Replaced my heatercore, cut open the old one - ugly inside.

A couple weekends ago I replaced my heater core and radiator.

Honestly, replacing the heatercore wasn't that bad a job at all. Just takes a while to get to and put everything back. Took me about 9 hours.

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y232/diavolo90/20150815_180519_resized_1_resized_zpswmrbpapb.jpg

 

The reason I started this thread is to show you guys what the inside of an old clogged up one looks like. I tried to flush mine many times, with all kinds of stuff. It just wasnt working, replacement was the only option to return heat to the passenger side.

 

The bottom was completely clogged with goop, had the consistency of car wax.

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y232/diavolo90/20150830_134115_resized_resized_zpsfpfrxoxt.jpg

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y232/diavolo90/20150830_134709_resized_resized_zpslthy57eg.jpg

 

I scraped some out with a stick, looks like a giant booger.

There were longer rubber band like chunks in there too.

Nasty.

 

Moral of the story: Flush your heater core while you still can.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Diavolo

Nice work. What were the symptoms? I wonder if that's why my old car gurgled through the dash sometimes.

I lost heat on the passenger side about a year ago.

Recently my car was starting to have overheating problems.

Running a little hotter than normal and approaching overheating under load.

Hopefully I dont have a headgasket problem.

Still got some things to work out but the temp seems to be back down to normal, even though i havent done extensive testing.

 

 

The "gurgling" behind the dash is likely some actuator thing read this:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/sound-inside-dash-turn-off-car-190728p5.html

 

My car makes this noise still. It will make the sound if i click the key forward and back without starting the car. So i know its not a bubbling sound, because the engine isnt even warm.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Diavolo

A couple weekends ago I replaced my heater core and radiator.

Honestly, replacing the heatercore wasn't that bad a job at all. Just takes a while to get to and put everything back. Took me about 9 hours.

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y232/diavolo90/20150815_180519_resized_1_resized_zpswmrbpapb.jpg

 

The reason I started this thread is to show you guys what the inside of an old clogged up one looks like. I tried to flush mine many times, with all kinds of stuff. It just wasnt working, replacement was the only option to return heat to the passenger side.

 

The bottom was completely clogged with goop, had the consistency of car wax.

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y232/diavolo90/20150830_134115_resized_resized_zpsfpfrxoxt.jpg

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y232/diavolo90/20150830_134709_resized_resized_zpslthy57eg.jpg

 

I scraped some out with a stick, looks like a giant booger.

There were longer rubber band like chunks in there too.

Nasty.

 

Moral of the story: Flush your heater core while you still can.

 

Did you ever mix coolant types? You can get unlucky and cause this goop by mixing incompatible coolants, and it can clog up all your passageways, rad, hoses, etc.

 

Nice work. What were the symptoms? I wonder if that's why my old car gurgled through the dash sometimes.

 

Gurgling through the dash is because of air in the system - bleeding the coolant system can solve that.

Did you ever mix coolant types? You can get unlucky and cause this goop by mixing incompatible coolants, and it can clog up all your passageways, rad, hoses, etc.

 

 

 

^^^This for sure. That's what it looks like when you mix original green coolant with one of the other types. I always run the "All makes, All brands, All colors" type of antifreeze so that if I'm ever out anywhere and need coolant, I can simply buy anything and put it in.

Did you ever mix coolant types? You can get unlucky and cause this goop by mixing incompatible coolants, and it can clog up all your passageways, rad, hoses, etc.

 

 

 

^^^This for sure. That's what it looks like when you mix original green coolant with one of the other types. I always run the "All makes, All brands, All colors" type of antifreeze so that if I'm ever out anywhere and need coolant, I can simply buy anything and put it in.

 

Didn't add the Subaru coolant additive? Sounds like a plan seeing the super blue or whatever they have now is god awful expensive.

What do you need to pull to get to the heater core? I got my dashboard off. Do I need to remove the big horizontal support beam? Also do you have to disconnect the heater and hoses and ac lines in the engine bay? I was trying to avoid cracking the ac system.

 

This is where i'm at so far.

 

 

 

Don’t know the answer to your question but you may want to do this while you’ve got the dash off.

 

https://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=89188&d=1282677161

Don’t know the answer to your question but you may want to do this while you’ve got the dash off.

 

https://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=89188&d=1282677161

 

Ditto, you beat me to it.

least of my worries.... this battle has just begun..

started a post with a bunch of pics so far.

 

https://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/actually-change-their-heater-corei-283516.html?p=5980599#post5980599

Hi, I got an email about this thread having a new post because I guess im still subscribed to it. I started this thread 5 years ago. wow! time flies. I hadn't logged in here in almost 3 years, and I sold my car about 2 years ago.

It was running great when i sold it, and as far as I know it still is. Sometimes I miss it, but we had our time (8 years) together.

 

To answer your question, yes you have to take off that 'big horizontal support beam'.

I did not have to evacuate my AC. I was able to unbolt a bracket that held the AC lines in the engine bay. That will give you wiggle room to take the heater core out. Its behind the big black plastic thing in the middle which you cant move with the beam in the way.

 

Sorry I cant give specifics, I don't remember. It was something I only ever saw one time 5 years ago. good luck!

 

when you're putting everything back dont forget to triple check that you hook up all the plugs in the dash, and if you need to service your climate control actuator things nows the time to do it. if theyre making that "gurgle" type of noise when you shut the car off, you can open them up and clean and lube them.

Edited July 27, 2020 by Diavolo