Heater core woes.

[jdogg4]

So the jeep gets up to temp just fine, but hasn’t been blowing hot or even warm at that point. So I’ve ran some cleaner through the system a few times and gotten all kinds of build up and nasty stuff out of it. Well it still wasn’t blowing that great. I noticed the hoses going to and from the water pump and back well the upper one was HOT but the lower one was still cool like I can hold onto it with out it burning or even luke warm. Well I took them off last night and with a pipe cleaner I scrubbed out the lines and O BOY that bottom one was nasty dirty. REALLY bad spent 20 min just cleaning that one a lone the upper one not so bad. I wish I took pics of this but no digi camera. That’s coming for X-mas this year. I tride to run water through the line but was making a mess and wasn’t getting much water through the lines. No good way to really get a good seal on it. I got to digging around the pit that is my garage and found an old water pump that I got from my old man years ago to drain the old water bed I had at the time. (thank got that thing is gone) So I took a trip to the old home depot (hate that place) and found some plastic fittings and some clear hot water hose. I got home and rigged up the lines to fix to the ones on the jeep then attached one end to the lower part of the heater core hose. I put some of that preston flushing/clean stuff in the top end and hooked up the line. I turned on that puppy and let it run. Gave it a few seconds to make sure it was working and BINGO we have a winner. NO leaks and that thing just ran and ran. With the clear tubing I could see all the nasty stuff that was clogging the heater core. I let it run for like 10 min and would drain that water and add hot hot hot freash water with just a bit of that cleaner stuff then let run again for 10 to 15 min. I did that three times to get the big nasty stuff out of the system plus I changed the direction of the flow to make sure I wasn’t just packing that stuff in. After that I let it run with hot water and cleaner for a good 30 min at a shot. Broke out the last bottle of skinny dip for the summer. ( stocked up on that stuff before it was out this summer ) After enjoying the last sip of summer flavor for the year. I just ran some clear hose down to a bucket and with the hose from the washroom ran hot water through it and O man talk about crud that came out. I ran it tell it was clear. Hooked it all back up again checked the levels at the cap and over flow jug and cranked up the jeep. HOT BABY HOT! The jeep is blowing HOT air again. I’m pretty sure I got like 80 to 90% of all the junk that was built up in the lines radiator and the heater core. Odds are I might need to do this again in a week or so just to make sure it’s running clean, but Now I have a much cleaner easier way of going about it. That and for flushing the system totally. Just need a few buckets to catch all the water but that little pump was worth it’s weight in gold.

 

[JJacobs]

Plugged heater cores suck. Just keep in mind all that crud you got out of there is corrosive, so don't be surprised if it springs a leak or plugs back up again.

 

[YELLAHEEP]

You're welcome!

 

[jdogg4]

Plugged heater cores suck. Just keep in mind all that crud you got out of there is corrosive, so don't be surprised if it springs a leak or plugs back up again.

I hope not to have that jeep come that time, or if I do I'll have to swap out the whole system. I just need it to last tell it warms up so I can swap the front axle with mine. Or if I keep it let it get warm to swap out the whole system. Heater core lines radiator pump all of it.
THis is the GFs jeep and she's looking at a newer grand cherokee. I want it for a DD. That and it has the HPD30 under the front of it for the gears sitting in the garage to go in it.
I was telling yella about this yesterday, but it was I think all started last winter after the T-stat blew and I used that stupid durablend coolant. Didn't know I shouldn't have used that stuff. Ever sence then it's been a battle to keep that thing blowing warm to hot air, and gunk free. I froze my butt off the last two days driving it to and from work. My garage is a flipping mess I got about 10lbs of dry absorb all over the garage floor for the stuff that I didn't catch in the buckets. That and to top it off my two car garage is a one car because of all the junk I got in it right now It's hard to work around stuff.
My next purchas for jeep upgrades is a shed. Yep a shed. I gotta get all that yard stuff out of the garage it takes up a lot of space. Good place for jeep storage parts aswell.

Yes thanks a bunch Yella my toes weren't frozen this morning on the drive in. :yelclap:

 

[jdogg4]

I'm telling you that water pump was SO COOL. Thought I'd never use it again in my life. Now I'm thinking before I clean up the garage that I might flush the trail jeep then clean up my mess.

 

[XJ_99]

Hell can I make an appiontment to have mine done.........................:dunno:

 

[ColoradoRaptor]

Preassure washer works good too!!! Had the same problem years ago on my ole dodge and that is what I had lying around. Used it to flush the block and heater core. It is amazing how much crap gets built up in your cooling system. Oh yeah, have your radiator boiled or replaced before putting everything back together!!

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Dude...... I just tore into the dash on the '98 I'm parting just to see how involved getting to that heater core would be..... it's a bitch brutha.

I stopped trying after getting the outter dash trim stuff off, the column out (had to come out anyway, sold it) gauge cluster, heater/radio stuff and glove box. Once that stuff is outta the way, I believe (read: I haven't done this yet) you need to remove all the supporting bolts near the windshield, down along the kick panel area and some under the center of the dash behind the console. You'll need to unplug the radio antenna below the heater box, and all associated wires going down to the fuse center in the pass. kick panel. I believe then the dash can be swung out and laid over on the seats giving you access to the heater/A/C box.

I'm not gonna tear this one out. Best of luck to ya if you attempt yours. Take pics to help those who try it after you.

 

[Hypoid]

I've done the Taurus twice, a Ranger once. Any time I have to pull the dash, I start looking for excuses not to. 8-(

 

[jdogg4]

Hell can I make an appiontment to have mine done.........................:dunno:

Maybe. It's not a good all around flush system, but it did great just for cleaning out the heater core. I had it just hooked up to clean pump bypassing the rest of the system. It's for sure heating up better than it did before. I'm thinking I put in the wrong T-stat. I was digging out the garage this weekend. and found a t-stat box for a 190 I think and not the 180 so I'm thinking that might be a reason it takes a bit longer to heat up and never get as hot as my 2001. They only cost a few bucks so I'm going to go get another t-stat and swap it. Now that my old man came and got one of his extra garage fridges out and my weight set is down in the basement I have more room to work in my garage again.

 

[jdogg4]

Preassure washer works good too!!! Had the same problem years ago on my ole dodge and that is what I had lying around. Used it to flush the block and heater core. It is amazing how much crap gets built up in your cooling system. Oh yeah, have your radiator boiled or replaced before putting everything back together!!

We have one at the shop a big hotsee one and I thought about trying that, but by the time I get off work the sun is going down and it's cold as hell out. That and this puppy is strong I don't want to blow the heater core out of the dash. :gee:

 

[jdogg4]

Dude...... I just tore into the dash on the '98 I'm parting just to see how involved getting to that heater core would be..... it's a bitch brutha.

I stopped trying after getting the outter dash trim stuff off, the column out (had to come out anyway, sold it) gauge cluster, heater/radio stuff and glove box. Once that stuff is outta the way, I believe (read: I haven't done this yet) you need to remove all the supporting bolts near the windshield, down along the kick panel area and some under the center of the dash behind the console. You'll need to unplug the radio antenna below the heater box, and all associated wires going down to the fuse center in the pass. kick panel. I believe then the dash can be swung out and laid over on the seats giving you access to the heater/A/C box.

I'm not gonna tear this one out. Best of luck to ya if you attempt yours. Take pics to help those who try it after you.

WOW Ya I'm not really wanting to get into that whole mess. The jeep is an 98 with 97K on it and stock other than the 235s BFGs AT's on it. I'm thinking I'm just going to ride this rig out a bit longer and trade it in on a new grand cherokee for the lady. It's been a great car and other than window motor problems I love it. It gets good Gas milage it's comfy good in the snow and has always kept on trucking.


For sure going to start keeping up on top this cooling thing. I used to only flush the system every other year, but now EVERY YEAR.