Heater core

vristang

15 Year Member

Mar 31, 2005

4,933

101

124

Seattle

Jun 12, 2019

#1

• Jun 12, 2019

• #1

Life kicked me around a bit the last few years, but I now have a new to me commuter n/a 2.3 auto, 89 hatchback. The car runs well, and is in pretty decent shape, except for the smell of coolant in the cabin. I don't have any moisture accumulating on the floor, but the coolant smell does not go away, and the windows constantly fog...

Heater core is the obvious, but is there anything else worth checking before I start removing the entire dash?
Never had to do a heater core, and have owned foxes since around 96, lol. Guess my number came due...

 

Reactions: General karthief

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Mod Dude

Aug 25, 2016

27,827

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polk county florida

Jun 12, 2019

#2

• Jun 12, 2019

• #2

I'm afraid you likely will be pulling the dash, one way to check would be to disconnect the heater hoses and bypass the core, see if the problem goes away.
oh and welcome back!

 

vristang

15 Year Member

Mar 31, 2005

4,933

101

124

Seattle

Jun 12, 2019

#3

• Jun 12, 2019

• #3

Well #$%^.
Was hoping for an easy out...

Thanks for the welcome back. Looking forward to getting this commuter running solid, then jumping back into my 351w converted 90GT....

 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Mod Dude

Aug 25, 2016

27,827

10,508

203

polk county florida

Jun 12, 2019

#4

• Jun 12, 2019

• #4

You got a thread on the 351 build?
you know you can change the title of your build thread to include the new addition and it keeps your thread on going and on the front page.
just try'n to help you out and I don't have to search around for your converted 90 gt

 

vristang

15 Year Member

Mar 31, 2005

4,933

101

124

Seattle

Jun 12, 2019

#5

• Jun 12, 2019

• #5

Honestly, I have no idea... probably don't have a thread on the swap, just random aspects of the build. Swapped to 351w, then built 408w, then it died, during rebuild I got married, had 2 kids, got divorced, and now the car is still parked waiting for an engine.
It is more likely that I had a thread on my old commuter though, and all the efi changes I did in the last few years of its life... I'll dig around and see if I can find old threads

 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Mod Dude

Feb 18, 2001

43,164

17,860

224

Massachusetts

Jun 12, 2019

#6

• Jun 12, 2019

• #6

I second the idea of just looping the two core hoses together and seeing if the problem goes away. At least then you don't need to worry about a sudden failure and pissing coolant all over your feet until you can do the repair.

welcome back. Post pics of this hot rod

 

FastDriver

I was uncomfortably high & wearing a helmet

SN Certified Technician

Sep 5, 2001

6,062

2,667

224

Vass, NC

Jun 12, 2019

#7

• Jun 12, 2019

• #7

There's really nothing else with coolant inside. The heater core pipes stick through the firewall. The air comes in through the cowl area. It pretty much has to be the core.

 

Reactions: Shakerhood