Heater Core leaking
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Houston Tx
Heater Core leaking
Now I have the dreaded heater core leak and my carpet is soaked. Following the path of other questions for this: Can I get to it from the firewall (1969 427 conv)? Went to bypass the heater core and discovered that the bottom hose is smaller than the top hose and won't fit to the reservoir. Is there an adapter or something I can use here? What a mess!!!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,150
Likes: 154
I did mine from under dash,as far as I know you can't do it from the firewall. The hoses should both be 3/8 heater hose,is the bottom of the exspansion stock?You might have to repair tank so both hoses are the same.The new heater core will have two 3/8 connections.If you fix tank then you can bypass core for the time being.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 275
Likes: 6
From: NY
Originally Posted by Harold69
Now I have the dreaded heater core leak and my carpet is soaked. Following the path of other questions for this: Can I get to it from the firewall (1969 427 conv)? Went to bypass the heater core and discovered that the bottom hose is smaller than the top hose and won't fit to the reservoir. Is there an adapter or something I can use here? What a mess!!!
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 12,065
Likes: 2
From: Smalltownville Michigan
Cruise-In 5, 6 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by big_G
The auto parts stores have the 5/8 to 3/4 inch adapter/couplers. Just join the 2 heater hoses with one, and be sure to secure the hoses away from the exhaust manifold. 
I learned this the hard way going to a show.. pulled in and parked then popped the hood...heard a hissing noise and then KOOSH!!!! antifreeze everywhere!
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Houston Tx
Thanks for the advice. Went ahead and bypassed the heater core and cleaned up the mess as best I could. At least I am back on the road on beautiful days like today 
Looks like I have a project now for the winter. Given the choice of heater cores out there, Autozone - $35, Ecklers $69 etc. Is there any one that seems to last longer or all they all pretty much the same?
Thanks
Looks like I have a project now for the winter. Given the choice of heater cores out there, Autozone - $35, Ecklers $69 etc. Is there any one that seems to last longer or all they all pretty much the same?Thanks
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,713
Likes: 31
From: Shreveport LA
LA Events Coordinator
I had the same situation occur to me this past summer....decided to have Corvettes of Dallas remove the old core and replaced it with a new one. They did an EXCELLENT job and it was well worth the $600 I spent......The price also included them to reinforce both inlet and outlet pipes on the new core...this way it is guaranteed never to leak at the weakest point of the core...at the bends. One day, in and out and it was fixed...no fuss, no muss! I know Corvettes of Houston is affliated with Corvettes of Dallas.....FYI
Racer
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
From: Omaha, NE
Why not have a radiator shop re-core your Harrison tanks? It's probably cheaper than a repop (which are all foreign made now), they WILL pressure test it and you could ask them to do some reinforcing of the tubes as well. Good luck.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,247
Likes: 471
From: Glen Allen, VA
I'm not sure I would go with an Autozone heater core, especially if I knew it was an offshore made one. For all the trouble that it is to replace, I'd want the best money can buy. Now, on my 70 C10 pickup, I put the cheapest one I could get because it's so easy to do on the truck.
