Description
Time is not friendly to this water return pipe and Triumph Spitfire owners will need to replace this pipe sooner than later. This pipe is a long tube that runs from the back of the water pump housing to the back end of the motor and runs underneath the exhaust manifold. It splits into a sort of T fitting at the back end. A hose connects from the side take off and attaches to the rear fitting on the intake manifold. A hose from the top take-off connects to the heater return pipe at the firewall.
Heat from the manifold burns the paint off in short order. Exposed to the elements, the bare steel pipe quickly rusts on the outside.
If you don’t change your coolant (Antifreeze) regularly, corrosion builds up. This will eventually rust the pipe out from inside, causing coolant leaks.
For a long time, the only return pipe available was one made from mild steel. Mild steel pipes rust out quickly in this application. Times have certainly improved. We now have an accurately made return pipe in stainless steel. It looks great and will last forever.
The pipe comes with the rear mounting bracket welded on (it mounts under the head of one of the bell housing bolts.)
You will need to salvage the adapter nut off the front of your old pipe. The nut will easily slide off the old pipe once you hacksaw the old olive off of the pipe.
Installing the new parts is a snap. Slide your salvaged adapter nut onto the new pipe followed by a new olive. As you tighten the adapter nut into the back of the water pump housing fitting, it causes the pipe to swell around the olive and seals everything up. Cross Reference 212935
