Heater hose routing choices

[Notes]

72 C10 w/350. It was a factory AC truck. Vintage Air instructions say to run the heater hose from the evaporator to the water pump. However, my radiator has a fitting on top near the cap with is brazed/soldered to the radiator. That's where the hose went before. Should I go to the radiator or the water pump - or does it matter? Thanks

[Stocker]

Assuming you meant to say from the heater core -- not from the evaporator?

Your '71 with 350 & A/C was probably like my '72 with 350 & A/C. The hose from the upper (outlet) heater core nipple goes to the fitting near the top of the radiator. Look at the top right pic here:

[Notes]

Thanks Mike. Mine is a 72 like yours. It has the 350 tranny. The heater core on the Vintage Air is in what they call the evaporator - the main unit mounted under the dash. There are 2 heater hose lines coming from it through the firewall. One comes from the intake manifold. The other goes to the water pump. My question is whether or not it has to go to the WP or can/should it go the the fitting on the radiator as shown in your diagram. I don't think it would make any difference, but want to make sure. Thanks again. I appreciate it.

[Stocker]

Hope it helped (sorry for the mixup, dunno where I came up with '71?). Learn something every day, I never knew a heater core could also be called an evaporator. At any rate it's my understanding that some trucks have the heater hose going to the water pump. Couldn't say why, or what difference it makes. Mine is the way it left the factory.

Just ran across this while doing a search:

Automatic and A/C trucks returned to the radiator for better overall cooling and base trucks returned to the pump for quicker warmup.

[Notes]

Thanks for checking that out. I appreciate it. Didn't want to put my hose in the wrong place.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by Notes

Thanks for checking that out. I appreciate it. Didn't want to put my hose in the wrong place.

No, that always gets us into trouble, eh?