Can anyone that has installed Bill Heath's balance flow system post some photos of it. I'm curious as to what the entire system consists of and how much different it is from the one on the AMG Hummer site. There is quite a price difference between the two.

Thanks,
SnowDrift

Snowdrift, I don't have pictures but from what I can see of the AMG site is that the lines that the coolant flow thru from the back of the heads on BH's system are bigger and also has a balance tank. I have no cooloing problems. As for equalizeing temps at the rear of the heads, I just have to be a believer from what Bill has told me about his research. Hope this little bit helps in some way.

Dan

Is the coolant tank a tank, or is it what I see in the photo on his site with the two hoses in and one out (or vice versa)?

SnowDrift

Snowdrift- I used the word tank for the lack of another word. It is about 6 inches long and I would guess a circumfrence of 3-31/2 inches. I saw some pictures of one installed somewere on the web. I will go looking and try and find were.

That would be great. Photos would sure help.

It sounds like this upgrade is just a couple hoses going into the old block-off plates via a hose from the cross-over pipe but being split with this tank on the driver side.

SnowDrift

One hose comes from the back of one head at the plate and the second hose comes from the back of the other head. Both hoses go to the balance tank. Then from the balance tank one goes into the crossover housing. Still looking for the pic's. The tank mounts on the drivers side bolted to the intake. From the sound of the tank when empty, it sounds like there is maybe a check valve in it.

Is there more to it than I think, then? It sounds as if I could make one up myself. Does it consist of the following: tapped crossover tube, hose going from crossover tube to a "splitter" type of tank, then from that tank to each of the rear blockoff plates on the heads?

Is there a check valve of any sort in the tank you mentioned, or is it just an open tank with one inlet on one end and two outlets on the other end?

SnowDrift

It is exactly as you described. I do think there is a check valve of some sort in the tank. I am not sure but something is rattleing around in there and thats all that I can think of that may be in there. I have not been able to find those pictures that I thought I saw somewere. I would imaginge the check valve is to keep the flow coming from the back of the heads towards the crossover but I couldn't say for sure.

You're not in Ohio, by chance, are you? I'd sure like to get my eyes on one of those tanks if I could. Do you remember looking to see if you could see through the tank before you installed it, from one end to the other?

Sure appreciate your help on this!

SnowDrift

No not in Ohio Snowdrift, I am way up in Vermont. I didn't get a look into the tank. The thing comes from Heath with the hoses all attached. You just have to bolt the plates on the back of each head and tap the crossover and connect the front pipe. Without removing the hoses you just can't see inside the tank. I am going to see if I can get someone to scan a picture from the install instructions so I can get it in here for you to look at. I'll try and get that done in the next couple days.

Link to pics.
http://www.heathdiesel.com/P/HDP1526/Gallery/
Looks too simple for my cheap a$$ to buy. I always thought of adding some type of tank to increase the coolant capacity, now I know where the flow in and out will work into the system:ro)

Yeah, I have looked at that photo many times in the past trying to imagine what could be happening inside this little tank. Thanks for the link, though.

As far as being cheap, I'm a little on the conservative side, myself. I'm just running this over and over in my head and can't come up with a reason I can't fab this all up for a fraction of the cost. Push-on hose is easy to come by and I'm guessing the hose on this kit is 1/2". I can buy the block-off plates from GM and drill and tap them myself for the fittings. The crossover tube needs a good size pipe tap, but we have that size in our shop, as I checked when Heath still offered this for the "do it yourselfer" who wanted to tap their own tube. That tank is the only part that is a mystery to me now. I see the inlet hose is not in line with the exit ports, which makes me think there is at least a baffle of some sort, or maybe a check valve, indeed. Although, perhaps it is just offset to force the coolant to all be moved through the tank at a rapid rate.

Don't get me wrong because Bill has done the homework on this and profit is absolutely NOT a dirty word. I have several of his products and love every one of them. I'm just not in a position to spend nearly $500 on this kit right now and would really like to remedy these hot spots in the rear of the heads as quickly as possible. If I fab my own stuff, I can pick and choose parts when I have time and put my own custom slant on it.

That tank is stainless steel. My wheels are turning.

SnowDrift

I would think that there might be a check valve in there to make sure flow only goes on way, but which way is the question. I am looking at doing something like this but dumping the hot head water into the heater core return line at the radiator.

Well, let's look at it this way, the coolant goes from the bottom of the radiator into the water pump, right? Therefore the upper radiator hose has coolant going into the radiator from the t-stat when it opens. The coolant from the heads must be flowing to the crossover, not away from it. I believe the check valve, if there is one, would be forcing the coolant to flow from the rear of the heads, forward.

Hot coolant comes from the back of the heads and goes immediately to the balance flow tank, which goes into one line and then back up to the crossover tube where it is dumped back into the radiator. Any thoughts? I'm still trying to guess at the flow up to this point, but this only seems logical to me.

SnowDrift

Ok, I'm revisiting this (not that I ever stopped thinking about it). I'm thinking there is no check valve in the balance tank and that it might have a baffle, at most, which would do no more than contain the coolant for a brief time and even the temp out between the two if one head was warmer than another. Now that I think about it, though, there wouldn't be much point to that, so I'm leaning toward there being an open tank, instead of a baffle.

Now, I'm thinking about the crossover tube. Heath used to offer the kit to drill and tap the tube. The photos I've seen of the kit installed show a bung welded onto the crossover tube. I'm guessing they have done this out of a thin wall on the tube and needing more material in the area to thread into.

Any additional thoughts?

Thanks,
SnowDrift

I don't see why you couldn't take out the barb fitting feeding the heater core and put a brass "t" in its place with 2 barb fittings threaded in. Like this one only nicer looking. http://www.flashoffroad.com/Diesel/RearheadCooling/rearHeadCooling.htm

There are some really good pictures of an actual installation right here:

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=7341034&uid=3320954

Sincerely,

Rob :)

I hate to be the dumb Irish one here but I wonder if the tank is hollow with no baffling?

I was seriously thinking about the coolant crossover myself. I'm glad I didn't (too much $$). I went with the duramax 9 blade fan (which cost me about $50) and the '97 fan clutch to fit the dmax fan (again around $50). I also bought the high output waterpump for $100. I never installed the waterpump because my truck already had a high output pump in it- must be a '96 1/2 (brand new high output waterpump is for sale $80 plus shipping). As your truck is a '95, you'll also need the dual thermostat crossover manifold. Again available for cheap from teamchev.com (that's a chevy dealership in the midwest that offers special internet pricing on parts). In 95 degree humid weather, I have to really PUSH the engine HARD to get it over 185 degrees (I think the water wetter helps too). I'd recommend going with the upgrades that GM made to the cooling system for the '97 and up model years before buying any add on gismos or gadgets to the system. my 2 cents

TurboTahoe,

I've looked extensively at that kit, too. Doesn't look like that would be much different than tapping the crossover tube. Must have been some reason, though, that they tap the tube, instead of just simply cutting this hose. Would you agree?

SnowDrift

Mine is on it's way I'll post info when I get it,

Tim,

You're the man! Thanks!

SnowDrift

I talked to Bill Heath about it, more to it than some cobbed up plumbing & fittings, Bill hired a consultant to help with the design, & then instrumented a set of heads to monitor temps to get the plumbing sized properly. Convinced me it was worth looking into, again once I get my rig I'll post what I know about it.

Yeah, I had a long talk with Bill about this when it was first introduced. As I mentioned in my original post, I know Bill has done extensive testing on this system and has also designed it for the "driveway" mechanic to install. I tip my hat to his company for their hard work on these things.

I almost had one of his first ones Spindrift got mine but he needed it more than I did remember his catostrophic failure at the "Mouses's House" earlier in the year, that kit required some drilling & tapping of fittings, new kit is supposed to be plug & play, some wrenching required but no drill/tap, pre-welded stainless fitting now part of the kit.

Is your kit due in to you about Thursday?

bump.

thought this one was worth pushing along.

Bump again.

I know with your mess at your place, you probably haven't hada chance to do much with this. Did your shipment even make it to you before the storm hit, Turbine Doc?

Ryan