Heater Core Removal on a 95 GTP?

[CSI_MuNkY]

So last night while I was out with Matt, my windshield suddenly fogged up and I was greeted by the smell of coolant. Then this morning I have a green puddle on the floor on the the drivers side.

Of course I'm thinking heater core.

 

According to the Haynes manual, I have to pull the plenum, fuel lines, exhaust cross over tube and the transmission dip stick off the engine to get at the fittings on the fire wall! Can anyone confirm or deny this?

It also says;

On some models where the heater pipes are not integral with the core, remove the metal clips where the heater core pipes enter the core, then twist and pull the 2 pipes out of the core

Does this apply to me?

 

It is dripping behind the gas petal, almost at the fire wall, you can see where its hitting the carpet. So I'm thinking its actually one of the pipes coming in or out of the passenger compartment.

 

I've already priced out the heater core at $85. How long can I expect this job to take me?

 

Jamie

[hotrodolds]

From what I hear, the dash comes out the car. I haven't confirmed this, but that is what I am hearing.

[93CutlassSupreme]

From what I hear, the dash comes out the car. I haven't confirmed this, but that is what I am hearing.

 

 

Irregardless, he still has to disconnect the heater hose lines in the engine compartment.

 

 

I've never owned a LQ1 so I can't answer his question. Still, with all that shit in the way, it's gotta be a bitch. I hated changing those lines on my LH0, and it'll be even worse on a LQ1.

 

 

BTW, while you are doing this, I would recommend changing the long heater hose, the metal one that runs from the water pump and then along the pass. side under the coolant tank. They're under $40 at a dealer too.

[CSI_MuNkY]

BTW, while you are doing this, I would recommend changing the long heater hose, the metal one that runs from the water pump and then along the pass. side under the coolant tank. They're under $40 at a dealer too.

 

That was replaced about a year and a half ago, so thats not a concern right now.

 

he dash does not have to come out, I know it is accessible from under the dash. You do have to pull the center console and the trim piece that goes around the HU and HVAC controls. From there you have access to the HVAC ducts, once those are out of the way you have access to the Heater core cover panel, take that off and there is the heater core.

 

I just really hate ripping into the engine this time of year.

 

Jamie

[ismellrealbad]

FAQ FTW

 

http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php?topic=49938.0

[Crazy K]

if you are lucky, you have an OEM heatercore in the car... and can do the heater core detachment from the pipes. I did this on Psychomatt's vert in about 30 minutes of work, plus the time it took to chemically clean it inside and remove gunk.

 

I'm "resourceful" (ie cheap) and have gotten used heater cores in excellent shape for near free from j/ys

since they are the same for ALL GEN 1 and 1.5 W-bodies (though I was given a completely different one from a 92 RPE, looks to be heavy duty?) you can go to a yard and grab one from the newest wrecked W you can find and still have years of service left in it for a few bucks.

 

if you were to open it up, you would see spring clips that lock the pipe to the heater core. they encircle the pipe and are held on by four tabs, pry the tabs loose and off they pop. the seal there is an O-rings. I dielectric grease that ring during reinstallation to make it work.

 

 

[CSI_MuNkY]

Thanks guys!

I'm going to tear down the interior in the morning and see what I'm up against. I THINK the leak I have is in the pipes rather than the core itself, just based on where it is dripping from. So I might have to replace the pipes anyways.

 

Here is another question. Where is the low coolant sensor? My low coolant light has been on for nearly 2 years, even though its been topped off and everything a few times. I figure if I'm going to drain the coolant I might as well replace that sensor while I am at it.

 

Jamie

[Crazy K]

radiator, about 6 inches down on the passenger side. 2"x2" usually light gray plastic sensor.

 

good luck!

[Q-Ball]

Same as dave's?

 

http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php?topic=49938.0

[CSI_MuNkY]

Same as dave's?

 

http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php?topic=49938.0

 

wake up Jason, that links already been posted in this thread!

Didn't get around to working on the car at all. I;m on nights and like to sleep more than a couple hours, not to mention it rained all day (no garage in my apartment complex)

Thursday I am taking the car over to 93luminaz34's place and we will do it there in his garage, Hopefully we can get it done before I have to go to work!

 

Jamie

[Q-Ball]

I must of scrolled too fast, haha. And you should of checked the FAQ's first n00b.

[CSI_MuNkY]

What a fucking nightmare!!

We found why it broke! It had been replaced before, and it was a hack job that caused premature failure of the new heater core. This hack job also caused it to take up our entire day. We started shortly after 10am and got done around 6pm. Needless to say I did not make it to work tonight, which means I also don't get paid for tomorrows stat holiday. But, I figure I still saved money after parts and the 2 days missed wages, over taking it to a shop.

The previous hack job... WELL... in order to do this job you have to pull the plenum at the very least to get the hoses off the heater core at the fire wall. In order to avoid this in the past, the shop that did it just cut the heater core lines inside the car, cut the lines on the new part to match, and then joined them with some heater hose. This heater hose is where it failed, a combination of corrosion and expansion of the hoses (they had ballooned right up). Once we got the core itself out, we had to tackle the tubes from the original heater core. THESE were a bitch. Matt was on one side pulling, I was on my head inside pulling, finally we got them off.

Here is a pic of what I was greeted by when I pulled off the cover.

 

Oh, and when we went to drain the rad, the damn drain cock broke! so out came the rad. We thought there was more to it than there actually was. Probably could of avoided taking out the rad, but hey, live and learn.

 

Jamie

[Crazy K]

that heater core looks like the heavy duty one I mentioned above. it must be aftermarket.

 

plase get some better pics of it if you could!

[CSI_MuNkY]

The one I pulled out is after market. I was able to tell by the connections on it. Definitely not the OEM type that you said could be pulled out. I'll get some pics of it tomorrow, its in the car in a box.

 

Jamie

[GOT2B GM]

Trust me, it was not fun LOL. The clamps at the firewall were a royal pain in the ass.

[ihateallmustangs]

WOW.. !

[ismellrealbad]

WOW.. !

 

x2 on the WOW!!!

 

I cannot believe what a fucking hack job that is. How hard is it to pull off the plenum and then pull off 2 hoses!!????

 

In the world of mechanics, and working on cars, we have these things called TOOLS.

 

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item_Lg.asp?picFile=/55600/55590.JPG

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item_Lg.asp?picFile=/20300/20257.JPG

 

It's not rocket science, and any tech should have these. With 15-20 more minutes, a little lube and basic tools that could have been done correctly. That shop should be shut down.

[GOT2B GM]

Well we did it right. I used channel locks and needle nose vise grips to get the clamps off, while Jamie held the pipes that were cut by the shop under the dash.

 

I put gear style hose clamps on them instead of those damn GM spring clamps. One of the spring clamps popped out of my pliers after I removed it, ricochet off the hood and then the wall.

[Pontiac6KSTEAWD]

It also took me about 6-8 hours to change the heater core on the TGP. Those hoses are in the worse place. I was able to do mine without taking the center console out thou.

[rockfangd]

damn that is one hell of a rig job. nice balloons