When OK to Place Coolant Pipes?

[drdoom]

Greetings,

At what point is it prudent to place the coolant transfer pipes in chassis? I've got rather a great deal going on from top to bottom, front to back but nowhere near completion. The shell is on but will be lifted once proper body finishing gets underway in earnest. So will it be troublesome if I place the pipes at this stage? Will that complicate install of the gearchange, for example?

Cheers

[Lou R]

Hi Steve,

I placed the chassis pipes in my car while the body was off - it was a very simple job to do at that point in time.  It was much easier, for example, to install the grommets on each pipe while the body was off.  Otherwise, it can get a bit difficult working in such cramp quarters.  Regardless of when you place them in the chassis I doubt you'll have any issues with the shifter mechanism.  Access is so much better when the body is off.

Lou R

[drdoom]

Thanks Lou. So shifter in while body is off. Grommets on pipes first then stuffed into chassis?

[NG5]

Not done it on an Esprit but on my Europa which is similar you needed to put the grommets in the chassis first then stuff in the pipes, a bit of lube helps. With the pipes in place I found it impossible to fit the grommets.

[Lou R]

Steve,

Sounds right and I would take note of NG5's comments on lubing the grommets.  I didn't and the friction from the tubes would push the grommets in/out of the chassis as I was trying to fit them.  Not a big deal but a bit of a pain.  You can do it either way (grommets on pipes first or installed in chassis first) but NG5's way sounds a bit easier. 

Lou R

[GreenGoddess]

Be extra vigilant when installing those pipes. Make sure they are fitted perfectly and are in perfect condition. Getting them out when the car is complete is an utter nightmare. I have a tiny leak on one of mine but there's no way I am going to attempt to fix it.

[drdoom]

Thanks @GreenGoddess, I'm placing new pipes throughout for just those reasons.

Cheers