Leaking heater core/replacement?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 43
Likes: 1
Leaking heater core/replacement?
So recently my 96 vett started smoking from the defroster vent and smelled like coolant, I checked the forum to see if anyone else had the problem and looked like most people said the cause was a leaking heater core, If y'all think its something else please let me know! 
Also where do y'all recommend buying a new heater core from, if a link could be attached to it please!
Also where do y'all recommend buying a new heater core from, if a link could be attached to it please!
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 11,470
Likes: 764
if it's an original heater core, it's 27 years old and most likely you're looking at replacement. my 85's lasted about the same number of years. not a fun job - i lucked out and found a corvette speciality shop in st. pete that replaced mine for $200 labor (in 2009) - i proveded the core (purchased from NAPA). coming up on 15 years - no issues to date. this is one of the few jobs i actually farmed out.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 43
Likes: 1
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 11,470
Likes: 764
$1700 - holy crap!!! labor costs on these things, in general, is insane. part of the problem is finding techs with actual hands on C4 experience, as some of these folks can do more harm than good. as with most corvettes, you either need deep pockets or a really good tool set, OR you need to find a another hobby. i know owners that have sold their corvette because they couldn't DIY, and/or couldn't afford to take it to a shop.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,383
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From: Melbourne, FL
After I did mine I said that I'd burn the car down next time. The job isn't hard, it's the space you're working in that's a pain.
$1700 isn't bad at all. I got quotes more than that for lower control arms on my trailblazer which are like, 5 bolts each side and the only access you need is a lift and the wheel off.
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Burning Brakes
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When I did my heater core, I bought a pressure gauge thing from Lowes, and I think I attached a rubber hose to it and I think I clamped a rubber end cap on one of the tubes on the heater core, And then clamped the pressure gauge to the other tube on the heater core. And there's a thing where you can connect a bike cycle pump, and I think I pumped the pressure up to what the pressure says on the radiator cap, then filled a bath tube full of water and left the heater core in the water for several days checking to see if it lost any pressure or any bubbles. It checked out and still working 10 years on.