RADIATOR HOSE TEES

If you are doing an engine swap, and want to run a pressurized expansion tank, the above tees can help.

If you are using an engine which has only one heater hose fitting, and a radiator which does not have a fitting for a heater hose, a hose Tee can be used in the lower radiator hose for the heater hose return line.

If you had a plastic or nylon hose tee fail, the brass or aluminum tees will prevent future failures.

We make these parts inhouse. There are  many more sizes than those shown above. However, many of the tees are now made of cnc machined aluminum.  For example, a 5/8" x 1/4" tee is an aluminum part with a 1/8 npt thread, and a 1/4" x 1/8npt  brass tube fitting is screwed into the alumimun, similar to the LS1 Steam Vent Tee, #LS1-tee but with only one fitting.

We have hose tees, ranging from 1/2" x 1/4" to 1-7/8" x 1-1/8". 

We also carry tees that have all three fittings that are the same size, in 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4"

For Chevrolet Duramax diesel trucks with te'ed hoses, we make 1-7/8" x 5/8"  and 1-7/8" x 1-1/8" hose tees. Some people like to replace the plastic tees with the brass tees for better reliability in extreme climates and conditions.

If you need transitional hose tees, see this link:Transitional Hose Tees

While many people assume that most radiator hose fittings are 1-1/4" or 1-1/2", the actual sizes are usually 1-5/16" or 1-9/16". We do make hose fittings in the 1-5/16 and 1-9/16 sizes for the perfect fit.

When using the tee for a heater hose, do not install the Tee into the upper radiator hose because the coolant will go through the radiator, bypassing the thermostat, and preventing the engine from warming up.

LT1/LSx Steam Vent Tee

The LT1 engines use a reverse flow cooling system, and the rear of the cylinder heads have vent tubes to purge any steam pockets that form during engine operation. Without the vent tube, steam pockets will form, and the cylinder heads will get localized hot spots that could damage the cylinder heads. The reason to install the vent tube into the upper radiator hose is so that you don’t need a radiator with a special fitting for the vent tube.

The tee that is typically used for an LT1 engine is the 1-5/16" x .38" tee, which is installed in the upper radiator hose.

Many people like to install the steam vent tube into the heater hoses, and we have the proper sizes for most heater hoses.

last updated 02/04/10