LS- rear radiator plumbing

Craig_c · Apr 17, 2016

I know in a car/truck the coolant leaves the upper water pump outlet and goes to the top of the radiator. Has anyone ran a rear radiator and ran the upper water pump "outlet" to the bottom of the radiator? It seems to me this would push coolant up through the radiator and help to remove air from the system. I was always under the impression that liquid through a cooler should travel from the bottom up.

Not to mention it's gonna make life a little easier for me!!

patooyee · Apr 17, 2016

There is a pocket of air at the top of the radiator that would feed the pump. You wouldn't be removing air from the system, you would be feeding it in.

Craig_c · Apr 17, 2016

So in your opinion, would there be any difference in which way the radiator was plumbed?

patooyee · Apr 18, 2016

You always want to feed the engine from the lower radiator so that air can travel up to the to top and not get pulled back in. The top of the rad should be an air bubble's final destination.

CHASMAN9 · Apr 18, 2016

patooyee said:
You always want to feed the engine from the lower radiator so that air can travel up to the to top and not get pulled back in. The top of the rad should be an air bubble's final destination.

If I'm saying this right, if you were to run the water back to the radiator and introduce it at the bottom, you would need high Head pressure to force the water rise in the radiator from the bottom up instead of letting it fall from top to bottom.