heat core leak

[coolvxss]

I took mums car to get new CAS fitted couple days ago. i knew it had a water leak so i asked the mechanic to have a look while his fixing it. He said the water leak was coming from the heater core and it will cost $800 to fix because have to take whole dash apart to get to it.

I have never seen a heater core or how it works, but was thinking that if the heater core is inside the car, wouldnt the water be leaking under the dash? Not all over the driveway? cheers

[camstatic]

It'll run out of a drain pipe which runs from a catchment tray under the heater core. I know a way to get a heater core in in about an hour if you're keen and have: Some kind of mechanical saw, preferably recipro, a new heater core, a couple of lengths of heater hose, and 4 hose clamps?

[Morton]

This is why it's an $800 job:






The gold radiator box with two tubes up the front of this picture, is the heater core:

[Morton]

It'll run out of a drain pipe which runs from a catchment tray under the heater core. I know a way to get a heater core in in about an hour if you're keen and have: Some kind of mechanical saw, preferably recipro, a new heater core, a couple of lengths of heater hose, and 4 hose clamps?

lmao, I know exactly what you're thinking cut the core off at the tubes, pull the old one out sideways, cut down the new one, fill in the cut pipe with hoses

You dodgy bastard, I like your style ^_^

[camstatic]

What can I say, it works? :P

[MasterOfReality]

Check the drain tubes first, they just might be blocked.

If the heater core needs to be replaced, just do it with the shortcut method, less stuffing around, cheaper and you wont have a million extra rattles in the dash.

[camstatic]

^^ + If you're worried about the lengths of hose blowing off: If you cut the pipes properly they should last for years to come (mine has), and if you want to be absolutely double ultra certain, you can get hand operated tools to lip the ends of the pipes.

[coolvxss]

Shit this sounds like a tough job. How much is the new heater core? where do they usually leak from? the actual heater core or the hoses that connect to it? Its almost cheaper to go buy a new car haha. $200 to replace CAS sensor, and 800 to replace heater core = another VN haha

[camstatic]

New heater core is about $150, give or take 50 depending on where you buy from. It leaks from the core, the core expands and splits over time, a mate of mine who recores radiators explained that they have little side-bracing, which is why they split. Crank angle sensors don't normally cost that much in my experience, and are a walk in the park to swap over, provided you can get the harmonic balancer off.

Another thing would be to find a workshop that will perform the shortcut method in exchange for no waranty or something along those lines, the labour will be 1/8th what you're looking at now.

[coolvxss]

Cheers. I made a braket and everything just to get the bolt off harmonic bal, i thought that was the hard bit, but once got bolt off, couldnt get bal off, so just paid few bux extra to get it all done. Just worried about water leak now. Its was a pretty slow leak but mechanic said it will get worse then all of sudden will dump all of water at once.

Was thinking this avo, We had to top up water every couple weeks, but never seen water on ground, but ever since weather has got cold here, started using heater, and now there it always puddle water on ground. is it just coincidence or the leak gets worse over time?

If i dont use heater would it last longer before have to replace? or does water always flow the same whether i use heater or not?

[rob drag racer]

trust me ive pulled 2 heater / ac / vent / fan boxes now the first one was easy i removed everything around it but the top half of the dash got it lose and tor it out with a ratchet winch and a tree the second one was to be reused and id charge 800 to do it the right way to its a pain and unfortunately Holden likes to keep us guys geausing they like to hide screws and bolts !!!

either way there's only one safe way to do it so good luck it took me a little over 12 hours just to pull mine

and as for buying another vn yeh well i paid 90$ for my new project vn running (running well) with a few small dents and good rubber so that i suppose is another option

[camstatic]

Well using the heater will promote more flow in the heater core yeah, if you want, in the mean time, disconnect the two heater hoses from the firewall (engine bay side, they're behind the driver's side of the motor), and join them together using a brass water pipe joiner and a couple of hose clamps to bypass the heater core. It can't leak if there's no coolant at all getting to it!

That'll give you a bit more time to weigh up your options.

[coolvxss]

Well using the heater will promote more flow in the heater core yeah, if you want, in the mean time, disconnect the two heater hoses from the firewall (engine bay side, they're behind the driver's side of the motor), and join them together using a brass water pipe joiner and a couple of hose clamps to bypass the heater core. It can't leak if there's no coolant at all getting to it!

That'll give you a bit more time to weigh up your options.

That sounds like the easiest option for now. Has any done this with know problems?

[camstatic]

The heater won't work, that's it.

[Morton]

It will also be a good opportunity to confirm that the leak IS from the heater core

[Lost_Pete]

There is the right way to fix it or the dodgey ways.

I delayed it for years with regular doses of Bars Leak.

Finally Bars Leak couldn't stop it any more so I did the cut and shut method. Takes some time due to the awkward place but works well.

I changed the radio at the same time and replaced all the bulbs as well but that's another story.