Heater Core observation-Save yourself some time

[mebco09]

Just a Public Service Announcement:

Aftermarket heater cores sold by some vendors are not all equal.

I replaced my heater box and bought a complete "assembly" that included a new heater core.

This piece of crap that came with the kit has the pipes just slightly too short in order to clear the firewall. After wrestling with the heater box for a day, trying to figure out why it didn't work, I gave up and bought a different heater core from another vendor, and it came with longer pipes. See photo.

Just thought I would save someone a little time.

 

[DirtDonk]

Thanks for sharing. Sorry if the short one was one of ours.

I can see the meeting at the manufacturer now. The customer is requesting shorter fittings because everybody’s complaining about how tight the fit is between the hose and the wheel well. They only asked for a quarter inch, but hey if a little is good more must be better!

 

[mebco09]

Thanks for sharing. Sorry if the short one was one of ours.

I can see the meeting at the manufacturer now. The customer is requesting shorter fittings because everybody’s complaining about how tight the fit is between the hose and the wheel well. They only asked for a quarter inch, but hey if a little is good more must be better!

Hi Paul-

In this particular instance, year of Bronco might matter. I am working on a 67, and it appears that my heater holes are narrower than the holes in my 77. If I had room, I could have pushed the hoses and clamps down the pipe (past the firewall) and had the short heater core work. I didn't want to enlarge the holes in the Bronco to do that, so it was easier to just look for a better reproduction.

They should make those pipes out of soft copper and make them cut-to-fit. Run them long, let the customer take a tubing cutter to them and shorten them if necessary.

 

[DirtDonk]

I always thought they should just be threaded fittings, like AN style. That way you can roll your own no matter what.