Ideas For New Heater Core Pressure Check Befor Install

[1200gt]

I'm gearing up for my dash pull to replace Heater Core and A/C and researched this sticky from http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/replacing-a-heater-core.646250/


Anybody have any ideas of how I may go about pressure checking my NEW Heater Core BEFORE I install it into the dash.

Even the EVAPORATOR (that might be tricky???) Maybe vacuum someway...

The sticky OP made a good point: BE VERY AFRAID IF YOUR NEW HEATER CORE IS DEFECTIVE!

 

[84Ttop]

I would cross my fingers and go for it, don't be a wuss. LOL, just kidding. I'm sure a trip to home depot would net a test rig and some rubber caps, hose to build a contraption that lets you test it.

 

[mikestang63]

I'm gearing up for my dash pull to replace Heater Core and A/C and researched this sticky from http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/replacing-a-heater-core.646250/


Anybody have any ideas of how I may go about pressure checking my NEW Heater Core BEFORE I install it into the dash.

Even the EVAPORATOR (that might be tricky???) Maybe vacuum someway...

The sticky OP made a good point: BE VERY AFRAID IF YOUR NEW HEATER CORE IS DEFECTIVE!

Cmon Dwayne.. we are in S Florida. WHO NEEDS HEAT anyway? LOL.... Just cap off the lines and call it a day.

 

[MikeH686]

Get some heater hose and clamp a gauge on one side with hose clamps and clamp a s headed valve fitting on the other side fill it to about 100# then submerge it in the bathtub and check for leaks that's how I check for pinholes in my tires

 

[boostfrk]

Cmon Dwayne.. we are in S Florida. WHO NEEDS HEAT anyway? LOL.... Just cap off the lines and call it a day.

Funny, cause I'm in central Florida and just hooked up my heater hoses when I installed my ported lower intake last week. I've had the new heater core installed since last fall. Tried the heater on Monday and it got hot!

Then again, I am planning to move to Colorado in August so I'll probably need it.

To the OP, I just installed it and went with it. Sure it was a pain in the a$$ to remove the dash, but what fun is a project car without the impending "project" of another heater core replacement!

 

[Mustang5L5]

A/C systems are usually filled with nitrogen and pressure checked.

I bet the same could be applied here

 

[90lxcoupe]

Dont forget to put a restrictor in the hose when you are done.

 

[jrichker]

Dont forget to put a restrictor in the hose when you are done.

This is what he is talking about...

Copied from: [email protected]
"How do you make the flow restrictors? I made them from 5/8 OD aluminum stand-offs drilled to 0.25" ID (restrict.jpg). The heater seems to be effective but the motor has to be good and hot for the heater to be _really_ hot. I can live with this, but if I were to do it again, I might consider a 3/8 ID. After about 20 minutes of normal driving, I observed air temperature of 157F. This is with a 192F thermostat. When installing the heater core restrictor, make sure that it goes in the input or pressure side. The input/pressure side is the top metal tube that runs along the intake and the larger of the two pipes on the heater core."

 

[5.0TailPipeHump]

I just finished up a heater core install w/o ac but be sure to do what the guys said above with the restrictor , i went to my local hardware store and found aluminum sleves and are a perfect fit in the big end of the core , no need to make them but rather go to home depot or lowes and get a 5 pack for $3.
http://www.rona.ca/en/stop-sleeve-3500160--1
http://cnxinglong.en.alibaba.com/product/543784219-213406878/Stop_Button_aluminum_sleeve.html

 

[1200gt]

Funny, cause I'm in central Florida and just hooked up my heater hoses when I installed my ported lower intake last week. I've had the new heater core installed since last fall. Tried the heater on Monday and it got hot!

Then again, I am planning to move to Colorado in August so I'll probably need it.

To the OP, I just installed it and went with it. Sure it was a pain in the a$$ to remove the dash, but what fun is a project car without the impending "project" of another heater core replacement!

You See!

This is what I was thinking about happening! I don't want to take that dash back out - probably wouldn't for a Heater Core down here, but I'm in there so I might as well do it. And all of you guys surely know: Doing it right the FIRST time is the best way - right.

Boost, You're not going to be a fellow Floridian any more??? Better get that heater core fix soon.

Thanks guys for the RESTRICTOR advice. I'll look inside my old core, the OEM one is probably still in it...

Get some heater hose and clamp a gauge on one side with hose clamps and clamp a s headed valve fitting on the other side fill it to about 100# then submerge it in the bathtub and check for leaks that's how I check for pinholes in my tires

So far MikeH686, you seem to have a plan that I can conceive. I just have to come up with the fitting. I probably could cut-off an Inner -tube valve from a bicycle to use as the inlet side...Hmmm, gotta come up with the rest of the plan....

Going to do the Evaporator too.

This is what he is talking about...

Copied from: [email protected]
"How do you make the flow restrictors? I made them from 5/8 OD aluminum stand-offs drilled to 0.25" ID (restrict.jpg). The heater seems to be effective but the motor has to be good and hot for the heater to be _really_ hot. I can live with this, but if I were to do it again, I might consider a 3/8 ID. After about 20 minutes of normal driving, I observed air temperature of 157F. This is with a 192F thermostat. When installing the heater core restrictor, make sure that it goes in the input or pressure side. The input/pressure side is the top metal tube that runs along the intake and the larger of the two pipes on the heater core."

I learn something new every time I read your responses, Thanks!

 

[MikeH686]

No they make them Schrader ports I'm pretty sure at least I feel an inner tube port would be to flimsy

 

[1200gt]

A/C systems are usually filled with nitrogen and pressure checked.

I bet the same could be applied here

Only folks I know that have Nitrogen is Costco, where I buy my street tires - they might not want to give me a shot, but I can try. At least the Nitrogen won't have moisture for the evaporator - probably not a big deal being that I will vacuum it down...

 

[1200gt]

No they make them Schrader ports I'm pretty sure at least I feel an inner tube port would be to flimsy

Mike, I'm trying to get my head around the details of your design... sketch something on paper if you can.

I was thinking inner-tubes have Schrader valves in them, so I could cut and hose-clamp the tube valve into a piece of rubber or something and then clamp that to one end of the Core and capping off the other. Must admit: I haven't put my engineering mind to this as yet - just hoping someone else already did the work for me and would pass the idea along...

Frankly, I'm not so worried about the Heater Core as I am about the Evaporator -I could live without the Core but the Evap is another thing here in South Florida.

Thanks Guys.

Dwayne

 

[MikeH686]

As long as the Schrader valve for the bike tube isn't soft rubber what your thinking is what I'm saying but if it is soft tube then you won't get a good seal unless you get like a barb fitting and slide it over it then clamp the barb fitting to the hose going to the heater core