I noticed a small pool of antifreeze on the passeger side floor mat.Its probably the heater core. now where is this and is it easy to replace my self so i can save some $$ instead of going to a mechanic?

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86 firebird 2.8
K&N replacement filter
modified air box
MSD ignitor

 

Yup, definitely the heater core. You'll save a lot of money by replacing it yourself. But you'll spare yourself a lot of frustration by paying someone to do it. How hard is it? Depends on who you ask around here. Some people brag to have done it in an hour, others say it took them days. Anyway, there's a tech article on how to do it, you might check that out and see if you're feeling up to it.

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91 Z28
Come see The Vicious...

 

I just replaced the heater core in my IROC two Saturdays ago. I have a Haynes manual and it said things like I had to lower the steering column, remove the computer, drop the dash off the cowl, remove both front speakers, and I tried to ignore it. The manual was correct. What I thought was going to be a one hour job (like my old Fiero) turned into 8 1/2 hours of pure frustration. If I had known, I probably wouldn't have done it. Now that I have done it one, I would do it again - knowing I was going to be very annoyed from the start.

Good luck.

 

I just replaced my heater core a few weeks ago. I have a 92 RS. Yes you will save money if you do it yourself. Which I recommend. Find one around 35-40 dollars. Other than that dont buy it and make sure to take the old one up there to make sure the pipes line up. Also you do have to take out the dash to get to this one bolt. Mines under the passenger seat dash. Your best bet is to get a book about it. I'll post more later

 

Took me only 1/2 an hour to do. I guess the reason it was so easy for me is on my '86 all I had to do was remove a black panel under passenger side dash. I've heard of others having to remove the dash. A word of advice, take the old one out and take it to the auto store to match it up. I went to Trak Auto and they looked up the part #. I bought it and took it home, looked similar so I tried to put it in, but the pipes were at a slightly different angle. I tried to bend them a little without breaking, but it didn't work. So I went back to the store with the old one and all the ones they had didn't match. So finally I went to the local auto store and they had the right one.

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"Rice burners are like tampons...Every pu$$y has to have one"
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

 

Thanks for the input fellas, i think i'll save the possibility of a vane bursting and pay a professional to do it. but the way dont diss Trak Auto, i work there

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86 firebird 2.8
K&N replacement filter
modified air box
MSD ignitor

 

I'm not trying to diss Trak Auto, they did what they should have and found the right part #, it's not their fault it didn't match up identically.

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"Rice burners are like tampons...Every pu$$y has to have one"
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

 

Heater core? Not hard to do your self.
Just one screw that is a pain, will take at least 20 min. to get that one screw, its the top one by the way. Also remember to undo the hoses on the fire wall in side the engine bay, yeah I know, Im a bonehead. Man I was yanking on the core for a few min., till I realized, doh!

 

Mark,

That sounds exactly like something I posted a year or more ago.

It took me a little over an hour once I got the correct heater core. I tried one replacement, then went back to the parts store with my original and tried three other replacements. I finally got one that had outlet tubes that were bent correctly to clear the back of the head. The guy at the parts counter said something like "Just bend them where you want..." Right - like I'm going to bend the tubes on an heater core that is almost as strong as aluminum foil. DUH!

There was no need to remove the dash on my '86 TA either. I just removed the lower kick panels and case screws, then removed the lower right dash mounting bolt and flexed the dash panel back far enough to allow acces to that last, wonderful screw way up on top of the heater case.

Removing the core was easy, but installing the new (read, STIFF) hoses in the engine compartment took the rest of an hour or so. Even though the tube angles were finally correct, there is precious little room between the right head and the firewall.

'86,

If you are not comfortable with that kind of project, then find a shop to do it and pay them. It could be worth it in the long run. Just remember that even if the part is a "lifetime gauranteed unit", the labor isn't. The replacement might be easier in a V-6 engine compartment, but I'm not sure.

Tell your mechanic that this would be an excellent time to flush the cooling system and refill with a fresh mixture. That will be worth it, too.

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Later,
Vader
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If you want to beat the World, it might reach up and pull you down...
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

The timing is ironic. I just noticed a little wiff now and then of coolant.

Sure enough, a little moisture under the passenger's side floor mat!!!

All I am going to do for right now is just put a 5/8" piece of tubing and connect the hoses to make a loop.

Oh, it doesn't get cold here very often. I'll fix it in about a month when I have some more time.

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http://www.gruveb.com/z28

 

I did mine as well from under the dash. 1 hour tops doing it, and it was my first time.


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WS6 Trans Am.

View My Ride @ thirdgen.org

 

I did mine and it was a pain in
the *** .I would do it again.It
took me about 2 hours.I got mine
from autozone for $18.It's not
hard but it's a pain in the *** .
By the way i have an 92 Z28 L98.