My bypass kit.....version 1.0

OK...I read everything I could and this is what I came up with.
The valve is a Watts 530C.
I know it's been said that it's not compatable with hot water but the literature I read at the supply house where I got it contradicts that. There's even a diagram that clearly shows it installed in a hot water line. Operating range to 250 degrees.

I wanted to screw it straight into the head but it won't screw in with the rocker box on....so I got a straight 1/2" NPT nipple and a male/male connector to screw the valve to the nipple.
When I do my head swap I'll eliminate the nipple and have the valve straight into the head.
The one thing I may change is the nipple...not sure how I feel about brass being hard piped to the head and vibrations.

Fittings are 1/2" push lock...1 male to go into the valve, 1 female to go into the 90* fitting where the water will return to the radiator.
For that I got a plain 90* fitting.

This is where I'll differ from the norm. I'm not gonna return to the t-stat housing or the radiator hose....I'm going straight into the radiator.
The Ford radiators are plastic on top and I've already drilled and tapped it once for the overflow bottle. A little red loctite and it's sealed in there just fine. The original fitting I tapped has been in there for close to 3 years with zero issues so I'm not worried about it.

Here's the parts I came up with today....grand total...63 bucks.

So can you explain how this watts valve works? Im interested in giving this a try

Thanks

Kevin

Watts is just the brand name...530C is the part number. It's adjustable from 50-150psi. I'm gonna set it at 50. WHen it sees that much pressure in the back of the head it'll open and relieve the pressure/coolant...which will go through the hose and just dump back into the radiator.

Gotcha.. where did you find this valve? I am thinking a plumbing wholesale?

Exactly....a plumbing supply house. It's a pressure relief vave. It by itself was 22 bucks.

i cheaped out, i went with a ball valve i can crack it when pulling and keep it closed on the street. i have less than $50 in the set-up, and then add in the plate for the back of the block from haisley...that was like $45-50 too. it works just as good tho.

only bad thing is you gotta have the tranny out in order to put the plate on the back of the block

Put a cable through the firewall with a handle on it and fab it up to attach to the valve handle and I don't see it being real hard to make that set-up be in-cab adjustable.

Do you think that this will work as good as Opies bypass kit?

50 seems a bit high, isn't the cap 14psi or so?

morkable said:

Do you think that this will work as good as Opies bypass kit?

Click to expand...

I know nothing about Opie's kit other than how it looks...it looks awesome and coming from him....I'm sure it works flawless. I just can't afford it right now.

Others are using this same valve with no issues....so I don't forsee any problems. I'm just plumbing mine a bit differently.

TheBigNasty said:

50 seems a bit high, isn't the cap 14psi or so?

Click to expand...

The pressure at the back of the head is significantly higher that what the cap sees....that's why people are blowing the freeze plug back there.
I just wanna head off any issues before I try out the TNT R tune from Bob.

There's another thread in this forum where we were discussing the pressures a few days ago.....check it out...pretty good reading on the subject.

http://competitiondiesel.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50146

That looks good, keep us updated on the install and how it works. I think it will be good to have adjustable pressure because 50 may or may not be enough.

In my quest to be a cheap ass lately...I decied to not buy a 1/2 NPT tap today...I can borrow one from work tomorow.LOL
Hope to have install pics up within a day or so.

OK..... I gotta ask! What does this bypass do?

:what:

UNBROKEN said:

In my quest to be a cheap ass lately...I decied to not buy a 1/2 NPT tap today...I can borrow one from work tomorow.LOL
Hope to have install pics up within a day or so.

Click to expand...

Harbor Freight has the set of three taps and dies for $13.99. 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 NPT in the set.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91395

HRDROKN said:

OK..... I gotta ask! What does this bypass do?

:what:

Click to expand...

The bypass allows that pressure that build in the back of the head to be relieved. This saves you from having your rear freeze plug blow out.

HRDROKN said:

OK..... I gotta ask! What does this bypass do?
:what:

Click to expand...

*edit* 06 beat me to it

it also helps circulate the coolant from the hottest part of the motor (between #5 & #6) back to the front of the coolant system

getblown5.9 said:

i cheaped out, i went with a ball valve i can crack it when pulling and keep it closed on the street. i have less than $50 in the set-up, and then add in the plate for the back of the block from haisley...that was like $45-50 too. it works just as good tho.

only bad thing is you gotta have the tranny out in order to put the plate on the back of the block

Click to expand...

I installed my own block off plate without removing my trans. It wasn't easy by a long shot but I did get it bolted in. If I remember correctly, two bolts from the top side and one from under the truck. Bought a Gearwrench specifically for the job. Now I use that thing for a lot of work... great invention.

trik396 said:

I installed my own block off plate without removing my trans. It wasn't easy by a long shot but I did get it bolted in. If I remember correctly, two bolts from the top side and one from under the truck. Bought a Gearwrench specifically for the job. Now I use that thing for a lot of work... great invention.

Click to expand...

just installed mine ,, the one on the pass side is cake with a gear wrench ..now the drivers side was a$$ ,,used a 3/8 extension 4 ft long and wobble came in from behind the transfor case

op:op:op:

Lookin good there. Does anyone know at what pressure the plugs typically blow? (Ill post it now, while I go read the other thread...)

I don't know what pressure they pop at...but it seems to be the higher rpm trucks that do it the most from what I read.
A lot of guys clip the fins on the water pump to reduce flow....but I don't want to go that route since I don't know how that affects cooling when driving in heavy traffic, etc.