Poor heater performance in loyale

[captainkf]

I have read around about different treatments that people run through their cooling systems to flush heater core's. However I would love to hear some first hand info on inexpensive ways to flush a core from an actual person. I don't want to buy a special pump to circulate the coolant, I figured I would put the goods in and go for a drive as that would do it right? Or do I need to isolate just the heating coolant section, remove the hose, put on said pump, run, reattache?

 

Or, do I just need to replace it? I REALLY don't want to remove the dash and spend a whole day monkeying around.

 

Thanks all!

 

-Richard

[daeron]

first shot is, remove the spare. Find the two coolant hoses going into and out of the heater core. Remove those hoses on the engine side, leaving some hose attached to the firewall. Flush back and forth, alternating hoses, with a garden hose. Watch out for spraying debris

 

I would try that, then run with an engine flush product (per the direction on whatever product you buy) and then try the garden hose thing again after the solution has had a chance to eat away at the crud.

[GeneralDisorder]

I've never had any luck with trying to flush poorly circulating heater cores. Replace it and have REAL heat. It's not that bad of a job and one that you will feel good about doing once you have done it - being able to completely clean all the duct work and replace ageing foam seals is worth the effort if the car is nice. If the car is crap get one of those cigarette lighter heaters or set the passenger seat on fire

 

Obtain a whole heater core unit and it's box from a junk yard car - this way you can have it all prepped and ready to go with the new core before you start. Often a used core from a vehicle that has had regular coolant changes is plenty good enough too - at least I've done it several times to good effect. A lot cheaper than a new core too.

 

GD

[daeron]

I've never had any luck with trying to flush poorly circulating heater cores. Replace it and have REAL heat. It's not that bad of a job and one that you will feel good about doing once you have done it - being able to completely clean all the duct work and replace ageing foam seals is worth the effort if the car is nice. If the car is crap get one of those cigarette lighter heaters or set the passenger seat on fire

 

Obtain a whole heater core unit and it's box from a junk yard car - this way you can have it all prepped and ready to go with the new core before you start. Often a used core from a vehicle that has had regular coolant changes is plenty good enough too - at least I've done it several times to good effect. A lot cheaper than a new core too.

 

GD

 

I live in South Florida. I don't really need heat. Take his opinion over mine; GD is probably right, and I confess that I was simply regurgitating information to try and help you out. I have no firsthand experience actually trying this, it just made sense when I read it. Some people will say it works well, I know that much.

[Frank B]

I've never had to replace a heater core in ANY vehicle I've owned, luck I guess. But I have flushed them with good results. Get a garden hose repair end, the kind you clamp on the hose, and put that on the heater hose that you have disconnected so your garden hose connects to it properly. Then with the other hose disconnected as well, turn on the water but gradually increase pressure. DO NOT let it fly, your home water pressure is 60 + psi, and your coolant system is designed to operate at 13 psi. So gradually increase pressure untill the water is running clear and steady. Then swap hoses to back flush. Your done. Or you can simply switch the hoses going to your heater core so the flow of coolant will be reversed and over time it may break it up.

Good luck

[captainkf]

I've never had any luck with trying to flush poorly circulating heater cores. Replace it and have REAL heat. It's not that bad of a job and one that you will feel good about doing once you have done it - being able to completely clean all the duct work and replace ageing foam seals is worth the effort if the car is nice. If the car is crap get one of those cigarette lighter heaters or set the passenger seat on fire

 

Obtain a whole heater core unit and it's box from a junk yard car - this way you can have it all prepped and ready to go with the new core before you start. Often a used core from a vehicle that has had regular coolant changes is plenty good enough too - at least I've done it several times to good effect. A lot cheaper than a new core too.

 

GD

How do you know when purchasing a used core that it is in good shape?

[paulpicard]

Short answer is: you don't!! (Unless you can get it pressure tested before you pay the man - hardly likely in this neck of the woods)

[Reveeen]

You have 2 things going against you, on these cars, for a "quick fix".

 

1)When overheated, (or if the cooling system leaks due to age) folks tend to, again the "quick fix" with the stop leak. Stop leak plugs heater cores, always did, always will.

2)Some vehicles have, what I call, a "down hill heater core". Your Loyale is one of them, where the water pump has to push water up, and over, into the heater core, the return trip is the same thing all over again. Any, well, "stuff" in the cooling system (be it crud, detached deposits, or the afore mentioned stop leak) gets pumped into the heater core, and stays there plugging it up.

 

If it was me, I would try the hose flushing thing that was mentioned, and if you see no improvement, I would consider a new one.

[TomRhere]

The "garden hose" method works, but as stated, caution is advised. Also, swapping the supply/return hoses can clear out the core as well, my prefered method.

 

As for "flushing agents", I prefer NAPA's "Mac's Radiator Cleanser". Best stuff out there in my book. I've used it on many makes/models with good results.. I've left it in a few nasty systems way longer than the 20 minutes the directions call for with no ill effects..

 

Going to a salvage yard and pulling a heater box is a good idea. It'll give you some knowledge of what needs to be done without the risk of mucking up something in your ride. Pulling the dash isn't hard, just tedious and time consuming. Will you get a good core? Maybe/maybe not, but a Radiator Shop could test the core for you. And as GD said, it'll be cheaper than a new one, (if it's good), even with the cost of having it checked out.

[captainkf]

Thanks for the info all! That gives me a few things to try, and with the temps dropping, none too soon.

 

-Richard