Let's not make this overly complicated.  Routing the hoses so that the coolant to always go in the bottom of the core first will keep the sediment issue at bay and by all rights allow any potential sediment to be stirred up enough to be carried back to the engine.  Reversing the hoses so you’re filling the heater core from the top just makes for extra work and adds to an issue you’re trying to keep from happening.

 

As ‘Dinosaur’ mentions, as long as coolant circulates through the core, from a heating standpoint it doesn’t care which way the hoses are routed.  Sediment control and purging of air from the core are the main reasons for correct routing of the heater hoses.  A secondary reason is increased heating efficiency of the heater itself if the air is purged.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Wouldn't periodic reversal of the hoses be advisable as a way to "back-flush" the core and extend the life of seldom used vintage car heaters that might sludge-up otherwise? Especially if air was purged from the core first, and car retrofitted with coolant recovery system?

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Thank you all for you help. I am in a position where I have to let him finish putting the engine back in.



I will post again if I ever get it ready to roll instead of hijacking this post. Lets just say that he hit the side of the car with something really heavy and dented my fin, scratched the side, and flattened the stainless trim. Since my car was only built a short time before March 58..the trim is impossible to replace.



Gord

Gordie T           Long Point, Ontario

His mechanic is working by "looks", not how effective (or uneffective) it is.

Ol'ford nutCentral Iowa

56 Vic w/292 & 4 spd.

funny... mine (57 Fairlane) appears to be hooked up "backwards" (thermostat to top of core; H20 pump to bottom)... but I get warmed air when I run the heater...

Mark

"God Bless Texas"location: Houston,TX

Common sense would tell the mechanic how the hoses hook up . Your mechanic must be a VW mechanic.

55Birdman  Hickory NC

Surely you have a driveway, or friends with a driveway, or better yet, friends with a garage. The few times I've had to let someone else work on my stuff, Ive regretted it. With all the flat rate bs, they just don't seem to share my attention to detail.


Lawrenceville, GA

And right you are.  Both the 3/8” NPT connections at the water pump are the same in that they are suction or negative pressure.  Hooking up both heater hoses to the water pump will not provide circulation of coolant through the heater core and effectively not supply any heat.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Ted



Further to this post about water heater hoses. Is it feasible to hook the two heater hoses both to the water pump? My 58 Fairlane is being put back slowly together and my mechanic has hooked both hoses to the water pump. He says it looks better than the hose connecting to the outlet behind the thermostat on the intake manifold. I say he is wrong.



This is starting to become a nightmare and I wish I had the room to do the work myself.



Thanks again....



Gt

Gordie T           Long Point, Ontario

Now I need to check mine.


Lawrenceville, GA