Crisis mode tonight, Bailed out by fellow BCF'er!!

[RickB]

Today after work I decided I'd dig into my heater and see just what was the dealio anyway.

I had been advised to pull the elbow off the back and make sure the passage was clear.

First I pulled the heater unit apart, took out my core and did my best to clean it out. Fill it with hot water, shake it a bunch & empty. Rinse & repeat.
Loads of goo came out, some chunky.

Got it clean enough for my taste then put it back together.
Easy Peasy.

Next I put a wrench on the elbow and started loosening. It came off but felt weird. Then I noticed a the ring of aluminum material half around the threads. :frown:

The passageway was clean, so I tried to reassemble.
Some of the threads were gone from the head side, so it wouldn't go back in. I went over to the hardware store but they didn't have a 3/8 pipe tap. I got a couple fittings, thinking that maybe if I tried to put in something with nice new threads it would clean out the old. No such luck. :frown:

Meanwhile I had sent fellow BCF member & MG car club member BillM a PM describing my situation.

A little while later Bill calls me and says he thinks he has a tap that size. He goes off to look while I fiddle fart around trying vainly to get something into the damaged hole.

Bill calls back - yes he has the right tap!

So he gets in his car & drives to meet me about halfway and I fire up the 70 MGB and head down the hill.
I got the tap, tapped the hole to clean out the threads, smeared some Permatex onto the threads of the elbow & turned it in. :laugh:

All Fixed Up!!! Crisis Averted!!!

Thanks Bill, I really appreciate your help. You're a credit to the organization! :laugh:


PS: After getting it hooked up I started the car & let it warm up. No heat!
Felt the hoses, bottome one at the heater was hot but the top one wasn't. Thinking that hot water goes IN the top & OUT the bottom I switched them around & fired it up again.
It wasn't long until hot air was coming out the vents!!

Now we will see how it is in the morning, I need to remember to top up the radiator before starting it up.

 

[Pythias]

Bill M. is GREAT. Easy going, KNOWS stuff, has stuff and is always willing to lend whatever assistance he is able... ..He's the one that turned me on to the BCF in preparation for the trip to LotO. Great traveling companion also. Glad you got back on the road... Hey, .... We have to meet up sometime too... do you make it to the Bellevue ABFM?

 

[RickB]

Bill M. is GREAT. Easy going, KNOWS stuff, has stuff and is always willing to lend whatever assistance he is able... ..He's the one that turned me on to the BCF in preparation for the trip to LotO. Great traveling companion also. Glad you got back on the road... Hey, .... We have to meet up sometime too... do you make it to the Bellevue ABFM?

Yes, Bill's a great guy and fun at partys too :wink:

I have tried the past few but failed to make it.
Maybe 2009 will be different?

 

[jlaird]

Now, since you don't have a heater valve all you need to do is reverse the hoses for summer use so the core does not get hot. LOL

 

[RickB]

Good one Jack!

There was a lot of crud in that core. Don't most heater cores sit horizontal?
I think the design leaves a bit to be desired in the 1500 heater.

Having the in & out water connections both at the top and the core sit at an angle seems to invite all the bits of stuff that might be in the coolant to get trapped. In fact it seems the perfect trap, if that's what they were designing then they really succeeded. :wink:

 

[Billm]

And so Rick- did the heater work on Friday?

 

[jlaird]

Lets talk about dirty heater cores.

No telling how long it took that core to get the way you found it. 30 years?

Engine coolent systems, including the heater cores should be part of your normal annual maintance schedule. Bet it had never been done before you started messing. It is something that most folks just overlook or disreguard.

Engine cooling systems should, in my mind, be emptyed and back flushed every three years. Then new coolent that is not only clean but fresh.

Consider that the proper mix of coolent will keep the gunk at bay. Heck there is no way for it to get in. I would also suggest that distilled water from the grocery be used to preclude build up from what ever is in your local water supply.

This three year cycle is also a great time to inspect all the rubber hoses. Just because the outside is good does not mean the inside is good as well.

Remember now, that this is cheep, very cheep maintance. It will keep things cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

 

[RickB]

Amen Jack!!

Yes - I had a great amount of heat from my vents on Friday morning!!
Usually I can just start to feel a little heat after the 11 or 12 miles on the freeway between here and Issaquah.
Friday morning I had fantastic heat after less than 1 mile of driving!!!
A very good (and warm) end to an almost tragic story!

 

[jlaird]

Excellent, nothing like being tosty when outside it is nasty.

 

[tony barnhill]

If you have a good radiator shop around, drop it off with them & have them boil it to get the last crud out of it....they can pressure test it at the same time & repair any small leaks you might've missed.