Is this the heater core?

[do2mind]

Car smells like anti-freeze inside passenger area of car...

Heater/defroster vents sometimes blow "fog", or fog up the windows, anti-freeze smell is stronger...

There is sometimes a "gurgling" sounds behind the dash

I tried some of that coolant leak seal gunk... it worked on an Oldsmobile 20 years ago for a heater core leak... didn't fix my CB7.

Do I need a new heater core?

==============

I searched threads for "heater core", did not find a complete DIY... only that you have to take off the dash, and something about hoses at the firewall... are those the hoses that are pretty much at the center of the firewall, behind and underneath the fuel injection assembly?

Does anyone have a "step by step" for this?

Thanks a lot...

D

[customchord]

Yeah I would definitely replace it before it leaks every where and ruins your carpet. I would just get a Haynes manual or a Chilton manual.

But if you don't have the funds to replace it you can just loop those 2 hoses going to it on the firewall. You just won't have heat.

[southsidecb7z]

Yeah I would definitely replace it before it leaks every where and ruins your carpet. I would just get a Haynes manual or a Chilton manual.

But if you don't have the funds to replace it you can just loop those 2 hoses going to it on the firewall. You just won't have heat.

x2

[SteveB]

X3.

You really don't want to be breathing that stuff, either.

[do2mind]

Stuck hoses...

Okay, I tried to disconnect the hoses from the heater core at the firewall... took off the clips first, of course... those bad boys are stuck on there tight, could not get them off.

Am I missing something specific about the firewall heater core hose connections? Or does anyone have any general tips on removing "stuck" hoses (rubber hose on a metal pipe)

Kind of hard to get back there... I took off the air intake ram, which helped a little... any other ideas?

If you've got any ideas... thanks in advance.

[Shadow1]

try spraying some WD-40 or some PB blaster on them. let it soaks for a couple of minutes. should pop off with a little force. i normally do that to hoses when i putting them on and taking them off. makes it easier to do it. plus it keeps you from ripping the hose from pulling too hard.

[bcjammerx]

never put "gunk" that "plugs holes" in ANY part of your car...it will gum up everything. bad bad bad

most likely a crack in your heater core yes

happened in my dad's f150, on my way to school in dead of winter...smoke pouring out of the car like crazy...course it irritated my eyes too...yes...there were assumptions that day.

[HondaTuner808]

Removing stuck rubber hoses is pretty easy. Start by trying to turn the hose left to right to break the bond it has formed with whatever it's connected to. If that doesn't work, a good hook-tool set will get the job done. Using the appropriately shaped tool (The "L" shaped Hook-Tool), slide it between the hose and the object it is connected to and work it all the way around the hose until the seal/bond is broken.

[do2mind]

take off the throttle?

As I'm looking at this, I'm thinking it would be a lot easier to reach back there and get at the hoses on the firewall if I could take the throttle off the fuel injection manifold. Are there any complications to this? If I do that, will I need a special gasket to put it back on, or can I re-use the old one?

Is there anything complicated about taking off the throttle, or is it just four bolts and that's it?

[do2mind]

Okay... answered my own question, went ahead and took the throttle off... just four nuts, the cable, and a few vacuum hoses to disconnect... right now, the throttle is dangling on two out of it's three hoses... I can now see over the top of it, and still reach on top or underneath it... and yes, it does make it much easier to reach back to the hoses at the firewall. And I think I should be able to get it back together.

The guy at AutoZone said don't use WD-40 on hoses, it sucks the moisture out of the rubber, dries out the hoses, and leads to early failure.

I was able to get the firewall hoses loose from the heater core pipes... bought a small pair of vise grips and used those to twist... took a few minutes, but I got it.

The gasket between the throttle and the manifold ripped in half... will have to figure that out tomorrow, it's too dark to finish tonight.

Tomorrow... disable the airbag, remove the steering wheel and dash, replace the heater core, and put it all back together.

[benji]

Okay... answered my own question, went ahead and took the throttle off... just four nuts, the cable, and a few vacuum hoses to disconnect... right now, the throttle is dangling on two out of it's three hoses... I can now see over the top of it, and still reach on top or underneath it... and yes, it does make it much easier to reach back to the hoses at the firewall. And I think I should be able to get it back together.

The guy at AutoZone said don't use WD-40 on hoses, it sucks the moisture out of the rubber, dries out the hoses, and leads to early failure.

I was able to get the firewall hoses loose from the heater core pipes... bought a small pair of vise grips and used those to twist... took a few minutes, but I got it.

The gasket between the throttle and the manifold ripped in half... will have to figure that out tomorrow, it's too dark to finish tonight.

Tomorrow... disable the airbag, remove the steering wheel and dash, replace the heater core, and put it all back together.

Sorry I'm late to the thread, but you don't have to take out the whole dash to do it. You can take out the glove box on the passenger side and then take out sections of the HVAC system until you get down to the heater core.

Be careful with Vise grips on coolant hoses; it can be easy to grip too tightly and bend the metal pipe under the hose, which can cause leaks. I use either the hook mentioned above, or I just gently grab the hose with regular pliers. I only grab hard enough to keep from slipping on the rubber. If the hoses look old, it might be a good time to change them; they have a habit of leaking as soon as you get everything back together when they are old.

Silicone spray is what you should use on hoses, or anything rubber for that matter. Also helps on window tracks, just spray some in the track and then run the window up/down a couple of times.

be sure to bleed the system with the heater valve open when you're done!

[do2mind]

benji... have you actually replaced a CB7 heater core without removing the dash?

It seems like some of the screws needed to be reached would be behind something to the left... not true?

[benji]

benji... have you actually replaced a CB7 heater core without removing the dash?

It seems like some of the screws needed to be reached would be behind something to the left... not true?

To be honest, it's been about 5 years. I know I didn't take out the dash, though. I'd say just do it however seems easiest to you.

[do2mind]

Heater Assembly stuck

Replacing the heater core.

Dashboard is removed

Four nuts which hold heater assembly removed.

Housing strap from heater assembly to evaporator removed.

Heater assembly won't come out.

Why not?

I've done everything listed in both Chilton & Haynes.

D

[accord2nr81]

have you took the heater core hoses off the firewall holding the unit in?