Heater Core Dilemna

[nfs480]

Well, I have strong coolant smell in the car and the windows have a greasy film on them so i'm thinking it's time to replace the heater core. Looking at Rockauto there are two available heater cores for the 3gee, in the pictures the Spectra premium one looks like it's surrounded by insulation meanwhile the Vista-Pro isn't. I'm trying to decide if I should go with the Spectra or the Vista.

While the Spectra is cheaper on Rockauto my local O'Reilly's has the Vista-Pro for an even lower price and with a lifetime warranty so I was leaning towards going with that one. I was wondering if people here who've replaced the heater core already have a recommendation on parts they've worked with and which I should go with, thanks!

[w261w261]

Considering what's involved in replacing that puppy I would think that the price is irrelevant. Is there any dripping yet? Maybe Barr's would fix you up and delay the labor.

[nfs480]

No visible drips yet, but I was actually getting dizzy from the smell last night so i'm thinking it wouldn't be a good idea to delay it. I'm not a big fan of stop leak myself and am planning on doing the job myself anyway so i'm not too worried about the labor.

[forrest89sei]

I think the local vista-pro would be fine, the nice thing about buying it local is if you have a problem your not having to deal with shipping it back and forth..

My friend used a vista pro on his honda prelude and has been happy with it

[nfs480]

That's exactly the main reason i'm leaning towards the Vista, the lack of insulation in the picture was the only thing that concerned me. Granted the picture doesn't always match what you get and it could still have the insulation but just wanted to double-check with people in case there's an obvious problem or recommendation.

[Dr_Snooz]

I bought a Spectra radiator for the pickup. It's worked well, but the factory put the wrong size outlet on it. I had to spend a couple days finding a hose that would work. :dunno:

[88Accord-DX]

Sometimes you can back-flush a heater core to get flowing. Once in a while, I see people by-passing it. Heater cores come with or w/o insulation around it. Probably the most important thing is, that the holes line up with the holes going out of the firewall. (some come with a swivel end for different models) < generally speaking in heater cores
It would be a good idea to change your thermostat & flush out the cooling system with this amount of work. Pay attention to the cables & fasten them back properly when doing this job.

[nfs480]

Thanks for the advice, I still get really good heat coming from the vents so it doesn't seem to be clogged, just leaking.

[Xaisk]

Need to replace mine myself. Running heat I get a faint coolant smell. My real concern is the fucking fog and greasy film on all of the glass. I hate it.

[Dr_Snooz]

I think the real concern is kidney damage.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5554511_effects-breathing-antifreeze-fumes.html

[w261w261]

Need to replace mine myself. Running heat I get a faint coolant smell. My real concern is the fucking fog and greasy film on all of the glass. I hate it.

I know there's a substantial number of people on here that are not fans of cooling system stop leak additives, but I've used Bar's leak stop for years in multiple vehicles, and have never had a problem. In the SE-i, with good hoses, I had a persistent small coolant leak (I would have to add maybe an inch of coolant in the bottle every week or so). I put in Bar's, and the problem was solved. It did temporarily try to plug the bleed port though, but it was easy enough to fix.

I had an Audi with heater core issues, and it fixed those until I sold the car.

My thinking is that the labor involved in swapping cores out is substantial, and if you can avoid it, it's time saved.

A warning however. If the coolant leak is something easily fixed like a hose, don't go throwing Bar's at it multiple times. A car can definitely overdose on the stuff. Using the recommended amount is imo, fine, but using too much gets dangerous to cooling passages, etc.

[Layson]

Sometimes you can back-flush a heater core to get flowing. Once in a while, I see people by-passing it. Heater cores come with or w/o insulation around it. Probably the most important thing is, that the holes line up with the holes going out of the firewall. (some come with a swivel end for different models) < generally speaking in heater cores
It would be a good idea to change your thermostat & flush out the cooling system with this amount of work. Pay attention to the cables & fasten them back properly when doing this job.

Might have to try that on mine. I don't have any heat coming out of my vents and no coolant smell either....


Any luck swapping yours yet? Have you decided what you are going to do?

[nfs480]

Mine seems to be working ok recently so i've still been holding off on attempting the job.

[Layson]

I have been the same way, I just throw a jacket on when I drive... LOL

[Pnem3]

I bit the bullet and did mine last year just before it got cold. It really isn't that bad once it is all said and done.

[Rhheaton]

Considering what's involved in replacing that puppy I would think that the price is irrelevant. Is there any dripping yet? Maybe Barr's would fix you up and delay the labor.
Price is always relevant, unless you are filthy rich

[MessyHonda]

Price is always relevant, unless you are filthy rich

irrelevant to post 5 years later.