Anyone ever UN-clog a heater core in a 98'?

[vincedia]

My ranger is not getting heat, this fall I drained and flushed the cooling system 3 times.

First time was just a drain, ran water through, then fill. I had heat for a few days. Then lost the heat.

Second time was a drain, ran water through and installed a flush kit, flushed it and put in flush chemical, ran it for a few weeks. Had heat during that time. came back and flushed it again and filled it. Heat worked for a day.

Last time I flushed it and spent a lot more time pulsing the water with the kit, running the engine. Heat lasted a few days, and now it's too cold to do all this again.

I installed the flush kit on the outer and upper most line going into the heater core. Could that have been wrong, or would there be any benefit to installing one on the other hose to try to get pressure going from both directions?

any other suggestions on how to try to un-clog this heater core? I really want to try to avoid replacement. I don't have the ability or location to replace it myself and the truck is not worth the $$ to replace the core.

Thanks in advance,
Vince

 

[Original_Ranger84]

well I would say either replace it or possibly something else is the problem...? does the temp gauge on your truck work? or i mean show that its warming up to where it should be?

The heater cores in these trucks are Cake to replace anyways... or from what I hear... It should be right behind the heater box, pull the heater box and it should be right there... and take a few minutes to change and then put it all back together... Nothing like this dodge I did (NIGHTMARE!!!!) you literally had to remove the entire interior to change it... and I mean everything! (minus the seats... although it wouldn't hurt to have had the extra room)

It might just be a bad thermostat getting stuck open most of the time not letting your truck get to operating temperatures... or the vacuum relay for your HVAC unit isn't opening the hot air blower door.

 

[vincedia]

The truck is getting warm. The top hose is hot and only one of the two hoses to the heater is getting hot to the touch.

The heater core in this truck is a PITA from what I have been reading. Removal of the entire dash and steering column. I don't have that confidence in my ability to not ruin my truck and it's just not worth the cost to pay a shop. None of my side work guys want to take this on either.


Thanks,
Vince

 

[master hec0]

try these options. http://www.youtube.com/user/Davidsfarm#p/search/0/mMp82zLVxoU

 

[kimcrwbr1]

rig a hose up to flush the core using hose pressure run a drain out of the other side flush in the reverse direction first then switch hoses and do it again until you get good flow in both directions. somtimes just switching the hoses will work too but it is better to get the crap out of there. dont run full pressure to start as you can create a leak then you will have to replace it. That is how I do it usually with a much older core and if it leaks it is like the saying goes hit it with a hammer and if it breaks it needed to be replaced anyway.

 

[vincedia]

That video is perfect! Just what I was looking for....gallon of bleach here I come.

(pray for me)


Vince

 

[i_love_paintbal]

well I would say either replace it or possibly something else is the problem...? does the temp gauge on your truck work? or i mean show that its warming up to where it should be?

The heater cores in these trucks are Cake to replace anyways... or from what I hear... It should be right behind the heater box, pull the heater box and it should be right there... and take a few minutes to change and then put it all back together... Nothing like this dodge I did (NIGHTMARE!!!!) you literally had to remove the entire interior to change it... and I mean everything! (minus the seats... although it wouldn't hurt to have had the extra room)

It might just be a bad thermostat getting stuck open most of the time not letting your truck get to operating temperatures... or the vacuum relay for your HVAC unit isn't opening the hot air blower door.

Wait a sec the heater core in these trucks are not cake they are a pain in the but. he has a 98

 

[master hec0]

yeah on the 1st and 2nd gens its a 15 min job i dont know if 3rd gens are hard or not but the 4th generation 98+ you literally have to remove the whole dash to get at the heatercore

 

[JohnnyO]

I did the one in my daughter's Jeep (it has no A/C) by pulling the heater hoses off the manifold and water pump and sticking the garden hose with a brass twist nozzle in each of them, one at a time. A good bit of crud came out and the heat is much better. Don't go real high on the water pressure though or you can put a hole in the heater core.

 

[vincedia]

Well I followed the advice on the video and ran compressed air through the outlet hose. Large chunks of "stuff" came out.

instead of bleach I used Peak brand coolant flush. I figured I would just want to be on the safe side.

After I got a few other problems fixed the heat works great. Now my output is stuck in defrost mode, but I think I saw some notes here about how to fix that.

I also had coolant flowing from the top of my intake. One of the two tubes on the top of the intake seems to have a split in it causing coolant to spray from there. I plugged it as a temp solution, but I need to figure out what exactly that is for and see if it's possible to replace them without replacing the entire intake.

Thanks all!
Vince

 

[master hec0]

good to hear

 

[_BEYONDER_]

just throwing this out there if your interested for next time, if you goto a plumbing/heating shop or pretty much and plumbing/heating supply store you can get descaling chemicals used in boiler systems, you run these through the core like the air,etc and they eliminate the build up.