Heater Core is Done!

[rd]

Finally got my third heater core changed.

I hate these things, they just dont hold up, as I just put this one in in March of 91! At least it lasted longer than the original!

Still a pain in the butt job, took 7 hours! And I don't crawl under the dash as well as I used to!

But it works, and I have smell free heat again!

 

[_jb_]

Yeah I replaced mine last spring, what a pain. When colder weather came around I was happy to have it.

 

[maverick0716]

Yeah I replaced mine last spring, what a pain. When colder weather came around I was happy to have it.

Were you smarter this time and put a restrictor in the inlet tube? That's what blows them out...too much pressure going into the damn thing.

 

[_jb_]

Were you smarter this time and put a restrictor in the inlet tube? That's what blows them out...too much pressure going into the damn thing.

My car came with a blown heater core, and I replaced it. I had no knowledge that is why they mess up. It was the orignal core, and I thought another 16 years is a long enough time before I have to replace it.

 

[ratrapp]

my heater core blew last winter and it had the restrictor in one of the heater hoses.i put it in my new motorsport blue silicone hoses. we'll see how long this one lasts.hopefully a long time.

 

[Goldmember]

Finally got my third heater core changed.

I hate these things, they just dont hold up, as I just put this one in in March of 91! At least it lasted longer than the original!

Still a pain in the butt job, took 7 hours! And I don't crawl under the dash as well as I used to!

But it works, and I have smell free heat again!

congratulations! my hat goes off to you. i would rather do a gear swap than that stupid heater core. it took me a few weeks to change mine. im still wondering why youve done 3 heater core changes. be sure that the inlet hose has the restrictor.

 

[_jb_]

congratulations! my hat goes off to you. i would rather do a gear swap than that stupid heater core. it took me a few weeks to change mine. im still wondering why youve done 3 heater core changes. be sure that the inlet hose has the restrictor.

Hopefully I remember to do that this spring. I don't feel like working on cars now that winter is here. If I had a heated garage it would be alright then.

 

[1986LX2002]

electrolysis is what makes a heater core go bad also if your running to much psi through your system, I hooked up two ground straps to my heater core and have never had a problem, My dads 88 Bronco which he's owned since new put a ground strap on his heater core and has never replaced that core ever over 15yrs and 202,000miles, and still produces nice heat during the winter time.

 

[ratrapp]

yeah thats actually a valid point. a few years back ford was having trouble with the large trucks eating up water pumps.the fix was to add a few ground straps and the problem went away.if mine goes out again i'm going to add one to mine.thanks for reminding me.

 

[1986LX2002]

My dad told me about this which he picked up in from the Air Force and my uncle told me about it too he's a Metallurgist, when you have charged molecules in say "radiator fluid" it well eventually break down certain weak metals it flows through I.E heater core and the Radiator and cause failure, now there are elements which cause heater core failure but this is the most common. Just sharing what i've been taught that's all.

 

[Scott_B]

What exactly fails on a heater core?

I just swapped mine because i broke the tube off coming out of the firewall. Your right..big Pita!

So what exactly fails on them though?

 

[_jb_]

What exactly fails on a heater core?

I just swapped mine because i broke the tube off coming out of the firewall. Your right..big Pita!

So what exactly fails on them though?

My old one had a crack in one of the copper pipes. I can't remember what one though. It cracked right by the "heatsinks" (?) and made it leak all over inside my car. I don't know when it broke, the guy before me bypassed the core, thus I don't have a restrictor.