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Help with heater core replacement

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Old 03-11-2001, 08:59 PM
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Help with heater core replacement

After smelling the lovely smell of antifreeze in my car only to look down and see antifreeze all over my feet and in the passenger well, I thought it was about time to fix the heater core.

Well I'm having trouble getting the hoses to come off of the stupid heater core inlet/outlets. I unscrewed the metal things and tugged and pulled until I was red in the face but they hardly moved. Anyone have any secrets to help me yank these hoses off? Or should I just cut 'em and buy new ones? If that's the case then how much are new ones?

Thanks in advance guys!!
Old 03-12-2001, 06:18 AM
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Just cut them with a razor blade and replace them.I think they are 5/8 hose.You can pull all you want,but they stick to the nipple pretty good.
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Old 03-12-2001, 07:07 AM
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I feel your pain... Just went through it all this weekend. After cleaning up the puddle in my floorboard. I bought a new heater core from Autozone for $18.00 and two new hoses 1 is 5/8" the other is 3/4" about 3' of each should do it with a few inches to spare. Cost about $1.50 per ft. Cut the old hoses off the nipples. Remove old heater core (PITA) install new heater pushing nipples thru firewall (another PITA) bolt in replace hoses, cut to fit, clamps, fluid your in business total time about 1 hour.
Good luck.

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Old 03-12-2001, 08:28 AM
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Car: 1988 Pontiac Firebird Formula
Engine: 5.7 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
I used a pair of channel locks to grab and twist the hoses some, to get them to break loose. There is also a "screwdriver" with a sharp point and curved tip for just such applications.
Old 03-12-2001, 10:02 AM
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Break them loose with pliers or channel locks and then take a flat head screw driver and pry off the hoses, saves you time and $$$. Uless the hoses are really bad to the point where they are rusty looking, cracked and crimped from being so old.

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Old 03-12-2001, 11:44 AM
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Cut them lengthwise along the nipple with a razor blade, and throw them away. Any money you think you will save by re-using them will be lost when they burst from old age and you lose all your anti-freeze. Why leave a bomb under your hood like old hoses when you're replacing what they hook up to? Both hoses together will be less than $5.

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Old 03-12-2001, 03:26 PM
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Ok well I tried pulling and prying with a screwdriver but they just wouldn't budge. So I cut one off, but the second one looks tricky. The hose goes down underneath everything and disappears. I dont know where it comes back up or how to route it through. Can someone tell me it's route? The hose I'm talking about is the one closest to the engine. The other one is a snap, it just goes straight back.
Old 03-12-2001, 06:54 PM
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I decided to put the stuff back together and drive it to a real mechanic. I suck at this! :P
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