heater core removal

RegW · 2024-10-06 15:32:33

A while back I had a go at flushing the heater core

https://dispatchexpertscudo.org.uk/foru … 907#p13907

This worked for a while but I've hardly used the heater since
Now the nights are drawing in and temp are falling, I'm getting the usual hot pipe in and cold pipe out symptoms again.

I did open the bleeders and got some air out but this hasn't improved things
I'll have another go at flushing it first but may have to get another core

Snag is, I see the fuse board looks like it will prevent removal
so I'll either have to move the fuse board or the whole heater to remove the core
Anyone done this or got any cunning wheezes to do this job?
Winter is coming so better get this sorted soon.

kenbw2 · 2024-10-06 17:00:45

Never done it myself, but isn't the heater core in the middle between the two footwells? That curved panel comes out quite easily. Does that get you access to the core?

RegW · 2024-10-06 17:37:24

Here's a pic of the area I took a while back with the bottom panel and the dash off
I currently have just the bottom curved panel off
It looks like as it is, the core would foul on the fuse board where the blue and green relays are.

This may be easily removable for all I know, I'll have to look closer if the next flush doesn't work
I can see that bendy support strap in front of the shiny heater pipes will have to be removed,
that's easy enough.
If I have to swap the core I'm hoping I can move the fuse board out of the way
without too much faffery

RegW · 2024-10-06 17:56:43

Ah sod it, thinking about it, its probably got 18 years of crap build up in there which may or may not be shiftable
and I don't want to be doing it again in December/January
so for £33.60 I may as well just stick a new core in and have just ordered one.
I'll let you know how I get on.

Last edited by RegW (2024-10-06 17:59:38)

Wingnut · 2024-10-06 19:02:06

That's probably the most sensible option, and money well spent for peace of mind.

RegW · 2024-10-09 16:18:21

I haz heat!
I found the write up below from 2011 on the Fiat forum
and basically copied that to change the heater core
Its a bit fiddly getting the fuse board out of the way but doable
I did put some clamps on the supply and return pipes
and didnt get much coolant leak in the cab.
less than a mugful I'd say
The new aftermarket one was slightly thicker and was scuffed a bit on insertion
the pipes gave me a bit of a struggle to remove and refit but no major drama
I bled the system and topped up the header tank as it warmed up

So its in, not leaking and producing way more heat even
when the temp gauge is hardly showing anything.
At an indicated 60C or so it's toasty, I haven't even tried it at full running temp yet
Woo hoo!

Whilst running the motor to check for performance and leaks I tested all the electricals and found the indicators had stopped working
"Oh bollox! what have I broken now" I wondered but then realised they wont work if the
hazard warning relay is removed and stuffed it back in

I wont put the dash back together just yet as I want to improve the heater controls
back lights
Previously I'd put leds in place of the tiny blubs and they work but not very well
so will use an array of smd leds instead

Incidentally
My ad hoc test was to empty the old one
and blow through each one to see if I could detect any difference in resistance/flow
the new on was definitely easier to blow through
and when rinsing the old one in the sink I got quite a few lumps of crap
fall out with me not even trying to degunge it

The £33.60 for a new core was money well spent as even with all the faffing about
using rad flush and reverse flushing etc you still cant know for sure how clear it is.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The write up:

Ok, My heater matrix leaked foul smelling and hot water inside the van (scudo 1.9 diesel) fixed in 1.5 hours.

You'll need star drives, two sizes and flat blade screwdriver, a washing up bowl or similar to catch water, some kitchen roll and a little patience.

Remove Glove box, and bottom cowling with air vents in, half the dash (passengers side) remove heater switch plate, cigarette/ashtray assembly. take of the gear knob (just pops off) there are about 15 screws in that little lot so get a pot to put them in. (took 25 mins)
Under glove box there's the fuse assembly and some relays, you only need to disconnect the ones that are attached to the heater cover.
undo the bolt and three screws that hold the fusebox and tie up as far to the left as possible (i used wire ties) took 10 mins

now you can see the two alloy water pipes that feed the heater matrix, these are held against the plastic matrix pipes with a simple clamp with screw. undo and drain (1 min and where the bowl comes in handy))

Three small screws hold the matrix in the heater body, undo and CAREFULLY, pull the matrix free of the heater. it slides out like a cassette right where the fuse assembly was and It looks like a little silver radiator.

I looked at mine and it was covered in leaves??? so i stuck my arm in the heater and pulled out as much muck as i could, inspecting the matrix which appeared to be ok, so i ran a hose/tap and cleaned it. filling the matrix with water and seeing if it was leaking....it didn't....so i put it back in the reverse order. remember to refill the radiator topup/expansion tank back up between min / max marks.
Before putting all the dash and facia back, i ran the van up to temp and turned on the fan ....... nice hot air....no water.... left it running for 10 mins constantly looking for leaks....none.

put it all back together and hey presto...... 85 mins

Hope it helps....

Last edited by RegW (2024-10-09 16:39:50)

Wingnut · 2024-10-09 17:40:30

Outstanding! Well done lad cool

kenbw2 · 2024-10-09 18:07:27

Nice! Sometimes it's worth just paying to replace rather than fixing up your old one

Just made that decision with some 25 litre drums for my waste veg oil. Half way through trying to clean the gunge out of the dirty ones to put clean oil into I was like ah screw this and ordered some new ones

No regrets

RegW · 2024-10-09 18:35:48

Thanks, as I already had the dash panel off, all I needed was a 10mm spanner and T20 driver to do it all
but I did use a pad saw to cut the corner off the plastic near the blue relay to give a bit more wiggle room.
I wondered about trying to flush the old one out for a spare, but that's me being a tight sod
who hates throwing things away I might be able to fix.
but for £33? nah, I'll cut it open when it's not pissing down just to see how bad it was.

Wingnut · 2024-10-09 19:22:08

Do you by any chance have one of those Chinese diesel cabin heaters?
If so you could try route the exhaust of it through 'THE MATRIX' and recover some extra heat.
A mate of mine has one is his camper and raves about it.
I keep promising myself I'll get one for my shed.

RegW · 2024-10-09 20:08:45

No, but I've often fancied getting one just to play with it.
My vans not a camper so I cant justify it on those grounds
but I spose it could be an 'emergency heater' if the central heating
breaks down this winter, or van 'preheater' if it gets bitterly cold.
Not sure the old core would be suitable to extract heat from an exhaust though as
the plastic headers might melt or catch fire or give off nasty fumes.

A shed heater would a good use for one though

Last edited by RegW (2024-10-09 20:10:26)

kenbw2 · 2024-10-09 21:03:27

Wingnut wrote:

Do you by any chance have one of those Chinese diesel cabin heaters?
If so you could try route the exhaust of it through 'THE MATRIX' and recover some extra heat.
A mate of mine has one is his camper and raves about it.
I keep promising myself I'll get one for my shed.

I've got a propane one. Same principle - combustion chamber, heat exchange etc

I often think the same, waste heat going out the exhaust. But it wouldn't work with a liquid based heater matrix would it? Or would it?

RegW · 2024-10-09 21:23:05

It might if you ran the exhaust through a water jacket then pumped the water through a encased matrix core
which had a fan pushing air warmed by the matrix into an enclosed space....
If moneys no object we can start tomorrow lol

Wingnut · 2024-10-09 22:35:08

big_smile I assumed it was like a motorcycle radiator, with metal headers, scrap that idea so!
I saw a video on YouTube where someone ran the exhaust through a small household radiator, that's where I got the idea. I figured a small automotive rad would have better fins/ surface area to give off heat.

Last edited by Wingnut (2024-10-09 22:38:25)

kenbw2 · 2024-10-10 00:49:48

Wingnut wrote:

I assumed it was like a motorcycle radiator, with metal headers, scrap that idea so!
I saw a video on YouTube where someone ran the exhaust through a small household radiator, that's where I got the idea. I figured a small automotive rad would have better fins/ surface area to give off heat.

I've sometimes toyed with the idea of extending the engine's coolant to a household radiator inside the van. Good for drying clothes etc

I'll never do it, but I toyed with the idea

kenbw2 · 2024-10-10 00:50:24

RegW wrote:

It might if you ran the exhaust through a water jacket then pumped the water through a encased matrix core
which had a fan pushing air warmed by the matrix into an enclosed space....
If moneys no object we can start tomorrow

I bet I'd save at least 2 grams of propane a year doing that!

RegW · 2024-10-12 13:44:55

Out of curiosity I cut the ends off the old core and it somewhat supports my
'It's been in there 18 years,just buy a new one' approach
This is after the flushing I did earlier this year too.
It may have been flushable given time but like Schrodingers cat, you'd never know its actual state until you looked

Last edited by RegW (2024-10-12 13:46:37)

Wingnut · 2024-10-12 16:32:22

Nice!

Pathfinder100 · 2024-10-18 17:16:11

kenbw2 wrote:

Wingnut wrote:
I assumed it was like a motorcycle radiator, with metal headers, scrap that idea so!
I saw a video on YouTube where someone ran the exhaust through a small household radiator, that's where I got the idea. I figured a small automotive rad would have better fins/ surface area to give off heat.
I've sometimes toyed with the idea of extending the engine's coolant to a household radiator inside the van. Good for drying clothes etc
I'll never do it, but I toyed with the idea

This is what I want in my next van. It basically does what you said. Also I will get the one with dual element immersion coil, so if I have spare solar power or I plug into EHU it will heat the water. I wonder in your van if it would be worth it, given it's size. I think it makes more sense if you have a shower or want hot water, but the idea of having a radiator in the van is definitely a good one. Kind of a passive way of heating the van and use the diesel heater if it's -20C in the middle of the night.

https://www.surejust.co.uk/10-litre-hor … calorifier

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#1 2024-10-06 15:32:33

heater core removal

#2 2024-10-06 17:00:45

Re: heater core removal

#3 2024-10-06 17:37:24

Re: heater core removal

#4 2024-10-06 17:56:43

Re: heater core removal

#5 2024-10-06 19:02:06

Re: heater core removal

#6 2024-10-09 16:18:21

Re: heater core removal

#7 2024-10-09 17:40:30

Re: heater core removal

#8 2024-10-09 18:07:27

Re: heater core removal

#9 2024-10-09 18:35:48

Re: heater core removal

#10 2024-10-09 19:22:08

Re: heater core removal

#11 2024-10-09 20:08:45

Re: heater core removal

#12 2024-10-09 21:03:27

Re: heater core removal

#13 2024-10-09 21:23:05

Re: heater core removal

#14 2024-10-09 22:35:08

Re: heater core removal

#15 2024-10-10 00:49:48

Re: heater core removal

#16 2024-10-10 00:50:24

Re: heater core removal

#17 2024-10-12 13:44:55

Re: heater core removal

#18 2024-10-12 16:32:22

Re: heater core removal

#19 2024-10-18 17:16:11

Re: heater core removal

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