source for 2.3na heat/cool lines and Vac diagrams?

It sounds as if your brake booster is not working. A spongy pedal or excessive pedal travel would be air in the lines or contamination in the fluid, but what you describe does seem a lot like a bad booster. Heater cores suck. And I mean suck. Have to remove the dash to do them. As for coolant line routing for the heater core: The line coming off of the thermostat housing on the head should go directly to the right port on the heater core. The hose coming out of the left heater core port will come out about 5" and meet a tee. The line coming into the tee will go around the back of the engine to the bottom of the intake. The other hose coming from this tee (the one that will be straight across from the one coming out of the heater core) will connect on to the water pump. This will get your flow of coolant correct. The previous owner of my 88 had them switched and I had a hot intake and a cold heater core. Not good. As for vacuum diagrams, if you still have the ignition coil cover it will be a decal on there, if it is gone, you can either find one at a junkyard or get a Chilton manual as they have all of them in there. Or you can follow this link........

http://www1.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/16/65/cc/0900823d801665cc/repairInfoPages.htm

The 1988 calibration will be the same as the 1989.

Right port as in the right port when you are looking at it from the engine bay. (port closest to center of vehicle, with left port being closest to passenger's side fender apron.)

Basically, just make sure the coolant line coming around from the back of the engine is teed into the line that leads from the left port (closest to passenger fender apron) to the water pump. After I routed my hoses this way (the correct way) on my 88, I have heat within about 2 minutes and sweltering heat within about 5 minutes.

My heater core occasionally smells of coolant when I have the heat on so I know it's starting to seep a little. I really don't want to have to replace it though. I may just have the garage do it and pay the $500 for them to do it. I'm so busy that I don't know when I would have time to do it.

ethangsmith said:

My heater core occasionally smells of coolant when I have the heat on so I know it's starting to seep a little. I really don't want to have to replace it though. I may just have the garage do it and pay the $500 for them to do it. I'm so busy that I don't know when I would have time to do it.

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I'll agree its a PITA, I just removed the air duct system as my last step for gutting my car. But I can't say I'd pay 500 to avoid the work. It's tedious, but it's not really that hard. Biggest tool you need is patience.