Removing Heat Core

[DrZEUS]

Is there a DIY to remove the heater core? I understand it's located under the driver's side dash. Just wondering what is involved in pulling it. Would like to flush it out as it keeps getting clogged and it's costing me big bucks each time I take it to the shop.

[seanf86]

there is a DIY in the B6 section, its pretty easy, I'd remove it and replace it, I find flushing it only helps for a short time and it plugs again.

[DrZEUS]

Bumping my own thread. Had my heater core removed and flushed out 4 times over the past year. Keeps plugging up. The material that comes out is like sand. Literally. It's baffling and even my trusty mechanic can't explain it. His theory is that this is sand leftover in the crevices of the block from the casting process. Why after 8 years and 160,000 km later though? I'll snap of pic of the sandy stuff. Hopefully someone can chime in.

[Cobra351]

Maybe try flushing the entire system also(except the heater core)? And then do ONLY the heater core on it's own- using bypass hoses.

[DrZEUS]

Maybe try flushing the entire system also(except the heater core)? And then do ONLY the heater core on it's own- using bypass hoses.

My coolant and coolant tank looks clean but it doesn't hurt to try that. Do you mean flush the heater core while on the car and on my own? If so, what's the best way? I don't have a compressor.

[aluthman]

Do a good coolant flush of the block to clear it out. You can also flush your heater core without removing it. Just hook some long hoses onto the nipples and flush that way like I did in the picture below.

[DrZEUS]

Do a good coolant flush of the block to clear it out. You can also flush your heater core without removing it. Just hook some long hoses onto the nipples and flush that way like I did in the picture below.

Are you hooking up a regular water hose to those black hoses for the flush? What diameter (inside) are those black hoses?

[DrZEUS]

Here's what keeps coming out with each flush (removing heater core and flushing it with a garden hose).

IMG_20161214_173302.jpg

[aluthman]

Yes, i used a garden hose to flush it. The hose is 3/4" heater core hose from napa.

It looks like someone may have put some of that stop leak shit in your coolant system at some point.

[vvenom800tt]

Stop leak ruins coolant systems.

I flushed mine last winter. Tooke the hoses off in the engine bay and blasted in with a garden hose and had the other side hosed into a bucked to catch the debris.

Worked like a charm. A lot of white flaky calcium stuff came out

[mtroxel]

^^^My thought^^^^ Someone put some stop-leak in there. That should outlaw that crap. For cooling systems and AC systems, it's just awful. Meanwhile you'll be at some holiday party and someone will be bragging about how he fixed his sister's car with a can of stop-leak, blah, blah, blah.

[Militant-Grunt]

there is a DIY in the B6 section, its pretty easy, I'd remove it and replace it, I find flushing it only helps for a short time and it plugs again.

Removing and installing it is the easy part, getting those fucking metal vband coolant lines back on is the hard part. If you go through with it, make sure you get a fresh clamp / seal kit.

[DrZEUS]

RE: the stop leak, maybe the previous owner put that crap in. I bought it CPO, 3 years old with 60k km on the dial. I've since put on 110k and it's taken that long for the problem to rear it's ugly head.

I am going to try and flush the heater core without removing it by using aluthman and Cobra351's suggestion to use bypass hoses.

Just curious, after running regular water via garden hose and bypass hose through the core, how do i flush out any remaining water in the core? I don't have an air compressor.

[DrZEUS]

....btw, which hose is the outlet and which is the inlet?

[mtroxel]

Just curious, after running regular water via garden hose and bypass hose through the core, how do i flush out any remaining water in the core? I don't have an air compressor.

I do it their way too, with some extra heater hose I've got around. I just blow on one of the hoses. As long as you have clean water in there, you don't need to get it bone dry. I'll even pour some 50%/50% in there to help avoid a bubble.

....btw, which hose is the outlet and which is the inlet?

[Theiceman]

don't worry about the water it will just intermix with coolant as soon as it gets up to temp , its a small amount so wont change it to much .. or do what I did whan I was a kid. I had a large balloon a blew up , put it over the hose then let it go
lol

[aluthman]

IIRC, the top hose is the outlet.

[Okedokey]

You want to do it in reverse. Ie reverse flush with some CLR Clear and warm water. Leave it over night. Then flush with clean water and replace.