Heater core

[G-RELL]

hey guys.
wondering if anyone has tackeled replacing their heater core. i took mine in yesturday because of it overheating, i was told the heater core was cloged and the thermostat was stuck open. any advise or knowledge before i start would be great. i tried searching but couldnt find much. thanks in advance.

 

[joegr]

I would be inclined to try and flush it out first. It doesn't seem like you have much to lose in trying it. Just disconnect all three heater hoses and try to force water through the heater cores (it's a dual core). This is the first I have heard of an actual heater core failure on an LS.

Big question. Why was it overheating? A clogged heater core and/or an open thermostat wouldn't cause that.

 

[G-RELL]

a clogged heater core would not cause overheating??? guess im a little confused. i also forgot to mention that i was only getting heat on acceleration. guys think im getting riped off?

 

[G-RELL]

i asked the guy at firestone if we could just flush out the old dexcool and replace the thermistat. he said it would just make it worse.

 

[joegr]

You need to find a better mechanic. I wouldn't trust Firestone with any car, let alone an LS. Find a good, non-chain, mechanic with LS experience, or find a good dealer. The folks at Firestone barely know how to change a tire.
And again. No, a clogged heater core will not cause your car to overheat. How did they diagnose this?

 

[gcwimmer]

May need to bleed the cooling system to get the air out. A stuck thermostat would stick most of the time ether at idle or under acceleration. The old T stat would sick closed and over heat, the new model stick open and would take forever to heat up, that is a easy and relatively cheep fix. A little leery about the heater core replacement.

Try the bleed first, no cost.

 

[Quik LS]

the LS (at least the V8) has a very complicated cooling system.

there is a secondary electric pump that routes coolant into the heater core - so if the bleeding and flushing do not solve your issue - start checking fuses, and the secondary pump.

it could even be a loss of pressure - degas cap or degas cracking

 

[xxdjdinot1989xx]

i changed my heater core on my 2001 v8 but mine wasn't over heating it was just blowing cold air and little smoke/smell was coming out by the top of the engine and the smell from the vents the heater core was only $110.00 and labor was around $300.00 dont think this is going to help you out..but yeah i went to 2 diff places before i changed mine and they all said the same

 

[G-RELL]

Thanks guys, i took it in to my dealer and had them look at it. they say the cooling system is fine (exept for the orange and green mixed coolant that needs to be flushed out, i went to add green to the resevor that turned out to have orange, which it shouldn't have in it). they say but the hydrolic fan is going out. would this be an easier home project???

 

[Quik LS]

if it's the fan end - yes. The pump end is a difficult swap - you can do it in your garage - but it's no fun. You'll need a 10mm gearwrench.

here is a thread on how to do it - > http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=10771