I used some silicone lubricant on them
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Replacing the E30 Heater Core and Valve
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Youtube channel is up!-->According2Valentine
Your signature picture has been removed since it contained the Photobucket "upgrade your account" image.If lucky, the E36 will die peacefully, in its natural habitat, and be given the prestigious honor of donating its parts to an E30Originally posted by J3M93This guy delivers, you are a boss
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After flushing the coolant from this winter's storage, no heat through the vents. I didn't drive around but was revving the engine to 3k a fair bit to warm the engine and when the water temp gauge got to 3/4 so I shut it off. With water that hot, the tstat must have been open but perhaps air was trapped in the heater core. I repeated twice trying to confirm no air in the system. After an hour of the bleeding game, I noticed a slow coolant leak dripping off of the transmission crossmember. I dried up the coolant, opened the coolant cap and quit for the day to allow for bleeding over night without a pressurized system.
Next day, the same puddle has appeared under the transmission, probably a couple fluid ounces. There shouldn't have been any pressure forcing it to leak with the cap off. No damp carpet and I couldn't trace the leak to the engine so assumed it to come from the heater core figuring the coolant was dripping from the core into the heater box and then into the tranny tunnel, onto the transmissions, then crossmember.
I drained the coolant, pulled the heater core and there was a little coolant in the heater box. I also confirmed the heater valve and tstat to be working properly.
This seems like a straight forward bad heater core issue but two things bother me.
1. I can't get the core to leak by just filling with water and letting it sit. I realize that a hairline crack may only leak under extreme pressure which I can't recreate at a kitchen sink but it leaked over night, without any pressure in the system.
2. Can water really get from the heater box through the transmission tunnel? I couldn't pull the heater box to see if there is drain hole but if there isn't my problem can't be the heater core.
3. With as slow of a leak that developed, the heater still should have blown warmer than ice cold, unless air was trapped somewhere not allowing proper bleeding.
Any ideas one why I can't get the core to leak? Is there a hole in the heater box and the trans tunnel to even allow my theory? Where else could a leak be from off the trans crossmember if not the heater core?
My system is the late model one with metal pipes.
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if there was coolant in the heater box id imagine your heater core is toast. you could try blowing into one of the pipes and blocking the other one, while spraying down the heater core with some dishwashing soap mixed with water in a spray bottle, and youll likely see the bubbles if there is a pinhole somewhere. the leak below the trans could be from the two bolt little coolant outlet pipe that bolts to the back of the head. when you tried to bleed it did you feel both heater hoses? if one was hot and one was cold either there was a blockage in the heater core, the heater control valve wasnt opening, or there is a coolant circulation problem
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Originally posted by atldohc View Postif there was coolant in the heater box id imagine your heater core is toast. you could try blowing into one of the pipes and blocking the other one, while spraying down the heater core with some dishwashing soap mixed with water in a spray bottle, and youll likely see the bubbles if there is a pinhole somewhere. the leak below the trans could be from the two bolt little coolant outlet pipe that bolts to the back of the head. when you tried to bleed it did you feel both heater hoses? if one was hot and one was cold either there was a blockage in the heater core, the heater control valve wasnt opening, or there is a coolant circulation problem
UPDATE It was indeed a bad heater core. I replaced it with a new OEM core and there is no more leak and coolant temp holds at the half mark at idle. For those who are still running the original core, replace it before it dies, they are only $150 and can save you from a really inconvenient situation. Not only that but you'll be surprised at how much crap is gunked up in it.Last edited by fronton; 04-11-2014, 08:01 AM.
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anyone find that the water valve was leaking on theirs? Thats another pricey part I just found out.Renting my rear wheel bearing tool kit. SIR
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Originally posted by iPee View Posthow much is that water valve?
If you have the plastic inlets the part number is 64111386706, costs $216 on Pelican Parts.fried chicken
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