i still finishing my engine swap build i have a 1986 trans-am and swapped the old and tired 1986 305 tpi with a 1989 350 tpi, they have a lot of hoses and and stuff i need to change for it to work properly but the thing that really troubles me is this part in this pic which i highlighted the part im talking about is next to or near the a/c it is highlighted forget the other highlighted stuff well being that this is a reference photo and is from a 1989 year how can i make this part work on my 1986 trans-am not forgeting that it now has a 1989 350 tpi

 

Your 1986 car may have not had this feature in it.

That is the heater diverter valve you have marked with the two left green lines. The left most is a vacuum line coming from the heater controls inside the car to the heater diverter valve. The heater converter valve is closed when the A/C is on, to prevent the hot coolant from circulating through the heater core (and thus warming up the interior some). Not all cars had the heater diverter valve.

The middle green line is the vacuum line running from the manifold to the heater controls - I'm pretty sure ALL cars had this line - the heater controls open/shut "doors: in the dash to redirect the air blowing from defrost to dash to floor.

 

now the heater diverter valve was not a feature on 1986 like you said do you know how to incorporate this or some how retro fit it to my 1986

 

An easy solution is to install a manual ball-valve into the heater hose. Close the valve in summer. Open the valve in winter for heater operation.

 

Thats a good solution but I do live in cali and im in the high desert 45 min away from l.a. the weather is very different from illinois and having to get out and turning the valve will get anoying im looking for a easy solution is either stick with the factory heater control or find a way to use the 89 model year on my 1986 one thing to mention dont know if it will help I have the electronic heater control instead of the levers

 

Heater diverter valve not needed - having coolant run through the heater core always doesn't create that much heat in the cabin - doubt you'll even notice it (I don't after I removed mine).

No real way to add one, unless you get the heater controls from a car that had it, swap them, and run that vacuum line through the firewall to the diverter ... IMO not worth the trouble.

Besides ... I thought Cali weather was always perfect and there was no need for heat or A/C! Why else would anyone pay $4 million for a $100k house, commute 3 hours through a parking lot freeway, and endure such a restrictive big brother government?

 

@camaronewbie so in other words just keep the factory heater setup ....cali weather is nice if you live in L.A. but i live in the suburbs/outskirts of l.a. county out here in lancaster you need a/c and the heater its the high desert and close to the mojave desert and desert weather is way different sometimes its way to hot,way to cold,snow,high winds,rarely nice now compared to when i lived in the san fernando valley its nice over there a lil humind but bare able weather

 

Yeah - I'd just live with the extra 2-3 degrees that might get added by having the hot coolant always running through the heater core.

And I was being sarcastic about the weather - I totally understand where you are coming from.

 

Yah I wasn't tripin on the weather thing just so you or anyone that reads this can understand me but I will look into how the stock heater is routed