Originally Posted by
lionelhutz
Reading that other thread, the OP wrongly equates taking coolant from the rear of the heads on a Vortec as something related to the coolant bypass path.Hopefully you're referring to post #17 by 1project2many. Basically, you just have to provide some means for some coolant to circulate in the engine with the thermostat closed. You can connect a dedicated hose between the intake passage under the thermostat to the water pump and that allows the coolant to circulate even with the thermostat closed. If you connect the heater core between the intake manifold and the water pump port then it will also work as a bypass as long as you don't have a valve that blocks the coolant flow when you don't want heat. In any case, allowing for this bypass has nothing to do with requiring the intake manifold to have coolant flow from the rear of the heads.Do a Google Images search for "Vortec engine bypass hose" or something similar and you'll find lots of pictures of bypass hoses, both in stock form and on performance built engines. It seems most guys get away with a 1/2" bypass hose or using the heater as a bypass just fine.
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