radiator plug leaking

[reggiecab2000]

So this was my dilemma that popped out of nowhere on sunday about 1 hour before I was about to get a re-tune from Blackbear...
Pulled up to my garage and popped my hood because my dad just wanted to look at my engine bay, I dont know why.... we looked for a few seconds, turned my truck off and walked back into the garage.

LITERALLY 10 seconds later I realized I forget my wallet in my truck, turned around and instantaneously i see a jet stream of coolant shooting up at my hood!







I lost a good bit of coolant in this little ordeal that scared the hell outta me, but found out it was just this little rubber cap on my radiator. (It was obviously very old and dried out, it was very cracked, thats why it blew a hole) I went to a local advance auto parts to pick up a "vacuum plug" and a new hose clamp. Ive never seen this in my life and I talked to a guy at advance to see if this plug was even right to begin with, but he had no answer. So i put back on it what came off and it seems to hold up just fine.

I have a question though... Does anyone know if this is a correct plug to begin with? and perhaps why this plastic outlet is blocked off in the first place?

[99'HEARTBEAT]

On my Truck, I just looked at the Radiator, on the Passenger-Side, there's a Hose, where you have the picture of the Plug, the Hose Runs from there, to under the Throttle Body.

Here's a Diagram the Hose I've mentioned, its number #26

Side-Note, the Diagram is for a 5.3 Liter, it may be Different for a 4.3Liter????

[reggiecab2000]

hmmm... interesting...
a blocked off vent hose cant be right, can it?

[99'HEARTBEAT]

As far as.....can't be right, I would think not, the next question......is Why is it Blocked off??....

[TRPLXL2]

That hose brings warm coolant through the throttle body, to keep the blade from icing up in extremely cold conditions. I also bypassed mine using this method, as my truck is a summer driver only. The odds of the throttle body icing up are slim, take a look at ls1tech forum. They have a how to on this, supposedly the bypass will gain you like 3 hp lol!!!

[reggiecab2000]

supposedly the bypass will gain you like 3 hp lol!!!

sorry i had to laugh out loud!

But i will check on it for sure...

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I would think not, the next question......is Why is it Blocked off??....[/FONT]

do not know....

[TRPLXL2]

The theory behind the bypass is your making the air cooler and denser going into the engine, running coolant through the throttle body heats up the air going into the engine.

[reggiecab2000]

That hose brings warm coolant through the throttle body, to keep the blade from icing up in extremely cold conditions. I also bypassed mine using this method, as my truck is a summer driver only. The odds of the throttle body icing up are slim, take a look at ls1tech forum. They have a how to on this, supposedly the bypass will gain you like 3 hp lol!!!

So, since this is already done to my truck, should I list it as a "performance mod" to beef up my rep? lol