i've read just about every thread that i could get my hands on. i definitely want to do a coolant re-route. i auto-x my N/A NA throughout the summer so i want to do anything i can. but, i can't see spending over $200 on a kit, so i'm looking for detailed instructions on how to do it myself. like most of you have done, i would just dive into it and make it happen, but i need to be fully prepared when i start so that i can get it done in one day, two tops, because i DD the car. here are my questions, but most of them could be avoided by someone pointing out to me a complete DIY write-up that includes every detail. the solomiata write up has been the most helpful but it still leaves some questions.

Kia outlet neck for the back of the head: do i really just buy one and install it with the stock thermostat in it? it's as simple as that? no spacer?

capping off the front outlet: does the timing cover need to come off? probably good to do during a t-belt job then right?

right now, it looks to me that with the gm truck hose to go from the rear of the head to the radiator inlet, the re-route can be as simple as installing the kia outlet neck, installing that hose, capping off the front outlet, and running the heater outlet hose up... somewhere... what am i missing?

tia. seriously been reading about this for days and cannot get my head around it.

also, did anyone ever successfully use that BMW 3-port in-line thermostat? that looked like a very good option if anyone ever tried it.

 

Yes, assuming you know how to route to heater OR have an alternative way to keep coolant flowing in the engine with the thermostat closed and have a place for your sensor.

It would be a royal pain in the *** to get this off without the timing cover off. Possible, yes, practical, probably not.

You need to have a constant flow of water through the engine. One way this is accomplished is by routing the front outlet to the heater core. Another way is the spacer. The way that I eventually went with was by drilling a hole in the thermostat.

Some people have, yes.

 

you don't HAVE to remove the front water neck, you could just cap it off until you need to do a timing belt and just remove it then.

You don't need a spacer if you are planning to delete the heater core. You will have to make some kinda hole to put the sensor in and you may want to gut the t-stat or drill a hole like blaen suggested. I think if you are going to drill a hole, then you may as well just gut the t-stat and cover part of the radiator during winter.

 

thanks a bunch for the responses. my answers to your speculations:
i need my heat to continue working. so what does that leave us with?
and, i'm not up for giving up my thermostat. the weather in virginia is very unpredictable. lately, it's up in the 70's during the day but freezing at night.

so, it sounds like i can just run a hose from the existing outlet on the thermostat housing to go back to the heater core and that settles all of the problems?

 

you still need a hole in the kia housing to put the sensor in.

 

Do you have a 1.6 or a 1.8? It doesn't specify a year in your sig. Depending on your answer, it can dramatically change things.

(Edit) Oh, a 1.6?

Here's the easy way.

Swap the front housing to the rear.

Tap it out a bit for the old rear sensor.

Decide to do one of the below

A) Swap the rear housing to the front, tap out/put thermosensor into old rear housing, route rear-that-is-now-front outlet to the heater
or
B) Use the cursed water plug, and route that to the heater

Done. No need to bother with drilling or gutting thermostat. See my build thread for a longer and more in-depth explanation on the $25 1.6 reroute.

 

oh, i forgot to mention that. are not two holes needed somewhere or another? the gauge sensor and the ECU sensor? or is the gauge sensor already there and not needed to be bothered with? anyway, i copy you on the need for a sensor. i was thinking about an in-line adapter type deal, just along the side of the engine somewhere. now that i think about it though, drilling and tapping would probably be just as easy.

so, the only thing i'm confused about now is 1. how hard is it to install this kia outlet neck with the engine in the car? and 2. what are the details about getting that heater hose run. it goes from the outlet that's already on the top of the thermostat housing and straight back to the inlet to the heater core? i've just got to neck that hose down? then the outlet from the heater core is still good to be where it is? i can't picture where it goes right now so i'm just trusting you.

 

blaen, i have a 1.6. option a looks good. checking out your build thread now

 

can't find your build thread. link?

 

https://www.miataturbo.net/showpost....27&postcount=6

 

Run a line from the cursed water plug for your heater core as blaenn said. Be thankful you have a 1.6.

 

what's the location of the cursed water plug?

and, my understanding of your post, blaen, is that i need to buy the BEGi blockoff plate just to have somewhere to put the thermoswitch? (no MS) is this for the front or the rear of the engine? i don't see why i can't just stick that thing any old where. drill and tap either of the housings or use an inline adaptor. i'm not contradicting, just trying to see what i'm missing.

thanks for the responses. this is becomming more clear.

 

BEGi blockoff plate goes in front. You put the thermoswitch in it. Otherwise, with the stock ECU, you will either not be able to run fans or have to run fans full time.

The cursed waterplug, well, honestly, I'd just google. There's tons of better descriptions and pictures then we could ever give you on google with people cursing it out.

 

oh i see now. is the rear housing not easy to drill and tap for that sensor?

 

You -could-, but you'd have to find a tap for that sensor's thread.

Good luck with that.

 

ok, last thing. it looks like you can run your heater in from the cursed water plug, the outlet of the rear (now front) housing, or the nipple under the front thermostat housing. is this correct? any of these will run warm water to the heater core and circulate and appropriate amount of water around when cold?

 

Yes

Yes

No. Well, I wouldn't, and would recommend against it strongly - it lacks the amount of flow you want for the heater, and may lack sufficient flow for the engine before the tstat opens.

Use BEGi blockoff, route from cursed water plug, enjoy. That's hands down the best combination of parts that I used when I had my heater working, and one I will be going back to in the near future.

 

ok. that's all there is to it then. thanks a ton.

 

just to clarify, there is no grinding or fabrication required with this method? i can ride my bike up to the shop to have drilling/tapping done if i need to, but if i tear into this and end up needing to grind something i'm just going to have to put it back together!

 

If you keep the heater, the only fabrication should be tapping the front housing when you put it on the rear, and potentially grinding if the sensor ends up in a bad place as noted in my post.