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TR6 TR6 Heater

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bigbadbluetr6

bigbadbluetr6

Jedi Trainee
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How do I get the heater to start working. I have never had it work since I've owned my car. The middle of my dash is not finished and no cd player in the car so taht should make it easier. Since my TR6 has become my daily driver for the time being. I should have sorted this out some other time then when the biggest snow flakes are falling that i've seen in some time. Thanks for the help.
Eric
 
Works just like any other car heater: hot water from the engine flows through a water/air heat exchanger (aka heater core) while a fan blows air through the heat exchanger and into the car.

I would probably start with the hot water side: Feel the heater hoses at the firewall to see if they are getting hot along with the engine. If not, water is not flowing. Most likely cause for that is the control valve not opening, but it could be a blocked core, collapsed hose, etc.
 
I concur with Randall, and if that fails, time to remove the heater. Not a simple task, but doable. Takes some flexibility, I removed mine and did a total rebuild. If you are going to do that, change all parts inside, including the rheostat. I found a new fan on Ebay. There was talk about someone coming out with a squirrel cage instead of a fan. Not sure if is on the market.
 
If the heater core is not getting hot and the in as well as the out hoses are not hot, and the valve is working, then the problem is an air lock in the core. You will have to 'burp' the core.

To burp it, remove the hose clamp on the output hose at the engine, pull the hose off the pipe, start the engine, and when water comes out of the pipe, stop the engine. Put the hose back on the pipe, top up the radiator, and you should be good to go.

Jim
 
Eric, you never said ,what wasn't working. Fan, heat to the unit, maybe as easy as a busted heater valve.
 
Before removing the core, I'd want to be sure all the lines to/from it are open. I don't recall the exact arrangment on a 73 TR6; but when I got my TR3A the return line along the LH side of the engine block was totally blocked with rust & sediment.

If the core is blocked, you can try backflushing it before removing it. Might not work, but then again it might.

Or another option might be to just take it to your local radiator shop.
 
DNK said:
Eric, you never said ,what wasn't working. Fan, heat to the unit, maybe as easy as a busted heater valve.
Click to expand...

I haven't done anything to the heater. I'm just trying to get a starting point to try and get the heater working. I have a place to start. Who knows where it will go. Hopefully its just that the valve is closed and maybe the worst is I will have the blurp it. If its anything more then that I'll just wear lots of cloths and deal with it in the summer.
 
I had water come out of the return hose. How much water should be coming out? The return hose was getting hot after we reconnected it while the car was running. I had more water coming out of the hose that is connected to the block then connected to the heater. My dad said that some heat was coming out of the vents. Is that all that needs to happen?
 
bigbadbluetr6 said:
My dad said that some heat was coming out of the vents. Is that all that needs to happen?
Click to expand...

On my '73 TR6 the heat just comes out of the bottom of the heater core when the door is in the open position. I have never had heat come out of the eye-ball vents on the dash.
 
hi eric, if you need a hand with your car let me know, i just moved to the area this week and i too drive my tr6 on a daily basis. send me a pm with your number if you want a hand. are you in the triumph club?
Randy
 
Randy,
You're out of RI and in Kansas now? Our loss, their gain!
 
"I had water come out of the return hose. How much water should be coming out? The return hose was getting hot after we reconnected it while the car was running. I had more water coming out of the hose that is connected to the block then connected to the heater. My dad said that some heat was coming out of the vents. Is that all that needs to happen?"

Eric,

If water is flowing through both hoses then it is also flowing through the core. There will be, when all of the air is finnally purged from the core, as much water coming out as going in.

If the heater fan is working, run engine, turn on fan and heat should come out of the heater vents.

Jim
 
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