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MG TD TF 1500 - Heater hose quick connectors?

I'm reinstalling my heater on my 51MG.
As anyone who has ever done this knows, the connections through the firewall are a PITA to connect. I'm just wondering if anyone has ever tried to set up quick connect connections (push-on?) for this? Seems like it would make installing/removing the heater much easier with less likelihood of leakage...
Geoffrey M Baker

two quick connectors just create 6 more potential leak spots.Two holes in firewall with heavy duty grommets works for me.
Sandy
Sandy

Geoffrey. Check out Aeroquip , Earls etc for bulkhead and quick connect fittings. They are generally used in race at fuel and water system and some are coast guard approved also. If the sanctioning bodies, military and coast guard use and approve them I would trust their reliability. If I ever get far enough along to restore my heater I will be doing it this route. I think the period pieces look very much like an after thought and many of the installs look like hack jobs by shade tree mechanics back in the day. Even mine was a sloppy install at one time heater was not present when I purchased the car but the holes in the cowl were very crude

Cheers

Bill Chasser
TD4834
Bill Chasser Jr

Bill, you are 100% right. Firstly, even the original setups (Arnolt etc) were not factory jobs; they were aftermarket addins that focused on making adding a heater easy, not necessarily efficient (which is why the Arnolt manifold where the heater water is drawn and returned is such an interesting, and terrible, design, with water being taken and returned to the system within inches of each other!).
The bulkhead holes aren't a good placement either (causing a guaranteed airlock, every time) but were done so that it could be added without removing a lot of engine parts that might otherwise be in the way.
If I was starting from scratch, knowing what I know now, I would draw water from the elbow along the spark plug side of the engine, pass through the firewall with a new hole (near the accelerator pedal), and return through another new hole to the carb side of the engine to the lowest point of the radiator drain. Doing this correctly would avoid airlocks and create a system that will drain automatically - when you drain the radiator the heater would completely drain too.
Wheras what I have now (like everyone elses) means whenever you remove the heater, it's still filled with water, thanks to those double bends up through the firewall ... a real PITA.
But a set of quick disconnect hoses right behind the heater would make adjustments and installations much easier (including giving easier access to the gearbox fill hole).
Geoffrey M Baker

I used the Moss Triumph TR3 through the firewall fitting. Very clean install. Regards, tom
tm peterson

I am putting a heater into our 52 TD. It is a small unit I purchased at a Canadian store called Princess Auto, very similar to harbour freight.
Using old skills from days of no money I have extended the inlet and outlet pipes so that they will protrude straight out the fire wall from the heater which will be mounted on the firewall in the passengers footwell.
Hot air to the drivers side will be handled by a movable door on the front of the heater to divert airflow.
Heater hoses will connect direct to the copper pipes poking through the firewall with a cable operated flow control.
I have everything made and ready to install but winter has arrived and I had to get her put away until spring.
Plan on an article and pictures then.
Norm Peacey

This is my TF firewall showing a Triumph heater fitting during restoration, All the clamps aren't on yet in this photo.It works very well and no it doesn't leak! PJ


Paul161

Good examples of installations but I don't see one yet that allows for a straight drain. They all have the same issue - the pipe rise through the firewall which creates an airlock an prevents draining.
I'll see if I can make a diagram showing what I propose...
Norm, sounds interesting I look forward to your pix & article.
Geoffrey M Baker

I will be using the TR3 bulkhead connectors. They are similar to the tr4 but are individual through the bulkhead. This would allow the return to be lower on the foot well if drain back is a concern.

Rick

Handy. I've made a note of those:
635-080 on Moss. I may use these. Depends on whether it's simpler to switch to modern racing dimension stuff (-10AN) in order to use modern quick disconnects, or I may be able to just use barb hose racing disconnects, in which case these will come in handy.
A note: quick disconnects as used in aero/racing applications are *very* expensive, at around $120 per matched pair. Advantages, they can handle temperatures (good for coolant), don't lose more than a couple of thousands of a liter when unplugging (literally, a couple of drops at most) and are chemically resistant.
Combined with a four wire quick disconnect plug (I have two wires for the fan and two wires for the shutoff valve I have installed to stop hot water circulating into the interior when its' not wanted), this should make removing the heater take literally a couple of minutes, and no mess.
I've been thinking more on it and see absolutely no difficulty creating a passive drain system that will completely drain the heater when the system is drained.
Geoffrey M Baker

This thread was discussed between 25/11/2015 and 30/11/2015

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