Heater core replacement

bluecoupe30!

bluecoupe30!

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Well it is 2020, my 1972 3.0CSA has finally blown its heater core. Or at the very least, symptoms indicate I should replace it anyway. Non- a/c car. Recently started up after sitting 3 months, ran fine, then white smoke out of console vents. Eventually went away. A week later, started up to drive to friends house, my wife experienced the white smoke effect. Not impressed. Well, 48 years in, I guess it is time for a heater core repair. Are there any pitfalls, suggestions, tips to survive the extrication and replacement of this heater core? Anything else I should service while in there? This will be a great opportunity to improve the operation of the defroster/interior heat cable operation at the very least, stuck on midway. ;)
 
Well at least you don’t have A/C, that’s 80% of the struggle. Can you smell the coolant? It should smell sweet. I have seen a short in the blower motor send smoke into the cabin as well.
 
HB Chris said:
Well at least you don’t have A/C, that’s 80% of the struggle. Can you smell the coolant? It should smell sweet. I have seen a short in the blower motor send smoke into the cabin as well.
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Oh, that's helpful Chris. I really haven't smelled coolant, or perhaps I am just used to it. But I will investigate the short. I do have a spare heater. Hey, I just had a thought. I had disconnected the heater for a year. couple years ago, to see if I could lower the interior heat soak temp. It worked, but too well. In spring and fall, no heater help at all up here where I need it. I did notice an absence of that particular musty fragrance though. Perhaps that was the beginnings of the leak? Don't know for sure, but when I reconnected heater last year, the "fragrance" was back. anyway, when I think about the age of this heater core, probably just gotta go in there and do it. I have a wizard quality radiator shop that I trust, and will most likely just take this core to them. Thanks for the ideas. Mike
 
I just finished doing this, may I suggest you join the two lines at the firewall going into the core and then wear gloves and a few layers of clothing and enjoy your drive.
 
bavbob said:
I just finished doing this, may I suggest you join the two lines at the firewall going into the core and then wear gloves and a few layers of clothing and enjoy your drive.
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or ... take your seat apart and install an electric heating element for the seats
 
i have taken the stock seats apart - the toughest part is getting the tucks back in on the seat bottom and seat back ... especially getting the heated panel to work around. them. i have been giving some thought to redoing my scheel mann 400's to make the middle panels more like the CSL (in terms of pattern of panel tucks) and while doing that, put in heated panels. will have to give some thought as to how the switches might work. i saw some kits on amazon for around 50 bucks / some are around 100. i love them on my 911, they are better than most, they heat up very quickly.
 
Thanks for the offer Dick. :) Haven't decided next steps yet. Currently, my only "service bay" is taken up with my BJ8 Healey still disassembled, but really only 2 weeks from running again. Then I may have space to attack the Coupe heater. Stay tuned!
 
Bypass it until Fall? Now much longer does it get that cold there? I find once the sun hits the cabin, it heats up no matter what the outside temp is.
 
Well consider the latitude difference : Vancouver here is at 49.28 degrees North, New Orleans...29, so there is that... As mentioned I have spent a year without heater. Was not expecting a big difference in cabin temps. However, if you start a drive at 11 AM, should be no problem, right? But on occasion, I try to join my PNW friends for a drive through northern Washington State. Head out to meeting point 7AM. in March or April. That's when I notice no heater. Plus, like many of us, I prefer to have everything on my car working as normal. So, recognizing that this heater radiator is now, well, vintage, I should just get it out of there and fix it. Problem is, as many have experienced, this is one of the least favourite jobs, so I still am considering deleting the heater again, and just prepare better for early morning starts. ;)
 
I guess it could be a hose or another part of the heater plumbing other than the core. Maybe tear it down so you can view all (most?) parts of the heating plumbing and pressurize the cooling system to see if you can spot where it is seeping from.
 
Stevehose said:
Just trying to help your sanity but I totally get wanting everything to work!
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Thanks Steve, I appreciate that. But sanity is l-o-n-g gone. Attitude is perfect for wandering into a heater core replacement. Just would prefer to initiate this at the end of the driving season, not the beginning, 'cuz these things tend to lead into other "while I am in there" jobs, so I am considering the heater delete again until October perhaps. Could take up the suggestions for driving gloves and extra socks ;). I have felt the "reservations" others have posted about this job, so thanks for that. Mike
 
Mike - if you are seeing white smoke (coolant steam) then I would think the floor carpets in the front my be getting wet. That's easy to check.
 
Hi Sven,
I was just thinking about that last night. Going in for a closer look today. Woke up to -1C this morning. hard to think of deleting heater at these temperatures, but is looking increasingly likely that this will be the temporary solution. Thanks Sven.
 
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