Thread: Heater core leak (yes....another one. Sorry)

I've got a wrecked 1990 in my yard that I'm trying out my skills on re replacing heater cores as I know a few RRC owners around here with disconnected heaters. I've removed the a/c evaporator and the heater box. The heater core isn't too difficult to extract from the box once it's out of the firewall area. It's a typical brass and solder affair that presumably can be repaired by traditional radiator repairers. No "o" rings are used anywhere in the core. Soldered seams eventually springing a leak is not unexpected in a 20+ year old car.



I've priced an aftermarket replacement plastic and aluminium core at around $105, now I just need to take the brass core to the rad bloke and get him to assess it for ease of repair. I was told that brass heater cores are still available in the UK somewhere.

My experience when attempting to repair the main radiator on my '81 RRC is that with older radiators the solder that seals the tubes to the endplates can degrade into a clay-like substance that maintains a seal when it is kept wet, but that renders the radiator virtually unrepairable after it has dried out and fallen out of the cracks. I would suggest that you prepare yourself for either a core replacement or a new core unit.
I'm as tight as the proverbial fish's rectum, but $105 sounds good to me.

I have just replaced mine.
Sherwood heater question

It had the alloy core and I bought a brass and copper core to replace it from Jag spares in Tassie. It would be better than the alloy one would it not.
He is also called British four wheel drive and the core with two new hoses cost $158.

Just driving down Mona Vale road, opened the window and at the same time I could smell coolant. I thought "is that me or the car in front". The next moment I see steam coming out of the air vents and then, boiling hot coolant pouring onto my left foot. Christ it was hot.

Engine temp was 103degC when I found a safe place to pull over so I don't think there will be any long term damage (to the car, not me!) blistered foot so I may need a visit to emergency once I have assessed my foot.

So looks like I have the same problem and will need to cap the hoses. However I am more concerned with the wet carpets and interior right now. Coolant was streaming from the front and back doors as it was being dragged onto the flat-bed. Oh we'll, there goes my quiet weekend!

My engine is running 4-5 deg C hotter since I capped the heater pipes in engine bay. 89-92 previously, now 92-96. Should I replacing the caps with a return (u pipe) or am I safe to run like this for a couple of weeks until I can get the heater core sorted?

Dunno, but I by-passed my heater with a shrt loop, keeps the water flowing in the pipes as the setup was originally designed...
Yes, too short a loop and it will want to kink on the bend, sorted with a third hose clamp which keeps the fold partially open !
. Easier and safer IMHO than two sealed caps, both of which are at full system pressure and which would kill the engine if either popped off...
That's just the pessimist in me.

Some good instructions here for dash removal. This is a 3.6MB pdf so be aware of this before you click on the link.

http://www.roverparts.com/Instructio...erBMK-8844.pdf

I am in the process of doing one for a customer. Not a job for the fainthearted. Almost every thing between the steering wheel and the windscreen has to come out.