Have not got in the box to see what the damage is but does anyone have a good idea of what I might be faced with? Is there a heater core or a valve in there or both?
heater Theres just a heater core in there, and they are quite delicate, you may be able to find someone to repair it ifn ita not too bad but as Nate has said many times on here, warn the repairers not to pressure test it above 4lb i think is the figure, these engines dont run a high pressure coolant system and if they test it like a normal core it will burst
Heater Leak Repair First you have to decide : Do you want to do it the easy (factory) way ? . Or , would you rather follow how most restorers do it and throw hundreds of dollars at it and maybe not have a satisfactory result ? . You first need to flush the cooling system until it remains clear , no reddish crud floating in it , then go to NAPA or other FLAPS and look until you find the clear plastic tube of " Silver Seal " , it's a silvery powder , you dump the entire tube into the cool radiator when it's full of coolant (60 % coolant , 40 % distilled water) then run the engine for a while (drive to dinner or swap meet , 30 minutes minimum) and it'll be fixed , permanently just like GM , F*#d and Chrysler all do with thier new vehicles from the factory.... Be aware the goof behind the parts counter will try to sell you some other crap , if you buy it , we cannot help you further Follow the instructions here 100 % , DO NOT get cute or clever and try to short cut the job or improve , I've heen using this stuff for 40 years and never had it fail yet..... Let us know how it goes .
I will give the Silver Seal a try. I would much rather do that then take that box apart. Thanks for the advise.....Ken
Nate, will the "Silver seal" work with an alum. radiator,factory heat core and V8? Sure would be nice not to take off box and dump ante-freeze.
Core heater hoses clamps check ! If it is the old original type heater both core hose clamps are visual if you take a look underneath. Try to tighten those and the onces that are under the hood. You never know if the leaking comes from these loose clamps ? I had a guy to have mine changed out as the old one whas rotten but as Nate says its quite expencive to do. But maybe its posseble to buy one used here at the forum from one of the other guys ; Try Joe Deadzonetrucking Tuscon AR. ? Good luck.
Thanx blueflame, I'm almost certain its the core cause it also steams up my windshield. I'll keep deadzone in mind. Merry Christmas!
Smart heater valve control ! Thats a very smart heater valve control you have installed there. What is the brand name of your setup and where can you buy these Charr ? Martinius.
Hot Water Valve NAPA sells them , pretty much all the varous HVAC parts sellers have them , you'll need to find the " Buyer's Guide " and search it to find the correct hose nipple sized one .
I went to Advance Auto and got one across the counter for a 1969 F*#D pickup and mounted it to the fender well with 2 brackets and used the T (throttle)cable from my dash to cut the water off and on. Now the "T" stands for Temp. Good Luck!
"T" Cables Well Charles , they're *very* cheap , under $20 the last time I bought one...... You want to come & dig Cactus holes Jan 1st. (Monday) ? . Pretty much I'll do the digging , I just need direction from you .
Danger! Danger! Will Robinson! Nate! Unless you plan to dig those cacti holes with heavy machinery, use EXTREME CAUTION! 55 plus year old bones, joints, etc are not designed to be abused, especially if they have been abused previously! I'm not saying that you can't do it, but be advised! Ken
Nate; That sounds like it will work, I'll bring the shovels, I'll give you a call and get directions and the Boss may want to come also.
Thank you As I'm sadly well aware of that ~ you shoulda seen the fun I didn't have going up & down the extension ladder & chain sawing my wind damaged tree ~ I was working alone and scared shytless I'd be found dead the next day but that's life , I just soldier on and do what I have to do..... Hopefully Charles will eventually show up and I'l feed him , ply with FREE BEER , whatever it takes to get this job done as I love Cacti and am dreaming of a parkway full of them . Being an ex Yankee farm boy , I own an " Irish Banjo " and know my way around fairly well....... .
The Big Dig O.K. , that's fine , why not bring the pup too ? . Just be aware in advance that the house is closed to visitors , no working bathroom at this time etc. I can drag her out a nice chair to sit in outside..... Is Monday 1/1/2012 ? or is 1/1 Sunday ? . You have my # , give me a call anytime after sundown and we'll work it out , I'm up to my shoulders in broken carbys during daylight to-day . THANK YOU CHARLES ! (note clever use of BOWTIE BLUE there .
Nate, I googled the area and I may bring a few more plants. I have a few more that will not take the cold of the desert, they take the heat but the cold kills them.
Bring it ! I have 100' of Parkway I'd love to fill with Cactus . I'm sure you saw the google aiel photos showing the hated trees on the N. side parkway , th City cut off most of one of them and I hope they'll die this year . See you Monday morning ! the fence guy will be there too .
Sweet ! Oooo.... MORE loverly Cactus' . I hope the rraffic doesn't make you crazy , I'm right down the road in Sierra Madre but am running out of things to do so I'll be home before the 10:00 time , not to worry . Life is good when you're driving a 6 cylinder GM Truck ! .
