Re: Coolant smell,low heating, more Q's

[Gregory Frenzel <fren0027@tc.umn.edu>]

oh dear oh dear oh dear...   I just fought this battle with mine.
If you notice the odour from only the inside of the car and no leaks in
the engine compartment, it's probably your heater core. I spent
something on the order of four weeks waiting for parts, then 1 day
replacing the core, then one more fixing all the stuff I broke in the
process.   Everyone who replied to my initial complaint said it was a
lot of work but not really that hard, I have to agree, just make sure
you start early, have meals prepared and are in a good mood.
    As far as replacing, assuming your car is similar to my 84, do this:

    1) order the core and have it in hand.   you might want to go to the

dealer and look at their microfiche just to learn what it looks like.
Don't go to NAPA since, I'm still waiting on the one I ordered.   Metric

has cores for 80, Big wheel Rossi has one for about 72 + $5core charge.
    2) get Fresh anti-freeze, and A/C discharged.   Recharge fee is less

than labor for all of this.   Go to Southeast 76, on the corner of
franlin and east river road, they'll discharge it for free (your in
St.Paul right?)
    3) coffe can or so, plastic to lay on the inside of the car, and oil

dry to catch the stuff your plastic didn't.
    4) remove the gear shift knob and boot.
    5) dissassemble the center counsel including heater controls, mark
where the light bulbs go.   Take out the lower driver's side cargo shelf

under the dash, remove the lower plastic cover for the dash on the
driver's side.   Remove the cover underneath the dash on the passenger
side.
    6)Disconnect the A/C piping, careful not to crank too hard on the
fittings.
    7) disconnect the heater hoses by the drivers right foot.   Make
sure the anti-freeze system is de-pressurized before hand, i.e. loosen
the filler cap.   a plastic piece/channel covers them, remove cover,
unscrew clamps, place coffee can underneath(plastic under that, oil dry
under that) close your eyes and yank.
    8) Un-bolt the heater box, it is bolted to the upper dash with two
nuts.   you'll have to work on it from underneath.
    * you may have to get into the engine compartment now if you can't
just pull/work out the box.   There was a plastic cover that protects
the blower fan that was 1/2 inch too high.   Take off the plastic hood
vent cover thing, you should now be able to see the fresh air intake
cowling (2 pieces).   From inside the car remove the two vacume lines
that connect to one piece of the cowling, unbolt (2 bolts).   From
engine compartment, try to unbolt the other piece of the cowling, mine
didn't.   I tried cutting the bolt with my Dremel but ended up melting
the plastic that held onto the bolt.   I wouldn't advise that.  the
protective blower piece just fits on there. pull it off.
    9) remove the heater core box. be really nice to the variable
resistor assembly.
    10) remove the clips using a combination of pliers and screwdriver,
careful, I think VWN8 said they like to fly away.   They do.   Pull out
A/C and heater cores, clean the inside thorougly.   Getcherself a
hacksaw blade and cut a panel by the heater core so the next time this
happens, you can just open the panel and slide the core out.   Some
older rabbits had this feature.
    11)   Get all the loose stuff to settle down and seal the box with
calk, or black RTV, or nothing.   I used nothing, haven't had any new
rattles come up.
    12) put the clips back on and stuff everything back together again.
Make damn sure your blower works before you put the dash back in again.
Enjoy! : )

A New core should only cost 80-120 as I have said in the minneapolis
area, where I'm assuming heater cores are at a premium.

Greg


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