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Heater Core

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EMGEBE

EMGEBE

Jedi Hopeful
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Hey guys.

After the last mechanic bill, i thought id try some work on the car myself.

The heater in my car hasnt been working in ages... i actually dont know whats wrong with it. coz its simply not hooked up... ive been told from a few ppl that my heater core is stuffed? from the following pics, is that true?

mgheatercore%20003.jpg

mgheatercore%20002.jpg

mgheatercore%20001.jpg


Thanks guys.

Jarrod /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 
You could try LOW pressure from a garden hose and see if it runs through OK and/or if it leaks. Hard to tell anything from pictures. Looks like something rusty has dripped onto the fins. If it is stuffed, maybe a good radiator cleaner added to some warm water might clean it out, that is if you can get any to flow though, then let it sit there for a day or so. That's about all I can come up with.

Guinn
 
most rad shops can make that look like new for a whole lot less than the cost of a new one.

mark
 
FOUND THE LEAK!!!!

mgheatercore%20004.jpg


mgheatercore%20005.jpg


U guys recon this should cost me much?
Its just a pin hole leak at one end

Thanks

Jarrod
 
It look like it is right on the seam. That should be an easy fix...drain and dry it COMPLETELY (make sure it is dry inside too...a hairdryer or light torch heat will help), clean it up real good with a dremil and wire wheel, to bare metal and hot flux prep it, and a touch of solder should out last the rest of the core. Degrease and a coat of paint will finish it nicely.

If you are not comfortable doing that yourself, a radiator shop will probably charge you $10-12 for it, but may want to do more extensive testing and repair. An experienced tin smith or plumber may be able to help.

Do NOT be tempted to clean up the solder job before painting it though. I might look better sanded even, but will greatly weaken the solder.

Bruce
 
Should be an easy repair if you have ever used a propane torch to 'sweat' pipes together. After 'physical' cleaning use some plumber solder paste flux and a feathering heat with the torch set semi-low (nice an slow) to the leak area. Back the heat away and touch the solder to the leak making sure its the metal melting the solder and not the flame of the torch. Solder should spread on its own over the fluxed and heated area. Try not to enlarge the hole/leak area and keep the original metals as close as possible.

This is a home do-able repair and shouldn't require you to take it to a shop.
 
Oh, and from an A/C distributor you should be able to get a properly sized "fin comb" to straighten the fins on the radiator
 
Here is my take on this.
Avoid the agravations buy a new one or have it rebuilt.
A new one is about 70$.

Just a thought out of simplicity.
 
How much of a pain in the arse was it to remove that whole unit? it *looks* relatively simple according to the book, but what is it really like?
 
Thanks for the replies guys!

Will get started on the soldering of it tomorrow.

Guy.
It in all honesty was a piece of ☼☼☼☼ to pull apart

Jarrod
 
[ QUOTE ]
How much of a pain in the arse was it to remove that whole unit? it *looks* relatively simple according to the book, but what is it really like?

[/ QUOTE ]A pain. I thought it looked simple but by the time you get the cable out from under the dash, the hardened foam from around the ducts, the sealed gasket from around the flanges ... then you are 1/4 of the way there. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Next you take the heater box apart, more crumbling foam, which if it was leaking you might need to do anyway, clean up the rust and repaint, and reassemble using some kind of replacement foam, you are now 1/2 way there. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Next your partner is under the dash waiting for you to feed the cable through, yelling I can't see it ... and so you decide to slip a feeder wire from inside out (good idea BTW) and tape it to the cable to guide it through. Now the fun part. The hardened foam that fits around the ducts is so aged that it doesn't flex much and you spend 30 minutes deciding if you can use a rubber mallet to force it into position. (it finally goes and you feel that the ducts have seated properly) Now you are 3/4 of the way home. Slip some gasket material under the flangest and screw down checking to be sure you have a good sealed fit to the firewall and the gaskets on the bottom. Reconnect the hoses and now stand on you head to reconnect the cable under the dash. Voila. Done.
 
Egads! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif I think I'll just wait until the end of summer to deal with it then. everything works, I just wanted to have both cores boiled out.

thanks for the honest input though~
 
I might have gone a little overboard with the heater repair speech ... but since the 'frustration' is still fresh in my mind, it may have come off a bit more complex than it really is. I think it was the surprise that caught me off guard.

As some of you know, my son and I are trying to get our sleeping B roadworthyness ... not collector status. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Occassionally we get sidetracked and end up farther into something than expected. The heater was just that. It looked like a simple after supper project and my son was aready wirebrushing and painting a few black parts. I had already removed the radiator so fluid was not a problem and figured now was the time to freshing the box up. "How hard could it be" since it just sits their with those couple of clips, handful of screws, one nut, one cable and 2 hoses???

Ugh ... several evening later we finshied the painting, used some expandable 'hopefully' heat resistant construction foam and reinstalled. I would say that the heater set me back about 4 hours including the scrounging for foam, wire brushing and painting.

I'm sure those that do this all the time have tricks of the trade that I'm not privy to ... maybe next time I'll ask!
 
I rebuilt my heater assembly two winters ago. Replaced everything using moss parts, except for the box itself. For that, I had all the tin blasted then powder coated. I could not be happier.

The only problem i encountered was putting the whole contraption back into the car. I never did figure out the trick. I took the box of parts and the car to my mechanic, Carriage Craft.

They didn't even make fun of me,,,,, at least not while I was there.

Good Luck.
 
Hi All. You will get a new one from spares direct in Sydney for about $120. Look them up on the internet.https://www.mgspares.com.au/. Good luck . Let us know how you go. John. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif
 
yea, but...

On that chilly evening when you and she get caught out a little later than planned and she says "I'm cold" and you reach up and turn the heat on for her rather than having to mess with putting the top up, it will all be worth it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Bruce /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Darn, I thought that was when you got ther to lean close into you. Must have been doing that wrong all these years /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif.
 
ugh.gif
Grumble. wouldn't you know it, I finally got the car running happy after new valves and cylinder head revamp, gaskets and the like along with some other odds and ends. Put coolant in her, checked for initial leaks and went for a short test drive. within 7 blocks temp gauge went from C to H. brought it home popped the bonnet to see nothing leaking.

looked under the car and watched coolant drip heavy. looked closely at heater box and saw coolant seeping out of the drivers side. looks like I'm the next canidate for this task.. *sigh*
 
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