oh great...

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
drain.jpg


Noticed a faint coolant smell the last couple weeks, haven't been able to find leaks or spots or loss of coolant.

Was out late the other night and had the heat on and it was so strong I knew then for sure it has to be the heater core. Strike 1.

When I got back to the car to drive home, there was a steam patch on the inside of the windshield, passenger side. Strike 2.

Got home and finally there was a definite leak I could see on the ground and steam I could hear hissing off the passenger side header. Checked all hoses for absolute confirmation of the source of the problem before I order parts. What you see in the pic is the drain for the AC condensation drip tray. Busted red handed. Strike 3.

Oh well, brand new heater core is $80. Will be a pain in the ass to rip the dash apart but thankfully at least on this car it's high up and the hoses going into the firewall are accessible from the engine bay and don't require dropping transmission, headers, etc.
 
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T2urtle

Diamond Member
Oct 18, 2004
3,432
3
81
never had to do a heater core and i doubt i ever will. If the shop wants less then 5 hours, its all theirs. The dash almost never will sit right and then the possible rattles of the dash. But in a SVT i dont think you can hear much over the wondering engine.
 

Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
^

Heater cores have become a mess IMO. Used to be when I was a tech a HC was not to bad a job, in fact could pay well for the time it took. Biggest thing for me was to clean the car and try to get the smell out for my customers.

Now a HC can be an all day job or worse. I turned one down on a VW once as you had to strip the dash and center console out plus drain the AC system just to get to the box that contained the HC.

Seems most are going to placing them in the center of the car and having a pile of stuff on top of them; let alone having to discharge the AC system in many as well. So even if you fix the HC there are so many other things that can go wrong. I rather pull a engine or trans then do many HC jobs now.
 

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
Been researching the procedure, it actually doesn't seem too bad. Dash comes out and goes back pretty easy. The biggest pain will be that I have to discharge the AC system.
 

HarryLui

Golden Member
Aug 31, 2001
1,518
33
91
I by-pass the heatcores in my car. Don't need them in AZ and certainly don't wan to change them.
 

Vic Vega

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2010
4,535
4
0
Been researching the procedure, it actually doesn't seem too bad. Dash comes out and goes back pretty easy. The biggest pain will be that I have to discharge the AC system.

Dash comes out easy on these cars. Already did the core in my '04 GT. If you have a helper when you pull the dash you can do it in an hour or two.
 

Vic Vega

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2010
4,535
4
0
By the way, when you have the dash out, take the opportunity to put some felt tape on all the edges where there is plastic on plastic contact behind the dash.
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,679
5,802
146
I feel your pain. I did the core on my dodge truck and took quite a few shortcuts so no complaints there. I don't know what year your camry is, but my 98 has the easiest heater core access I've ever seen. It slides out like an 8 track tape! So much win.
 

Tristicus

Diamond Member
Feb 2, 2008
8,107
5
61
www.wallpapereuphoria.com
I feel your pain. I did the core on my dodge truck and took quite a few shortcuts so no complaints there. I don't know what year your camry is, but my 98 has the easiest heater core access I've ever seen. It slides out like an 8 track tape! So much win.

It's on the Cobra.

So does this open up room for upgrading anything else while you're down there? :awe:
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,679
5,802
146
Yeah, that is why I was sympathetic. Every other heater core I have changed/looked into has sucked in comparison.
 

Howard

Lifer
Oct 14, 1999
47,982
11
81
By the way, when you have the dash out, take the opportunity to put some felt tape on all the edges where there is plastic on plastic contact behind the dash.
Good call. Would suck to rip the dash twice just to fix some annoying rattles or squeaks.
 

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
Yeah, that is why I was sympathetic. Every other heater core I have changed/looked into has sucked in comparison.

Usually its because people think its harder than it is and they try and take shortcuts that leads to bending and prying on things in tight spaces. Im the type that will just say fuck it and pull the 4 bolts holding the dash in and get it over with from the start instead of wasting more time struggling with trying to squeeze it out of a 2" blind hole to save the 15 seconds of ratcheting.

Besides I'm going to want to pull the whole box and wash it out with soap and water and let it air out. My nose is extremely sensitive to the smell of coolant, and that will annoy the shit out of me. Even my computer smells strongly of coolant just from diffusion and I know there are no leaks there but the smell always has me looking.
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,679
5,802
146
It's not 4 bolts and 15 seconds of ratcheting in my truck. the dealer service procedures are about 8 hours of shop time, dumping the AC and recharging, the hit list goes on. It was huge that Napa had a core with swiveling tubes to prevent all that.
 

SparkyJJO

Lifer
May 16, 2002
13,357
7
81
Even my computer smells strongly of coolant just from diffusion and I know there are no leaks there but the smell always has me looking.

That's why you don't run antifreeze in your watercooled PC, unless you're mixing copper and aluminum you don't need it :D
 

Bartman39

Elite Member | For Sale/Trade
Jul 4, 2000
8,867
51
91
Only heater core I did not mind changing was the ones on the 88-98 (some 99-2000 models) Chevy trucks... If you took more than 30 min then you just did`nt have a clue... But late model Chevy`s suck as does just about everything else that now has the AC evap & heat core all in one box...:p

But changed a condensor in a D61PX-15EO dozer today which took nothing more than 10 min and a 13mm wrench and a 10" Cresent wrench... Besides recovery & recharge...
 

Howard

Lifer
Oct 14, 1999
47,982
11
81
Only heater core I did not mind changing was the ones on the 88-98 (some 99-2000 models) Chevy trucks... If you took more than 30 min then you just did`nt have a clue... But late model Chevy`s suck as does just about everything else that now has the AC evap & heat core all in one box...:p

But changed a condensor in a D61PX-15EO dozer today which took nothing more than 10 min and a 13mm wrench and a 10" Cresent wrench... Besides recovery & recharge...
Those things have AC?
 

Bartman39

Elite Member | For Sale/Trade
Jul 4, 2000
8,867
51
91
Those things have AC?

As of now all dozers we are getting have full cabs with AC of course... What we have heard is they are basicly not going to make open ROPS machines any more...?

When I was a supervisor with a local construction company I was trying to buy a Cat skid steer loader (most say Bobcat but it just a brand) without an enclosed cab... Took nearly 2 weeks to find the only one in the country out in Cali then get it shipped to us... Go figure...?
 

hanoverphist

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2006
9,867
23
76
I by-pass the heatcores in my car. Don't need them in AZ and certainly don't wan to change them.

same here usually, but one trip to flagstaff with kids will have you replacing that damn thing in a hurry. luckily, the HC in a dodge ram is easily replaced. dash on a couple bolts, dont even have to disconnect the controls to slide it out of the way.
 

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
dash.jpg


hvac.jpg


core.jpg


Glad that's over with....

So the dash wasn't 4 bolts... it was about 11 if you don't count the various panels, braces, steering column, etc. :awe:
 
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Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
9
0
^

You think they make the HC a lot stronger/better now that its a PIA to get to but looking at your pic shows the same type I use to put in cars 30+ years old.
 

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
13,679
10
81
The replacement has a ton of solder in the form of a triangular bead at the joint to spread out the stress much better through the tank. The old joint actually didn't fail, there is a ring of tank material still attached to the tube in the pic.
 
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