Re: stock intercooler hoses
Why does the feed go to the upper intercooler hose? I've always thought that you would want to fill from the bottom to push the air up and out of the system, so why fill it waterfall style? I'm obviously missing something in my thinking.
Because you want the 'suction' to be off the bottom of the IC. The IC is the reservoir for the system. Centrifugal pumps will air lock, and stop pumping if the supply of liquid to them contains too much air.
If the upper nipple was the suction side, the IC would have to be brim-full at all times, or the pump would suck air. Because it is not a perfect world, the IC is not always brim-full, so even if the IC level gets a bit low, there is still flow through the system.
The reason I brought it up is that I got it wrong on an installation. Took me a while to figure out why the F the pump kept air locking. I knew I did it right, but finally traced the hoses, and sure enough....
Another tip: On a stock truck (one that has not had the pump hot wired) you can make the pump run by shorting ALDL A&B, and turn on the ignition. The ECM energizes all ECM controlled relays and solenoids (except fuel pump) when put in "check codes" mode.