Heater Core Repair?

[Stuart]

The heater core on my 72 has a small leak.  I will identify its location after it comes out.  As new ones are a little expensive, I'm going to try and have mine repaired.

 

Question:  Has anyone tried repairing a heater core?  If so, how did it go? 

 

Stuart

[TobyB]

Yes.

 

Fine.

 

I have repaired several simple breaks,

and had a radiator shop rod out one, long ago (1998).

 

You need a REALLY big heat source, and yet, it needs to be easy to control.

I used acetylene, because I had it, but you'd do better with propane, or MAPP.

A friend has had good luck with the little butane torches used in restaurants.

 

The really big soldering iron didn't really work.

 

You'll need to find some 'lead'- I think it's high- tin, low- lead solder, but I don't

remember the proportion.  Might be hard in California, where the tiny amount

of lead in bronze now warrants a 'this will kill you almost as dead as a beaurocrat

falling out of a 70 story building' label.

 

Likewise, an acid flux, and something to neutralize it with.

 

fwiw.

t

 

Edited December 28, 2017 by TobyB

[Stuart]

Thanks Toby! 

 

I'm going to try a radiator shop.  Hoping it works as a new one is $450.

 

Stuart

[Mike Self]

A good radiator shop will first pressure test the core, flush it thoroughly and then repair any leaks they find.  They generally pressure test at a slightly higher pressure than the car normally runs--so be sure and tell 'em what your normal radiator pressure is--they're probably used to much higher pressures on newer cars--and you don't want 'em to blow yours out.

 

If anyone has ever used Stop Leak in your cooling system, you'll find it tends to settle out in the heater core, so that flushing is a Good Thing.

 

mike

 

 

[Stuart]

Mike -

 

Good point.  Thanks! 

 

Stuart

 

[OriginalOwner]

Stuart,

 

Is that the original heater core, never been out of the car ??

 

+1 Mike ....... let a good radiator shop test it and tell you the core is still roadworthy.

 

Several years ago my original core got a leak.  Down south here in Pomona is 2002AD.  Ben the owner had 3 suggestions:  fix it, buy one of his rebuilt cores (~$200 ??), he would get me a brand new core (~$450). 

     I opted for the very easy solution:  buy one of his rebuilt cores and let him install it.  I showed up at his shop at 8am, he was done installing it by 2pm, and I was on my way home, no muss, no fuss, no skinned knuckles.

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

 

Edited December 29, 2017 by OriginalOwner

[thinksound_mike]

I had one fixed at a radiator shop last month. It was cheaper than a new one and should be good for another 40 years. 

[jrhone]

I rebuilt my eater box a few years ago.  Took a spare heater core to a radiator shop and they tested it and it checked out.  No leaks, good flow.  Now a few years later I'm getting a little less heat than I'd like from my heater.  I wish I would have spent the $400 on a brand new heater core.  

[LikeStig]

I rebuilt my heater box last winter before reinstalling it in my car with reassembly. While everything was apart I took the core to a radiator shop who said they pressure tested it and it was fine. Sure enough my rebuilt heater box leaks! I need to trace the leak in the spring to confirm it's the core. Have a few other projects going on before I take apart the dash.

[Gordon]

+1, take it to your local radiator shop.  The below article will save you from a lot of grief.  Pulling a heater box has to be one of the suckiest joys of owning an 02. Also recommend you don't pop rivet your heater box back together but use machine bolts as the below article suggests. You will at some point need to get back into your heater box (AMHIK) and the bolts will make it much easier next time around.

 

G-Man

 

[ray_]

I'll be a little contrary and suggest pulling the heater box is not that bad a job, really.

 

Especially with the above article.

 

Here it is, attached, with the proper photos....

 

Cheers,

heater_box_removal_and_refurbishment.pdf

[Gordon]

Ray,  I'm 6'3" and I working under the dash isn't a fun experience for me. I've got to pull the heater box again because the heater valve is stripped but at least it's stuck in the closed position. If I want heat in my 02, it's something I need to do but I'm waiting for a nice day. I may be waiting until March....

[ray_]

Here ya go, Gordon!

 

https://www.amazon.com/Heater-Universal-Temperature-131-158-Included/dp/B077X8ZRG9/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1514837818&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=car+heater&psc=1 

 

Actually the time spent under the dash is fairly minimal. Especially if your under dash panels are already stashed in a garage somewhere.

 

It's really not that bad

[NYNick]

I'll agree with Ray here, although my console is out so that has to make it a lot easier. Having said that, putting the box back together again was like a real live Jenga. Take a lot of pix!

[Jbaumshelter]

I just rebuilt mine as well. Because I never get it right the first or second time I took it out 3 times. Once I got it done the fan burnt out 2 days later. So I took it out a 4th time. Needless to say, I can now take it out in under 20 minutes. Here is my advice:

 

+1 on taking the core to a radiator shop. 

- Now is the time to rebuild the heater control valve. Thats a $300 part that can be rebuilt fairly easily and is a much simpler job with the heater box out. 

- Replace the foam on the flaps while you have it open to get at the heater core. 

- If you have cracks in your heater box fix them. Some people have used jb weld for this. I sent my out for repairs so I can't give you much advice other than to get them fixed. 

- If your fan motor is old, replace it. You have to take the whole GD heater box contraption out again if your fan motor goes out (about $70 for the motor only. I chose to replace the fan blade as well. Went with a plastic blade from Grainger. It's actually a refrigerator part. Let me know if you want to do this and I can send you a good write up with part #'s etc. (on a separate note, the new motor I got made the fan spin backwards with the wires hooked up as they originally came. Just swap the wires and it will spin the other direction).

- Before you put it back in, make sure the cables are functioning good and smooth. Also make sure they are in the right places for the sliding knobs and secured good to the heater box. Making minor adjustments after install is not hard but big adjustments are much harder once the box is re-installed.

- Take a lot of pictures of your wiring before disconnection everything. I have a 3 speed fan and if you get the wires in the wrong places the speeds don't work in the correct order. ( fan will spin high when it's supposed to be low etc.) I also chose to replace the wiring clips that attach to the heater box because they were 40+ years old and didn't seem as tight as they should be. 

- Don't forget to reconnect the brown ground wires to the main bolt the holds the heater box in place on the drivers side. Nothing works if you don't connect these. 

- It seems like everything electrical eventually leads to you hazard switch. If you hazard switch is old, now is a good time to replace it. 

 

Thats my 2 cents. Best of luck.  The best part about this job is that it's you doing it and not me anymore! Just kidding. My heater works so good now I can't leave it on very long without burning my feet!