drip, drip, drip..... heater core?

[Dakota Boy]

All new stuff installed last winter.

Slow drip on the floormat today. Gets worse as engine rpm increases.

I guess I'll be going back in there to see what's going on.

[jopizz]

It's most likely the heater valve or the seal leaking if you have the original type setup. I went with an external valve to save the carpets.

John

[Dakota Boy]

new core, new little rubber seal, new external valve (located in engine compartment)

[Dakota Boy]

It was the heater core tube (the one that bolts on, and has the rubber seal underneath).

The tube was touching the metal where it goes through the firewall. I presume that, as the heater core warmed up and expanded, it caused the tube to be torqued a bit.... just enough to take some pressure off of that rubber seal and leak. The hotter the engine got, the more drips I would get.

I took a burr ball and removed about 1/8" to 3/16" of metal from the side of the firewall hole that was touching the heater core tube.

Moral of the story: make sure you can see 1/8" of daylight all the way around both heater core tubes where they go through the firewall.

[Jimz Bird]

Great tip and something to consider in other instances as one of those "odd-ball" fixes.

The only question I have is how cold did you have to get your "burr ball" to actually get it to remove metal? OUCH!

You definitely are more ballsy about your restoration than I am.

[Dakota Boy]

It was a Dremel Tool "carbide cutter" thingamajig.

[Anders]

It's most likely the heater valve or the seal leaking if you have the original type setup. I went with an external valve to save the carpets.

John

When I bought a new heater core and valve, it was not the same type of valve anymore. Mine is now located in the engine bay. Works though