I am trying to figure out where in-line to insert my Ford flow control valve so that my newly installed heater core does not get too much pressure and blow again.

1989 Volvo 740 with Ford 5.0 v8

On my v8, the lower heater core hose has a heat control valve in-line and the arrows on that valve are pointed towards the heater core. I check my other Volvo wagon, an 88 turbo and that same valve has the arrows pointing to the engine. So no I am confused. I can only imagine that when the v8 swap was done that maybe the hoses got turned around or something as the controls in the 88 turbo work fine.

Which way is it? Where in-line do I install my little ford FLOW control valve to reduce pressure to the core? I imagine that it goes into the top hose just before it goes into the heater core, as that is what is feeding the core...right? inlet is the top hose, bottom is return. Now on the water pump itself, the lower hose coming out appears to go the inlet on the heater core...this makes sense as the lower hose is pumping from the bottom of the pump and is sending the coolant to to the heater core in that direction.

Any advice? It appears from some forum searching that several v8 conversions have blown their cores within a couple of hundred miles. I bought the $15 valve after reading that many mustang owners were blowing cores too fast and that Ford started putting them into new cars. So who here has done the mod?

Any input or advice is appreciated!



Thanks,
Edmund