Routing flex cooling lines through the rocker panels / heating ducts

[DW SD]

All-
I'm aiming for a clean setup with routing my flex cooling lines.

Does anyone have pictures of their setups that are routed through the rocker panel / heating ducts? Where would I drill in the back side of the rocker panel (ahead of spring plate bushing)? Where would they exit in the front of the rocker panels? And what route do the lines take after exiting (IE do they go through the front trunk)?
I'd be interested in downside, if any?

As long as the cockpit doesn't get absorb too much heat, I think I'll have plenty of cooling. I've got the Mocal 72 row (6 1/2" x 22 x 2") cooler behind the front bumper valence.

Will I get radiant heat in the cockpit? I'd think that by insulating the cabin from the heater lines by the rocker panel itself, some insulation like dynamat (or other) and carpet, I shouldn't get too much radiant heat. If you know otherwise, please comment.

I've attached a few photos of the car, now that I've got it back from the bodyshop - Axiom Motorsports in Inglewood, CA.

As always, thank you all very much in advance,

Doug

[emcon5]

You mean oil lines, right?

Tom

[DW SD]

Tom, Yes, Oil Lines.

Doug

[randywebb]

They want to be on the exterior to promote cooling of the oil.

[DW SD]

Randy,
I could be wrong, but I believe I'll have enough cooling with the massive oil cooler upfront. Also, the rubber lines, unlike Chuck's well designed hard lines don't promote heat transfer (at least not as much).

Doug

[randywebb]

rubber? Is that what you meant by flex....

I agree the contribution to the total will be much less if rubber and if a [technical term] big-ass exchanger is used at the front.

Duct it well....

[DW SD]

Yeah, I'm using braided stainless lines. You can see them hanging down in the pictures.

Doug

[TimT]

Do you need heat?

Even if you do you can snake the oil lines up the rocker. And keep the heat working on the other half of the system.

Remove a heater valve from the rear of the car

Remove the flex hose that goes from the rocker to the heater stuff in the front of the car

Run a fish tape thourgh the heater ducts from the rear to the front ( its easy)

Fasten the oil lines to the fish tape

Pull the oil lines through

Make all your connections

Enjoy!!

[DW SD]

Tim, great ideas! That's what I was thinking. Do you think I could drill additional holes, use grommets to seal and prevent chafing of the lines and keep the heat on both sides? If so, where would I drill the holes?

Great comments!

Doug

[TimT]

No need to drill holes, no need to worry about heat from the oil lines...

I If I remember Ill take pics the way I did on my 914 ( The oil line are near my clutch foot, so route on passenger side of car)

If you carefully size the lines you can have them enter heater duct where there will be no worries from chafing etc..

[TimT]

Or if you can do without heat run the hot side up one rocker, the cold side down the other

[DW SD]

Tim,
Please do send some pics. I'd rather keep heat and don't mind drilling. I don't see why the air wouldn't flow around the lines, even if they take up a large portion of the cross section.

What do you think?

Doug

[TimT]

Ill try and remember to shoot some pics this weekend...

but you dont have to drill anything...at least I didnt

[Elombard]

I am going to do this as well I think. I was pondering putting holes in the flex heater tube in the engine compartment and bandaging it up some how. I think the lines will come out the Smugglers box??? I have seen race cars where they have two neat holes and grommets in the front trunk in front of the smuglers box, the oil ines come out, run neatly through the trunk to the cooler.

Check out where the front heater ducts exit at the front of the passenger compartment and investigate your options, should be easy on your car since its all taken apart.

Let us know what you end up doing, I will be very interested.!!

[Vintage911Racer]

Remember, should you have engine failure and contaminate the oiling system, all those lines will need to come out and be cleaned. Make sure that can be done easily.

[RallyJon]

The hoses enter and exit the sill as shown here without interfering with the heat duct.

[Jesset100]

Someone posted this before. That's going to be a wicked ride when finished!

[DW SD]

Jesset.
Thanks for the kind words. With the above picture, does anyone know if the path the heat takes is a second duct within the rocker, or does the rocker serve double duty? Someone who has cut up these cars would know for sure - I'd think.

Doug

[MotoSook]

The heated air flows inside a tube in the rocker. Zeke posted a cut-out section of the rocker a while back when he was making rust repairs on his car. There looks to be adequate clearnce to slide the oil line inside the rocker w/o havibng to go through the air tube.