Can't get a heater core for my CUCV ???

[jrsavoie]

Cool, I'm going to have to keep an eye out for a radiator shop in our area. There'll never be another guy like our local was. People just can't work as cheap as he did. He had all his stuff paid for years ago. And just had to make his wages, taxes and utilities.

 

[Acesneights1]

Well, pull the new aluminum heater core out today. The air door is working fine and was open. The Chinese made one is just a worthless POS like everything that comes from China. I hate doing a job twice although I did some house keeping this time. Cleaned up the fuel lines and installed the checkvalve and a new fender well. BTW for those with CUCV's the after market wheel well doesn't have the batt tray holes drilled but it is dimpled where they should be. Make sure to get CAPA. Also the extra support strips can be removed and reused off the old wheel well. The spot welds are tiny and easily broken with an air hammer with minimal damage. BTW I fired the truck up in 34 deg weather and within 5 mins I had glowing heat. Also yanked the 60g's out and replaced with Bosch Duratherms while it was easy to do so. The 60g's are "ok" but the duratherms are better in a 6.2.

 

[CtChevy427]

Looks to be quite a difference in thickness of the two units.

 

[iamdave0887]

That aluminum core looks way too small to provide really good heat. I'll bet size was the problem all along. I hope i don't have to change out my core since the heat is nice in there once the engine's warmed up some, even with no insulation on the floors it gets pretty hot in there.

Where'd your get the inner fenders from Kenny? I need to get two for my blazer. The ones in there are basically disintegrated.

 

[Acesneights1]

Keystone. 53$ a piece for CAPA and the quality is excellent. No compalints. The warehouse is in Manchester. You can walk right in and buy them. The guy will usually give shop price for COD OTC sales.

 

[Acesneights1]

The Chinese made alumin POS just didn't get hot. I hooked the heater hoses to it removed and ran the truck and it only got warm compared to the temp of the hoses. I have never seen anything like it but with the factory one back in the heat is ridicoulous. Never worry about heater cores, any GOOD rad shop can custom make one even if not available. Boyce said they have used ones for non A\C.

 

[iamdave0887]

Keystone. 53$ a piece for CAPA and the quality is excellent. No compalints. The warehouse is in Manchester. You can walk right in and buy them. The guy will usually give shop price for COD OTC sales.

That's not a bad price if the quality is good. LMC wants $49 with an additional $20.00 "Oversize part" charge per oversize item. That's $49 bucks each plus $40 for this "oversize part" charge for chinese inner fenders. :bs2:

 

[iamdave0887]

Goddamn it. I had to open my ****ing mouth. Smelled coolant on the way home in the Blazer. Turned the interior light on and sure enough there's a trail of coolant coming from the heater box.

God friggin Damn it. issed:

Kenny how hard is the core to do on an A/C equipped truck? You said yours was pretty easy. I hope mine's not that bad since i've got to get this done ASAP.

 

[Acesneights1]

IIRC it's a PIA. It's been along time since I did one but still not that bad compared to NBS. Sorry for jinxing you.

 

[iamdave0887]

I"ll live no biggie. I knew that core was on borrowed time and it was only a matter of time. It's not leaking really bad and the system still had pressure in it. There was maybe a cup full of coolant on the floor and the overflow was still close to 1/2 full when i pulled in to check the level to make sure it wasn't running low. Rad was full too.

I just hope that core I've got is the right one. It looks to be either brass or copper. It's not aluminum.

Have to get this done ASAP regardless of how big a PIA it is. The only other heater core i've done was on some POS fox body mustang, and that was a bitch and a half, but it's a Ford, so that doesn't surprise me any.

 

[Acesneights1]

No, even with A\C I don't think it's that bad although I believe you need to pull the pass side wheel well so I guess you'll be changing that too. The one from my CUCV was patchable if you want it.

 

[Acesneights1]

For some reason I am thinking maybe it's done from the firewall side ?? I know I did one on my Brown truck but for the life of me can't remember but something is telling me it was easy.

 

[iamdave0887]

When i had the A/C evaporator core out i could see the heater core but couldn't remove it. It looks like it needs to be done from the inside under the dash. Was your CUCV's pulled from under the dash?

 

[Acesneights1]

Yeah it comes out from the inside on the CUCV. Gotta pull the glovebox but not the dash.

 

[iamdave0887]

i figure mine comes out the same way. I think the only difference is the "suitcase" in the engine bay that holds the A/C evaporator and that half of the case vesus the case for a non-A/C rig.

I"ll find out tomorrow morning. Also that spare core i have, has white stuff on the outside(almost looks like light corrosion), but it wasn't there before. The core was pretty much brand new when given to me. I let it sit outside for 2-3 days and it rained I brought it inside after that and it's been sitting in the garage. Since then there's been a white-ish coating on the outside of the core. I hope nothing's damaged or i'll be buying a core, and with my luck it'll be that POS aluminum type you first had Kenny.

 

[Samyguy]

hey I just pulled mine today,[CUCV] taking out the glovebox just makes it easyer to see.
you'll have 3 nuts to take off studs that go though the fire wall that hold the air box in place
then there are some screws in side that are easy to see that come out, once all of those are out it should drop to the floor
you'll have some cables on there ,then 4 screws in 2 bands to take out, and it is in your hand
good luck

 

[Acesneights1]

Dave has a\c. It's different than a CUCV. CUCV is easier. Also it is much easier IMHO to atleat drop the wheelwell in the back or better yet remove it. The bottom bolts are near impossible to get to without doing that.

 

[iamdave0887]

Got the heater box out in about an hour. Core was shot, and there was the remains of a mouse nest in there. Goddamn critters!! It was the damn mouse piss that corroded the core since it was leaking right under the nest covered area. issed:

Had it re-cored for $35 at a local rad shop. Also found a few of those clips that connect the vac actuator to the air door that's for vent or floor selection at a local dealer. Bought both just in case. Mine was badly busted.

Tomorrow i'll be re-installing everything.

The old core was the original as "Harrison" was stamped into the tank on one side. It was also about 50% plugged up with what looked like gasket material. Wish i knew how that got in there. The rad shop said that old core had probably 50% heat output, and it was still toasty in the front of that truck.

Oh and Kenny, that core i had must've been for a Non-A/C truck because it was the wrong one for mine yet the rad shop said it's for a chevy truck of that vintage. Since i had no use for it, and the fins were pretty bent up i let the rad shop keep it since i've got no use for it.

 

[NVW]

Got the heater box out in about an hour. Core was shot, and there was the remains of a mouse nest in there. Goddamn critters!! It was the damn mouse piss that corroded the core since it was leaking right under the nest covered area. issed:

Had it re-cored for $35 at a local rad shop. Also found a few of those clips that connect the vac actuator to the air door that's for vent or floor selection at a local dealer. Bought both just in case. Mine was badly busted.

Tomorrow i'll be re-installing everything.

The old core was the original as "Harrison" was stamped into the tank on one side. It was also about 50% plugged up with what looked like gasket material. Wish i knew how that got in there. The rad shop said that old core had probably 50% heat output, and it was still toasty in the front of that truck.

Oh and Kenny, that core i had must've been for a Non-A/C truck because it was the wrong one for mine yet the rad shop said it's for a chevy truck of that vintage. Since i had no use for it, and the fins were pretty bent up i let the rad shop keep it since i've got no use for it.

Bars Leak or something like it?

 

[iamdave0887]

I suppose it could be. This isn't the original engine in this truck, It's a goodwrench crate, so perhaps the headgaskets let go in the original engine and someone put that "headgasket fix" crap in there. I've got no work reciepts on the engine or the truck, so I've got no idea what the original engine's cause of death was.

I can tell you the coolant in there now is a nice fresh green color as i put it in myself and used nothing but a bottle of Water Wetter. It'll be flushed out after winter since i'm putting in a huge 4 core radiator that should be able to shed the excess heat the Banks turbo setup will add.