11/27/2010
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HEATER CORE SYSTEM:
There's not a whole lot to show here, but as part of my progress from the front of the car to the back, the heater core hoses were the first
to be changed as part of the cooling system rebuild. The heater core is housed inside the HVAC unit which is located inside the car under the dash.
There are two steel cooling tubes, other than the two primary radiator hoses, which provide hot coolant to the heater core. These tubes seldomly need
to be changed, but the hoses in front of the car are often overlooked. These two hoses came from the Fiero Store:
- 85-87 V6/4cyl FT INLET HEATER HOSE (w/ A/C - SMALLER DIAMETER).
- 85-87 V6 FT OUTLET HEATER HOSE (w/ A/C - LARGER DIAMETER).
Swapping out these hoses is pretty self explanitory. If somehow you still have the originals and your heater core has never failed before, then removing these hoses will probably be
fairly difficult. The best way to remove these hoses (if stuck) is to cut the old hose off using a sharp razor blade, and then slit the remaining part of the hose down the length of what's left of the hose
on the heater core ends. You can then pull off the remaining piece.
These hoses run through a rubber grommet that helps isolate the front trunk compartment
from the road below. This is attached by a single 10mm machine screw (make sure to use RTV sealant on this screw when re-installing it, just as the factory originally did). It's a good idea when replacing
these hoses to also use new hose clamps. Make sure to properly drain the lines by removing the hoses from the bottom first (see pic).
Note: In the cavity from where the heater core tubes protrude (see image), there was originally a block of foam that filled the void. This block typically deteriorates, and most vehicles will
only have remnants of it left. I think there's a better solution here, but haven't come up with it. The area, while open, is still sealed at the heater core end, so this isn't exposing the interior or the
HVAC box.
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