coolant is leaking into my cabin in the driver side foot area so im assuming my heater core is leaking. can anyone direct me to a link on how to replace the heater core?
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It may also be your heater core valve. I'd recommend replacing them both together...if you're valve is on borrowed time, chances are your heater core is too.
As for how to do it, it's pretty easy. IIRC, I removed the knee bolster, center console, and the drivers side air vent(which you'll see once you remove the console).
Then you disconnect the two hoses that connect to the metal piping that passes through the firewall. Once done, go back into your cabin and just unbolt the core and valve. You have to jimmy it a little bit, but you'll be able to weasel it out.
BY ALL MEANS, HAVE AN ASSLOAD OF RAGS HANDY WHEN YOU DO THIS.
Next, just install the new valve and core. DON'T FORGET THE O-rings. I believe there are 3 total. If you forget them, you'll be doing it again. Also, you have to play with the pipes a little bit before they align under the hood. Just keep trying, you'll get it.
Once done, just replace everything, bolt it back up Maybe add a bit of coolant to make up for the gallon that spilled everywhere and you're on your way. I may have forgotten a step in there but I did the job with no book or help and it was self explanatory.sigpic
"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill -
I just did this joyless job. The above is correct. I would suggest far more than a few rags though. If you can weasel some kind of water catching device in there, far better. I'm thinking like a small plastic tub or Cool Whip container. That damn thing holds a lot of coolant (you do know you have to drain the system first, right?). My race car has no carpet so it wasn't as critical not to be sloppy, but I still wound up with a real mess.sigpicComment
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Ditto - I just pulled mine this week too.
I emptied out my wet/dry shop vac ahead of time, and had it ready for breaking connections. There are 3 o-rings, and also my 3 square nuts were ugly too. Also, take a very close look at your aluminum pipes that come through the firewall - mine were pretty corroded to the poin the inlet pipe had a perforation that was covered in a mineral buildup so it wasn't leaking.
Dwight @ Zionsville just got me all my parts - had the heatercore on another order so I don't recall the $$$, but the 2 aluminum pipes, 3 o-rings, and 3 nuts were $28.
-B
It's not how you handle the good times, but the faith you keep in the bad that defines you.Comment
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do i want the 2-bolt or 3-bolt flange? the car again is a 1986 325Comment
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If you take 5 minutes to look under your dash on the driver side you can answer your own question. You might have to remove the lower kick panel, but you will know for sure what you need when you go to order one.Originally posted by Group A View Post
Looking for yourself and learning about your own car FTW!
It's not how you handle the good times, but the faith you keep in the bad that defines you.Comment
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Shiftbmw is partially right. Theoretically, it's an easy job. Actually doing it though, is quite another story. I did this job over the winter last year, when the valve on my wife's 89 took a shit. When I went to pull the pipes slightly through the firewall to get them to move out of the way, the rubber grommet fell out, and it took me about 30 minutes to get it back in. There's no way to make this job more pleasant, but it will be a little easier if you remove the driver's side front seat, and lay on your back with your head under the dash. And have fun with the little tiny bolts on the flanges at the valve pipes, there's almost NO room whatsover to get any kind of tool in there. I was loosening one of them with a pair of needle nose pliers for about 15 minutes, going about 1/10th of a turn each turn.Comment
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