Ok, OK, I know its been posted before but I dont have the time to do a search, Im at work. I changed my radiator cause it was leaking. Anyway now when I turn my heat on the right side of the car fogs up and I can see a anti-freeze on the floor board on the passenger side but I still have good heat, is it the heater core? Is it just a coincidence that this happen right after the radiator cahnge or does one go with the other. Funny thing is my heater worked all last year with no problem at all and now this crap!.LOL..

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wishmister@yahoo.com

1987 White IROC-Z
305 TPI LB9
700-R4 auto tranny
87,000 miles
Very Clean car
Performance Resource Chip
Flowmaster Muffler
Throttle Body Coolant bypass
TPIP air Foil
K&N's
Gutted air box
Accel 8.0 plug wires
Moroso Super Coil
Blue Streak Cap and Rotor
AC Delco Rapidfire plugs
Mobil 1 15/50 Synthetic motor oil
Mobil 1 synthetic Trans fluid.

 

definately the heater core. Maybe the improved flow from the new radiator exposed a longstanding flaw with the heater core.

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The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

SOB, I went out to my car and lifted up the floormat out of curiousity and there was about an 1" of coolant underneath. I called Advance anf thier heater cores are $18.99 are you sure that is what is wrong. I lloked on the firewall for the hose going in but I could only see 1, how many are there?
How difficult is it to change the geater core?...thanks guys you all are a big help.

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wishmister@yahoo.com

1987 White IROC-Z
305 TPI LB9
700-R4 auto tranny
87,000 miles
Very Clean car
Performance Resource Chip
Flowmaster Muffler
Throttle Body Coolant bypass
TPIP air Foil
K&N's
Gutted air box
Accel 8.0 plug wires
Moroso Super Coil
Blue Streak Cap and Rotor
AC Delco Rapidfire plugs
Mobil 1 15/50 Synthetic motor oil
Mobil 1 synthetic Trans fluid.

 

That definetaly sounds like your heater core. I was having the same problems as you with the fogging of the windows and the coolant on the passenger side floor. The smell was also very evident.

There are two hoses going to the heater core, one incoming one outgoing, and it looks like a mini-radiator.

There is a tech article on this board on heater core replacement, but it does not apply to 87+ cars very well. For some reason there is a different method of getting to the core for the 87+ models. I spend 6 hours trying to get to m 89's core and I gave up. I took it to my mechanic and he spent just over 8 replacing the core.

I bought a GM heater core, and it was around $80-90.

I hope this helps you, and that definetaly sounds like a heater core.

Any questions, please feel free to ask,

Jason

 

well, mine was an 86 and i replaced it in 2 hours flat.... was not even a problem for me... although i have heard the newer ones are a bitch

Steve

 

Your heater core was probably leaking before, just not enough to notice. Did you flush the system when you replaced the radiator? That can loosen up the junk that was sealing the heater core. Put on a new cap? That can raise the operating pressure.

I just replaced my heater core this weekend, took me four hours in no particular hurry. I followed the Haynes manual, it didn't say anything about a different procedure for '87+ (insert Haynes flames here ______________). '86 is the extent of my personal experience.

The two hoses are close to each other, the one towards the outside of the car being slightly lower than the other, so you are probably only seeing the upper/inner hose. Look closer, it's there close to the AC housing.

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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car. Rescued w/86 LG4/TH700R with all harnesses, sensors, ECM, etc. 2.73 open, cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LB9 w/ZZ3 cam, ported heads, exhaust, paint, etc.).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. Currently 396 .030 over, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" headers, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & shift kit, 3.08 10-bolt, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1 @ 5800' Bandimere. Daily driver while Camaro was being put together.

 

I went and vaccumed all the coolant off my floor board and went and bought the core. As I was cleaning the car up during my lunch I noticed a small drip. When I went out to smoek a cig. the floorboard is once again full. How can that be if the car is not running. What does the heater control valve do? When a core goes bad what does that mean,it gets clogged? Jesus christ I need to get this fixed.

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wishmister@yahoo.com

1987 White IROC-Z
305 TPI LB9
700-R4 auto tranny
87,000 miles
Very Clean car
Performance Resource Chip
Flowmaster Muffler
Throttle Body Coolant bypass
TPIP air Foil
K&N's
Gutted air box
Accel 8.0 plug wires
Moroso Super Coil
Blue Streak Cap and Rotor
AC Delco Rapidfire plugs
Mobil 1 15/50 Synthetic motor oil
Mobil 1 synthetic Trans fluid.

 

87+ is different. You have to take out the whole dash and center console to get at it. That's right, from the inside of the car. If you have a Chiltons look there. After you see how to get it out, you may just want to bang your head against a wall.

 

Sounds exactly like what I had to do, pull out the console and dash. What's different?

You can get antifreeze inside the car without it running because the core has coolant in it at all times and is under pressure until the engine cools down. In addition, it can siphon more from the engine/radiator as it leaks out.

Not sure exactly what you mean by heater control valve, but on some models there is a vacuum-controlled valve that shuts off the flow to the heater core when the AC is in the Max position.

Heater cores can go bad by springing a leak (that's what mine did and why yours is leaking onto the carpet); or clogging up, in which case you won't get any heat out of it because coolant won't flow through it. They could also get dirty on the outside so that air won't flow through it, but I would expect that to be rare.

[This message has been edited by five7kid (edited September 27, 2000).]

 

OK, I think I figured out how to replce my heater core. Help me with another please.
When I want heat to come out of the vents at first it wont. I have the bottom lever moved all the way to HOT and then I have to move the top lever to MAX AC for a few to open up the vents, then I can move the top lever over to "vents" for the heat. What would cause that and what do I have to check or replace. thanks again.

------------------
wishmister@yahoo.com

1987 White IROC-Z
305 TPI LB9
700-R4 auto tranny
87,000 miles
Very Clean car
Performance Resource Chip
Flowmaster Muffler
Throttle Body Coolant bypass
TPIP air Foil
K&N's
Gutted air box
Accel 8.0 plug wires
Moroso Super Coil
Blue Streak Cap and Rotor
AC Delco Rapidfire plugs
Mobil 1 15/50 Synthetic motor oil
Mobil 1 synthetic Trans fluid.

 

Five7kid, trust me, the installation is different depending on the model year of your car. I looked at the CHilton's and it's written for the old style, your style I'm assuming because it worked for you. Like I said before, it took a professional mechanic who I have great faith and trust in over 8 hours to do it.

Wishmaster's87Iroc, I don't know what to tell you about the vents not opening except that maybe it's the unit with the vent controls itselt. I believe the vents are opened and closed by small black vacuum lines at the back of the unit, and if these were cracked the associated vents shouldn't work at all. I'd have to assume it's the unit ifselt. But I'm taking a wild *** guess, if anybody else know's please help us out

Jason

 

i just did this about a month ago.. it wasn't too hard for me and im a newbie! well, anyways i hvae a 91 Z. do not follow haynes repair guide for the heater core! they have you taking off stuff that u don't even need to remove, now that i look back at it all i really needed to move was the cpu box the top dash board and the lower pannel on the passenger's side you should be able to see the heater core housing from the bottem. the first bottem screws are easy, its the ones on top that are a PITA.. the whole install took me about um.. 6 hrs or so and it was my first time! hopefully all goes well with your attempt. Oh, and btw if u need to drive ur car (like i did) just go to an auto store and bypass the core get a lil plasic adapter (5/8 to 3/4 i think) and take the inlet and outlet hose on the heater core (the two right by the firewall) and connect the two with ur adapter. I did it like this because after i would come home from work (with my dash all tore up) i would work on gettting that mo fo out!

have fun and good luck,
-Abe


P.S. The blood gods do not require that you make a sacrafice(sp?) =D

 

ok guys, i just did it on my 88, you could bypass it and do the job another time but winter is comeing so it needs to get done, the core is always connected to water when you shut the car and it gets flooded its because the hoses that feed the core are emptying, follow the hoses under the hood you'll see what i mean. 2 enter the firewall one 3/4 inch from a source directly under the connection on the fire wall. that fitting the a PITA by far was the hardest part of the job if you get my point.
the other hose is 5/8 goes from core to the controle valve wich routs the water from the core to the radiator as aposed from the tb to the radiator. now the actual heater core replacement took 1 hr working slow.

take the passenger seat out for some room its 4 bolts verry EZ. now lay on the floor there and look up under the dash. i took the dashpad off so the sun could shine in there from the top.
you will see a black bok and 3 visable bolts
2 on the bottom (small bolts) one on the side at the top. there is another at the top yo uhave to feel for i broke the bolt (how i found the 4th) after you pry that cover off the core is right there. 4 bolts hold it in then it slides out. its on a type of plate, unscrew it then replace with a new one and then get someone to help here. you have to put the new one back in but need someone to help guide the fittings through the holes in the firewall so they dont break.

after that bolt it up connect the hoses and fire it up. i was w/o heat or a defroster for 2 months because i bypassed it figuring it was a huge job. i kicked my self for not doing it sooner after it was done.


well good luck my friend

-Stell

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1988 IROC 305TPI MINT!!
Mods= Accell SuperCoil, MSD 6A, Ported Plenum, No MAF Screans , K & N, 160 Thermostat+ Temp Switch
And Always Trying To Go Faster