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my heater core started leaking this week, big puddle of anti=freeze in passenger side of interior..........has anyone had to do this recently? is it a big job? any tips? thanks, rick (85 Z28 btw)
Well I will be putting a new heater core in myself. What i did just TEMPORARY. was bypass the heater core. Its a simple fix get 2 nipples and a clamp on the water pump and one on the manifold. To change it i heard its a bit of a hassle. But once out not to bad. Do this its cheap bypass it so it don't put your car down for operation. and then slowly get it out and if you can't at least you can still drive.
I pulled the heater core on my '87 T/A last weekend, and I'm putting a new one in my '87 Formula this weekend, not too bad once you figure out what's going on.
Here's a basic rundown of what has to be done.
1. Remove Radio Pod and stereo.
2. Remove dash pad, and lower dash trim
3. drop steering column
4. remove big nuts on the bottom and small screws that hold the dash itself in place
6. swing out dash from passenger side, you should now see the heater box under the dash
7. remove heater hoses from engine side of firewall.
8. remove the four screws holding the core inside the heater box
9. reverse to reassemble.
It's not a bad job at all, give yourself about 5 hours and you'll be done no matter how slow you work. Even on my old '78 that I had to drop the inner fender to change, I've never owned a car that was worth going without a heater because it was too hard to change.
-Levi
__________________ 88 Trans AM GTA – Flame Red/Tan, 350 TPI 90 GMC Suburban – 350 Vortec, 1-ton suspension 87 Firebird Formula – heavily modified (but totaled) donor car for GTA
72 Sidewinder 18' Jet Boat – Viper Red/White, 350 Oldsmobile (click links to view vehicles)
I pulled the heater core on my '87 T/A last weekend, and I'm putting a new one in my '87 Formula this weekend, not too bad once you figure out what's going on.
Here's a basic rundown of what has to be done.
1. Remove Radio Pod and stereo.
2. Remove dash pad, and lower dash trim
3. drop steering column
4. remove big nuts on the bottom and small screws that hold the dash itself in place
6. swing out dash from passenger side, you should now see the heater box under the dash
7. remove heater hoses from engine side of firewall.
8. remove the four screws holding the core inside the heater box
9. reverse to reassemble.
It's not a bad job at all, give yourself about 5 hours and you'll be done no matter how slow you work. Even on my old '78 that I had to drop the inner fender to change, I've never owned a car that was worth going without a heater because it was too hard to change.
-Levi
Labor guides say 8 hrs I did mine about two yrs ago in under 3 hrs .
I didn't have to remove the dash in my 89 RS either. You just have to feel around a bit for that last upper screw, but its doable without hacking anything.
on my 89 formula i was able to remove to map pocket and get a long 1/4 in extension with a swivel socket through a hole behind the pocket to get to the upper bolts, it only ended up taking about an hour
thanks everyone for the responses and input. special thanks to JamesC for providing the link. that was very helpful! doesn't sound like it as big a job as my Haynes manual makes it out to be........i'll let ya know! LOL, rick
What ever you do don't block the heater line off. Use one of the lines to make a bypass.
__________________ 85 Iroc Z28 T-tops, Bilstein struts/shocks, Eibach prokit, sphon towers, Friction Master ceramics, Pretty much every thing steering and suspention wise is new up front.
Electric cooling pump, 3 electric fans, stock 195 stat, 16lb cap.
Newest mod, 145mph speedometer, AEM air/fuel ratio meter, carb tuning.
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/en...-v6-parts.html
V6 heads, cam, intake manifold, fuel system, ignition, V6 parts blow out, prices 1/2 to 2/3 the retail price on NIB parts and well below ebay prices on my used parts.
yeah, i already bypassed the heater core temporarily so we could drive it til i had time to do the repairs. i simply connected the two hoses together at the firewall with a 3/4 x 5/8 fitting.......rick
i did mine, there's a screw on the plastic housing that's hard to reach and after an hour or more i just broke off the plastic with a sharp chisel and hammer.
i did mine, there's a screw on the plastic housing that's hard to reach and after an hour or more i just broke off the plastic with a sharp chisel and hammer.
Addressed in the above link.
JamesC
__________________ "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Hamlet
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies." Nietzsche
IGNORE ALL THE ABOVE METHODS !
No need to drop the column, remove dash, ducting or the heater "suitcase" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did my 84 with AC in less than a hour this way:
1. Remove heater hoses in engine compartment.
2. Remove right side "hush panel" under dash.
3. Remove cover from heater/ac box. 5? screws that are easy to reach and remove!
NOW your looking at the heater core !
There may me a metal triangle shaped metal piece holding it in place. Remove.
4. pull out old core.
5. Insert new core, line up hose connections so they go thru the holes in the firewall. Your gonna need a friend and 2 long 3/8 extensions and slip them thru
the firewall holes and into the core pipes to guide them thru the firewall holes.
Sometimes you may have to bend/tweek them a bit to guide them thru the
firewall. Sorta the hardest part of the job !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6. Reassemble but don't install the hush panel and core cover yet so you can
check for leaks inside.
7. If no leaks install the core cover/retainer and hush panel.
DONE!
Got my brand X replacement core at the local Advance Auto big box parts place
for $35 bucks. Its great after not having heat for 2 years because I was afraid
of the posts I had read of having to tear apart the whole dash to replace the
core and it ended up being a piece of cake instead!
You guys are skipping over the hardest part for me. Getting to the core inside the car was a piece of cake. Did it about 20 years ago in my 72 Monte Carlo, and it was just as easy as I remembered. The impossible part I am having is getting off the heater hose from the firewall. The hose that is on the right when looking at the firewall (Driver's side) only comes out a little bit and makes a 90 degree turn behind the engine block. the lower clamp on this hose is completely inaccesable on my '87 T/A. Any advice as to how to get this off. I'll probably cut it off, but I'm worried about fastening a new hose in it's place since that clamp is hard to get to. Let me know what you guys have done.
Its not that big of a job. But make sure you do it right the first time and make sure the heater core is good. I tried to be cheap and use my friends old heater core out of his 86 Iroc and it ended up leaking two weeks later lol. So i just went to auto zone and bought a new one for $28 and its been fine ever since. oh and make sure you clean up all the antifreeze off of your floor cause it smells terrible and it makes your windows fog up pretty bad. Good luck!
i did my heater core today and it was easy the haredst part was getting my bypass unhooked ! i didnt wanna cut the heater hose but i did iam happy i did it myself ! it was way faster using the seatless method lmao ! it was a breezy did it in a hour ! had to bend the new chepo core just like the old one and and it fit after a lil wigglin in !
few pics
old heatercore
new heatercore
heater core matchin (the bending)
before the bend
after the bend
iam post more pic in the next post !
__________________ IAM OF MY MOTHER AND FATHER ! I MAY NOT BE RICH IN MONEY BUT IAM RICH IN SOUL AND MEANINFULGNESS "T.R.P"
just put the hoses back on a run the engine and check for leaks .
if everything is ok button everything back up !
good luck !
its not bad as it seems just stay calm take breaks if you have too and remeber think outside the box some time ! on my 84 z28 i used the manual and it took me around 6 hr to do this and today it took me a hour good luck !
__________________ IAM OF MY MOTHER AND FATHER ! I MAY NOT BE RICH IN MONEY BUT IAM RICH IN SOUL AND MEANINFULGNESS "T.R.P"
just a side note this install was on a 92 camaro rs i dont know about firebirds !
but my v8 84 z28 and my v6 92 rs was the same ! thanks for all the help fellas !
__________________ IAM OF MY MOTHER AND FATHER ! I MAY NOT BE RICH IN MONEY BUT IAM RICH IN SOUL AND MEANINFULGNESS "T.R.P"
well, i started this thread, and i finally got around to doing this job tonight. i have to say....overall, it wasn't that big of deal. i probably had the old core out of the car within 30 minutes of starting to work on it. the biggest probs were getting the new core back in and stabbing it through the firewall (ended up needing a second person to help guide it through the holes) and gettin the top screw back on the cover. bottom line... not that big of a job, and definitely not as big of a job that my haynes manual suggests that it is. later models may be more involved, but my 85 is pretty easy to get to, without removing dash, etc. thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread, rick
I did mine since it was leaking on the carpet. Now my carpet is Yellow form the antifreeze I guess removing the dye.
Do I have to remove the carpet to re dye the area?
anybody ever take a heater core and Have the right size AN fittings installed..
of topic but sorta thinking im going to try this
you know so it looks like the 8 AN on a NOS Blow down tube.
have been thinking about this for some time.. as my lines are a PITA to get to with the tranny dipstick and harnes...this way you could install say a 90 elbow and run the lins away from the eng..
just need to flair the Heater core lins after the parts are installd on them.
should work...
I pulled the heater core on my '87 T/A last weekend, and I'm putting a new one in my '87 Formula this weekend, not too bad once you figure out what's going on.
Here's a basic rundown of what has to be done.
1. Remove Radio Pod and stereo.
2. Remove dash pad, and lower dash trim
3. drop steering column
4. remove big nuts on the bottom and small screws that hold the dash itself in place
6. swing out dash from passenger side, you should now see the heater box under the dash
7. remove heater hoses from engine side of firewall.
8. remove the four screws holding the core inside the heater box
9. reverse to reassemble.
It's not a bad job at all, give yourself about 5 hours and you'll be done no matter how slow you work. Even on my old '78 that I had to drop the inner fender to change, I've never owned a car that was worth going without a heater because it was too hard to change.
-Levi
Just did mine today and it was just as explained in this post. Took two of us about 5 hours to do and was a pain but worth saving the cost of having it done at a shop.
SH.............Just scroll back thru the thread and see my post !
NO removing the dash pad or dash face, NO removing the computer,
NO dropping the column, No removing the radio pod,
yada, yada and it DIDN'T take me no 5 HOURS either!
lol. So i just went to auto zone and bought a new one for $28 and its been fine ever since.
