Ok, I rented the $180 pressure test kit today and pressurized the bird's cooling system from the side of the radiator. Results were not as expected. Starts to leak at about 10 psi. Note my new heater hoses are clean and dry.
And now the action shot...
I have never had a heater core go, but I am thinking this might be what it looks like???
Studying your photos. Here is the shot of my hose routings on my 'Bird with the Rack out. Trying to figure out what that leak is coming from. I know it is terribly difficult to get photos down in there. Hoping I can help a little.
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Does your wagon have AC? This appears to be at the AC drain so I am figuring the core is leaking out its own drain and not into the cabin at this point...
That is my guess...
Orlen-
If you have the brown service manual, it is is section 1B for AC on Page 31. It just says tube (drain).
Trying to learn Linux version of Photoshop has been .....interesting....LoL.
My suggestion is to bypass heater - see if you can hook heater hoses together.....looks as if you might need an adapter/reducer to do that. Re-pressure test while you have the tester and see if the leaking stops.
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Gotcha!! Found Pontiac diagram & correlated info with the Chevy Manual. Both do have that drain tube. Sorry, it has been a very long time since I replaced my Core in the Wagon. The Chevy may have been clogged causing a different set of symptoms....
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Well I know sunny has had the heater core replaced somewhere in the mid 90s by the step dad who took care of it for my sister.Idk if it is too bad to do,but being I have done heater core work on my mazda the WHOLE dash has to be removed and I am a expert in removing that.At least you identified the general problem.
On the cavalier there is a cover you remove on the bottom of the heater box. You can remove it without taking apart the dash.
I've always had a theory about cars of the 80s and heater cores going bad:
In the summer, we keep the heater control to cold, and that cuts off circulation to the core, leaving a little fluid in there to just sit. So here and there even though it's hot out, I run the car with the control to hot for a little.
I don't know if it does any good or if I've been lucky, but have never had a core go bad; original Hawk or the one I have now.
I took Orlen's advice and cut one of my old hoses into a horseshoe shape and bypassed the core with it. Car holds 15 psi with not a drop lost. I am going to drive this weekend and make sure we are good for the show.
I have a radiator to swap on my MOPAR so lots of fun with coolant this weekend.
I will call around and get prices on recoring the heater and pull it as time allows.
Will be watching this one, as all of us with Pontiacs & A/C will eventually be in this boat too.
My, your "Bird has been giving you the fits this year!!
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So we are on the road and taking it easy...
Still planning to do both axles, seals, and control arms at some point - as well as get the air going again.
Wayne Schiff wrote:I've always had a theory about cars of the 80s and heater cores going bad:
In the summer, we keep the heater control to cold, and that cuts off circulation to the core, leaving a little fluid in there to just sit. So here and there even though it's hot out, I run the car with the control to hot for a little.
I don't know if it does any good or if I've been lucky, but have never had a core go bad; original Hawk or the one I have now.
Coolant still flows through the heater core even on cold. There just is not a lot of air flow through it when on cold since it is covered. The heater core is a small radiator. Almost all if not all gm cars are this way. Maybe now the newer ones.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
