Hello,
I am a new GTA owner. Quick rundown on th car. It's an 88 GTA with a gm replacement crate motor, 350 tpi. Car came from az so it's in excellent shape. Car has heater core bypassed for whatever reason, I assume because it came from az and it wasn't needed.

Anyway I've only had the car for about 4 months and only drove it for 2 before storing it.

My question is, there are 2 tubes, one on each side of the motor tat run down the back of the motor and I can't see where they go. They aren't hooked to anything and I wanted to kno if anybody knew what they are for. I'm assuming some the coolant related due to the heater core not hooked up, but it seems like they almost run towards the tranny, so I'm not sure.

They are metal and have a lip on them so it looks like a rubber hose and clamp was supposed to go over them or something like that.

I looked at tonnes of diagrams and engine Bay pix online and couldn't see one like mine that had these visible and the car is in storage so I can't take a pic today.

I've attached a few pix of the general area of where they are and the one looks like it might be that same tube that my car has nothing hooked to.

Any advice?



The tube on the right might be one mine isn't hooked up. What is it and where does it go?





My engine Bay, bad pic as can't see the tubes.





And a pic of my car

 

Heater core looks to be hooked up?

Are those the AIR pipes? Do you have pipes going into the exhaust manifolds?

 

First pic is not my car. Heater core is not hooked up in my car (second pic) as there is no hoses attached the the core tubes on the firewall. It's possible they are air tubes, I am not sure, the car has headers so maybe that's why they are not hooked to anything? I'm new to these cars. Was a Honda person before

 

Sounds like the air tubes that lead down to the catalytic converter. Previous owner probably removed all the smog equipment when the headers were installed and didn't remove the tubes that lead to the cat.

 

Was that the $15k one I saw for sale a couple months ago??

 

I don't believe so, I'm in Nova Scotia and it was up here for a little while as far as I was told.

 

As long as you didn't get taken for $15k you're good. Especially with the value of the Canadian dollar.

 

No sir, got a good deal on it, 5600 cdn.

 

 

First of all congrats on graduating to a rear drive V8. These cars sound and feel great compared to those buzzing imports. And I see your car has the digital dash which was a very cool 1980's fashion.


You have lots of stuff circled in the pics so it's hard to tell what you are asking about. There is a black steel heater tube on the passenger side "frame rail" that may not go anywhere due to the heater bypass. The stainless tubes are for A.I.R., one on each side, but I doubt you have those because of the headers. There is a third stainless A.I.R. tube on the passenger side that runs down to the catalytic converter. It would be close to the dipstick for the transmission.


Either way, your not doing any harm driving with it disconnected, but send some good pictures when you get it out and we'll tell you exactly.

 

Thanks for the reply. They are stainless tubes on each side and I think they must be smog related. I'll get some better actual pictures tomorrow.

Luckily there are no emissions here in Nova Scotia, so if they are just the smog tubes, I don't need em hooked up :-)

 

OK so here are the pictures of the actual tubes on my car in question

 

AIR tube. for the exhaust part of the emission system

 

Yep. As you have headers, they are just taking up space, to no good purpose. You can remove them, and have a cleaner engine compartment.

 

That car is great looking what did you pay for it?

 

5600 cdn, buddy took it on a trade for a boat and never drove it for 3 months.

5600 cdn... What's that like the price of a happy meal now a days in usd? Lol

 

That's like $3500 usd. Good god.

 

I'm betting you don't have the AIR pump either? Do you still have Cats? Perhaps the PO didn't want to pay for the headers with AIR tubing?

If your heater core is bypassed, it more than likely means it is cracked. It is not uncommon. It is one of the first projects I took on with my car. Is there any signs of coolant stain on the passenger floor? Actually, even if the car was in Arizona, it would be good to have the heater because it acts as another radiator of sorts. Hopefully you can do the work yourself because it is not a fun job!