I have a coolant leak that is coming from under the A/C box and I'm assuming its the heater core. Is their a certain brand that's best or are they all the same core just different boxes?

 

I just replaced the heater core on a buddys 87 gta a few days before. I installed a Spectra Premium heater core, it was indeed a direct fit. Absolutely no problems, slipped right in and is working fine.

 

The Spectra seems to be the consensus for best aluminum replacement, if you want a NOS brass type (like original) eBay usually has one or two kicking around for $40-$50, just been sitting on the shelf awhile. There is one available with moveable joints but that just seems like a leak waiting to happen. I found one of those old brass style ones brand new and it worked great/excellent fit. That is definitely a job you don't want to do twice...

 

Does this one have the moveable joints? This is the one auto zone sells. Looking at getting it but don’t like the idea of flexible joints.

 

Forgot to mention. No, it has static joints, not flexible. I know that the flexible joints are made to leak, I watched out for it before I bought it.

 

Thanks for the heads up! My local store didn’t have one in stock but one across town did. Wanted to confirm before I trekked over to get it 👍🏻

 

I have that Spectra one. It's not a direct fitment. It fits in the spot, but it isn't like the factory original so air gets past it. I had to tweak mine a bit to get it in the holder, and and to tweak it to go in the box and on top of that it doesn't make the air very hot.

I would get your original re-cored, it will be better in the long run

 

Autozone has a Pro Source part no. 98606. Is it the same core? They also have a Spectra Premium but it's part number 399083.

 

The brass one I found on eBay really throws the heat just like the factory original. When I first bought the car I noticed how strong the factory heater was and it impressed me. Not that the car sees many cold days but I do drive it through October/early November and the heater is nice on a cold morning in Upstate NY.

 

Restore the original was my initial plan. Have a family member whose dad ran a radiator shop for years but his dad has passed a few years back and I have no clue how to find a shop that does this. Or how much it would be. Once I figured out the trick to removing the core without removing the dash it wasn’t so bad but I would like to not have to deal with no time soon lol. Anyone know who can do this or what kind of shop to look for? If I have to ship it fix it and ship it back and costs me a small fortune, I’ll go the AZ route for $32.99. As others mentioned this car won’t really need it for me, but I like knowing it’s working correctly.

Here’s my old one. I soaked in overnight and it’s clean. Possible to find the leak point and solder it shut?




That’s original correct? Has some stickers on it that I assumed were original part and inspection info.

 

I just pulled mine and it has Harrison on the side of it. I guess its a replacement heater core? It doesn't have the inspection stickers on it.

 

You know I didn’t even think of that. I saw Modine and a couple cross reference numbers and assumed replacement. As soon as I read your reply with Harrison I would say you’re 100% spot on

 

Harrison is OE.


No stickers of any kind.

The stickers would indicate that CKone's is most-likely not OE, but an OE-style replacement, from when they were still available. And if the tank on the other side doesn't say, Harrison, then that would also indicate it's not OE. However, I have only my 87's to go by, so I can't speak for the entire generation.

Back when OE-style replacements were still available, the part number was 399083, like on CKone's. 399083 is still an active replacement part number, but now it represents one of the cheap aluminum products.

 

I couldn't decide which POS to buy so I left the heater core out. Turns out no heat sucks worse than no AC. Seriously true even for a fair weather car like mine.

But firewall pad is over $200, carpet is $500, and I just can't bring myself to put a cheap heater core in and let it ruin all that expensive stuff again.

 

I'm having the original core from my '85 repaired as a spare. It was supposed to be ready today, but they are jammed and have fallen behind. I'll report back when I get it.

 

Yeah let us know how it works out. I see you’re in Chicagoland area let me know or PM me the place that you had it done it. Wouldn’t mind having this one fixed but if I end up with decent amount in doing so then I may go replacement route for now. Budget is a little tight atm but...

 

If I get off work early enough today, I'm going to stop by a local radiator shop and see how much it will be to recore my Harrison.

will let everyone know.

 

Prepare for sticker shock. 6 or 7 cheap replacements cost about the price of a new OE re-core. Even the price of a NOS OE or an assembled OE-style replacement, if one can be found, is about 1/4-1/2 the price of a re-core. The old-style new parts are expensive, and so is the labor. Mine has been out to re-core for 3 months now. I'm in no rush, and they haven't called, so when it's done, it's done.

The cheap replacements fit in the space, but as scooter mentioned, they fit very poorly, not straight, and with gaps all around. I just couldn't accept it. It's a terrible design, nothing like stock at all. Sadly, someone created these products and thought they were good. Then, worse, someone else agreed and approved them for production.

My complaints to Spectra fell on blind eyes. And it's no wonder, because while researching these, I learned that there are many manufacturers of the parts for these replacements, then multiple partial-assembly manufacturers, before a final-assembly manufacturer gets ahold of it. So it's likely that few people involved, if anyone, knows where it all begins, and at whom to complain. So it looks like we're stuck with the cheap ones... unless people are willing to pay for an appropriate re-core, which most people probably are not. And, honestly, I'm not sure any of this is really worth the trouble, which is probably how the crappy ones were justified to begin with LOL.

But yeah, QwkTrip, no heat is much worse than no AC. I never used the AC because I always had the tops out, so no AC was never a big deal to me. But I bypassed my core about 20 years ago, so when I'd need heat, yeah, that sucked. Even worse when it's cold AND raining! All bundled up, head out the window, like Jim Carrey in "Ace Ventura" LOL. Fortunately I rarely have to deal with either condition on the west coast.

 

This will be your best choice; any competent repair shop should be able to recore/repair your original. I'd advise against installing any heater core that has those awful moveable joints; they're a coolant leak looking for a victim.

 

Good thread. My heater core went out in Aug and I bypassed it but winter is coming.. Im going to see if anyone close can repair my original if in the event it is the original at all.

 

Will do. After pressure testing it, he told me it would be $65 to repair, but still waiting.

 

After reading this and brain wandering, I realized after robbing the working hatch pull down from my non original Trans Am that there is a good chance there is an original Harrison in that heater box as well. I bought it when it was 7 years old and don’t remember it ever leaking. Been sitting empty for years now. I’m gonna go treasure hunting again 😂

 

You bought a car when you were 7 years old? I was picking my nose and wearing camouflage and peeing in bushes.... with a plastic gun slung over my shoulder, or course. It's not like I wasn't cool.

 

No, car was only 7 years old when I bought it. Not me lol.

At 7 years old I was doing the same, plus running over empty pop cans with my front bike tire to make that awesome revving noise 😎

 

LOL! Misread that, sorry.

 

If we’re telling the truth I was 19 when I bought the car, so I wasn’t far off from acting like a 7 year old still

 

haha I know exactly what you mean.

For the sake of full disclosure, I took my heater core to a radiator shop on Thursday. They pressure tested and said that it wasn't leaking. After reinstalling and making sure the clamps were snug, I don't have a leak.
Amazing what tightened clamps can do. lol

Might be a good idea to start thinking about a future leak though. My GTA is a high mileage car that will need one eventually

 

Wow now that might be enough to make a guy shake his head lol. Don’t know that I ever really thought to check that but I will now!

 

85 bucks to repair.

 

Good deal. Cant beat the fit of a factory one

 

85 to repair or re-core?

 

Repair. The tank solder joints failed.

 

What's the trick to getting to the heater core besides going through the dash? My car may need a repair soon or re-core soon. Also my 03 Dodge Dakota leaks pretty bad so if the trick applies to that too then I'll get it fixed.

 

Resurrecting this thread, because me too!

As others have said, it can be done through the underside, but it's a pain. A few of the screws are difficult to reach, and especially (on my 92 RS) the top center one.

Some people can reach up above the duct with a long skinny extension and 7mm socket and access the last screw, but I ended up removing the dash pad, speaker, and all the screws holding the dashboard on, except the far left one. Then I pulled it out a few inches until I could reach down to the to screw with a long flexible extension, and when I removed it, the duct fell out on the floor. Still a lot less pain than removing the console and dash!

I also got the Spectra 94606 at O'Reilly, and it was a good fit. They had it sent from another store, they told me on the phone that the pic in their database showed theswivel joints, but this is what actually showed up at the store:



And now I can get the original brass one repaired!

EDIT: As far as the Dakota, no idea how that's put together. Some hits here, though:
https://www.google.com/search?q=2nd+...ta+heater+core

 

I have used Spectra on my last two cars. 1986 IROC no issues. 1991 Z28 no issues. But I don't drive in the winter so the air seal of the Spectra was not noticed. Works great. No leaks. If I go out on a cold day and non-salted road all I need is a little defrost heat. Works great.

I lost my patience doing the first one. Who can tell if if the Spectra fits the frame and seals when you are upside down with a flashlight in your teeth, bleeding fingers and thumbs!!!

Yes I agree with the use of a 7mm socket taped to a medium extension with a thin ratchet to get that top bolt. lol

 

Will be doing one on my 92 formula soon. I have a NOS heater core but will also have the original repaired and put back on the shelf.

 

I removed the heater core in my 89 really easy... I just removed what I could from the bottom, removed the dash pad and used one of those flexible / bendy extensions you see in those super cheap repair kits to get to the top bolt........ it was actually really easy to get to the top bolt from what i recall...never put the heater back in though lol

 

I personally gave up on the available Heater-Cores that will fit our Cars.

I have been using different Companies that built Inter-Coolers to make a mini Inter-Cooler that fits our Cars.
I only had to give the dimensions and the 2 Original Pipes for them to make an Aluminum version.

They are cheap, and can handle much more pressure than our Cooling-Systems will normally make.

Also, when I build Forced-Induction Engines for my Customers...
I can order these mini Inter-Coolers to be built for higher Pressures with no issues, and no leaking.

 

What company made yours for you? Mine just went out