn't budge - I only succeeded in deforming it). I also wondered whether it is reverse threaded but doesn't appear to be. Maybe some application of heat, or drilling it out, or welding a piece over it or inside might work, but I decided to give it up for the time being and just tried to remove as much corrosion as possible for now.
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by 18Fiatsandcounting »

As least for the earlier spiders, the part number of this fitting is 4151673. I'm not aware of anyone that sells them, so you'd either have to find a good used one, have a machine shop make one, or maybe you can search online for "metric taper pipe fitting" and find something that would work. A metric taper hose barb of the right size would probably work.

To remove the fitting, heat is probably the answer. Like from a propane torch to get it pretty hot. Let if cool down, and remove with a pipe wrench. I'm thinking it would be much easier if the cylinder head were removed and on a workbench.

To be honest, unless this pipe is so corroded that you can't get a leak-free connection, I'd just leave it alone. It's just one of those unfortunate fixes that sometimes takes more effort than it's worth.

-Bryan
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Re: Where Coolant Hose Meets Cylinder Head

Post by Spider951 »

Aluminum, steel, and water (and time) all in contact with each other is a recipe for a galvanic cell, hence corrosion between two dissimilar metals and the possibility of a type of "welding". Whew.... that's all I remember from college chemistry (even with Father Guido Sarducci's 5-minute university refresher course [Saturday Night Live, early 1980's(?), for you young folks]). I would urge caution with whatever you do (I could have had a Homer Simpson "Doh" moment had I continued with my strong-arm tactic with my big cheater bar for more torque). That aluminum cylinder head is a lot more expensive than a 3-4 inch piece of steel. I don't think the corrosion can be undone? (any chemists out there?). In one of my former lives my oil-field roughneck friends would have said "use a bigger hammer", but they dealt with strong thick metals (serious steel). I would like to know what experience teaches us on removing this little threaded steel tube troublemaker. Surely someone has tackled this..??
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