2G Heater core leak

[auker1]

Ok so i just put a new turbo on my car and also removed my ac components at the same time. I unhooked the water lines to the heater core so i could get the ac compressor out without removing my in take and having to buy new gaskets. Anyways, once i got it back together and ran it for a while i started to hear a leaking sound like a bubbly leak in the cabin around the pedals. I looked on both sides of the firewall and didn't see anything wet and there are no leaks under my car so i drove it for awhile longer hoping it would go away but it persisted. So today i went out and lifted my floor mat and my floor is soaked in coolant. Im going to make a pretty good guess that my heater core is leaking so what I'm wondering is what would u guys do. Ad some form of stop leak but i know that it has been known to clog up coolant passages in the head or replace the heater core for $110? I'm on a pretty good budget but i could do the work myself so that would save me labor charges. No one close by has an eclipse i can talk to about this so I'm looking for a little advise on this one.

 

[92AWDHX40]

No stop leak fix it right replace the heater core pull the dash and get a new core its a bit of work but if it continues youll have nothing but leaking issues and possibly overheating due to loss of coolant, no write up on it just get in there and start doing it or pay someone to which is too much, because it isn't a hard job a few hours.

 

[DSM1G90]

The brass tubing that attaches to the core is rightfully soft and pliable where you have to do the hose connections by pulling and pushing on the hoses straight and no bending the hoses.

If with the leaks, either the hose clamps aren't on tight, or the soft tubing is bent just enough to allow leaking past the hoses and dripping back into the cabin.

If the latter, might have to take the core out to straighten the tubing. Otherwise, it's a new core install

Don't use that crap stock leak stuff for that plugs up everything in sight that shouldn't be plugged up. Fix it the right way.

-DSM

 

[NHerron]

Recently talked to someone who had just bought a jeep. Their heater didn't work. Well in the end, the problem was some form of stop leak had clogged the heater core. Hooked up air to one side and out came something fierce in the 1-2lb gunk range. Explains why the P.O. had a new core but the old wasn't leaking. Figured: it was leaking, po got new core, then said f that after seeing the work involved, so stuck stop leak and called it good. Moral is, if you want the leaking to cease, you're better off just looping the lines after stop leak clogs the core.

 

[auker1]

hey thanks for the response guys. yeah i figured on not using stop leak. I am planning on ordering a new core tomorrow from jnz tuning. I think i may have damaged the soft water line inlets when i was removing my ac compressor. I probably yanked them the wrong way or something. its gonna be a long week full of dash removal evenings. but the good news is that i found a 14b and will be installing that soon.

 

[DSM1G90]

Took me an afternoon removing my dash to get to my core-being all plugged up.

But, with the now results of having tonnage of heat during the cold months of this last winter was worth the tear-down to insert a new core and reassemble since I DD daily on the freeway.

 

[Turbogsxr1100]

Is it best to get an OE heater core or are the parts store ones fine? I know on my rustang guys claim to get the OE one because it's better quality.

 

[auker1]

I would go to either jnz tuning for one or partsgeek.com is where I got mine. They have a one year warranty and free shipping.got mine in on Monday and am rewiring some stuff but I'm pretty much done. Tuff stuff does a good job of getting antifreeze out of the carpet.

 

[Turbogsxr1100]

auker1 do you go to BSD at all?

 

[auker1]

I have gone once to watch but never raced. I might someday but I don't have enough confidence in my car yet to drag it. I love my car and I don't want to really race it till i get some things worked out. I just need to get enough money to fix it up the way i want it then i might go. Do you go?

 

[auker1]

resolved