I'm in the process of putting in my cooling system. I'm sure of the following.

Water pump main outlet to bottom of radiator (bottom hose)
Water pump small outlet to inlet manifold (this goes direct as I have no heater.

Thermostat to top of radiator (top hose)

Little radiator outlet to top of header tank.

My question concerns the main hose that comes from the header tank.

I had a chat to MK today and they say to connect it to the bottom hose with a t piece.

I didn't ask them if they could get hold of one though perhaps I should have done. It seems a bit odd though having a 15mm hose connecting to a 38mm one. (I don't know if it is strange it just seems odd to me)

I had a look on a few places and while I could find reducing t pieces I couldn't find one that went from 38mm to 15mm.

Have other people with a pinto done it this way? Where did you get a suitable t piece?

Thanks

You are right about connecting the header to the lower hose and the size difference is ok too as you are only 'topping up' the system while it is running.

Tee pieces are hard to find - I got some made up by CBS but at £20 each they are not exactly cheap.
Rescued attachment Heater tee.jpg

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Originally posted by RazMan
You are right about connecting the header to the lower hose and the size difference is ok too as you are only 'topping up' the system while it is running.

Tee pieces are hard to find - I got some made up by CBS but at £20 each they are not exactly cheap.

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if you need a tee i can make 1 very cheep
any size about a fiver


thanks dene

You could always have a look round the scrappy for a rubber t peice that is similar dimensions.

if it's a pinto indy, chances are, the radiator bottom hose is 32mm, so will need reducing from the 38mm water pump outlet.

kill 2 birds with one stone (a composite stone mind). go to halfords, or wherever sells it, and get a flexible hose with 38mm one end and 32mm the other, and get one that's 32mm both ends. i can't remember the lengths, sorry.
go to a plumbers merchants, and buy a 28 15 28 solder ring t. the solder rings on the t make an ideal bead to clamp round, and also bring the o/d to about 31mm. most places will want about £8 for the t, but i got one from our local ethnic majority shop for ~£2.50.

put the 32mm pipe ends straight onto the t, and for the 15mm, put a stub of 15mm copper pipe on, and solder a compression olive onto it. i find the solder ring on the 15mm joint makes the o/d too big, and makes pipe fitting and removal awkward. the olive is just about right.

it's copper, yes, but you can spray it black, silver, or whatever matches your engine bay.

it works, which is most important,
tom