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.

 

OK I am joining the club! My heater core is bypassed and I have a new one just haven't put it in yet! Any tips?

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...e-82-86-a.html

JamesC

 

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 .

 

As the link I posted above points out, you shouldn't have to remove the dash on 82-86 models.

JamesC

 

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.

 

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

 

Im part of the heater core bypass club. When i redo my interior, im doing mine.....not looking froward to it.

 

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

 

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!

 

Just did mine today, easy money! That top screw is a little rough, but not that bad...ahhh! Heat aagain!!

 

I did mine in 45 minutes yesterday. I didn't put in the upper screw....screw it.

Heat is a wonderful thing

 

Took me alittle over an hour, had to go get antifreeze...

 

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.

 

I just used a 1/4" drive ratchet w/a 5/16" socket and a 2" extension??? Not a problem, Firebirds may be different? I dunno?

 

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!

 

From what I could remember back in 1988....on an '83 T/A and recently on a '91 Firebird.

I removed the passenger seat for my back to start the process for easier heater core removal.

Dash pad and right side speaker removed to access the hole for that elusive screw on top of the housing.

Kick panels removed and that ECM was in the way just to get access to the heater core.

Worst time I had was figuring out what screw went where and finding the duct doors & foam gaskets worn out entirely but I was a novice then.

It's time someone should have a video on YouTube no? One can only wish.

 

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 !

 

heres some shots of the location for the core !

 

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 !

 

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 !

 

it is pretty much the same.

 

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

 

thats what were her for rick good luck with your camaro !

 

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...

what do you think

maby 10 AN have to see what size fits best

 

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.

 

Man................You did it the HARD way!

 

oh really, what would be the easy way then?
I did mine when I did my 4thgen dash swap.

 

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!