heater core leak, cleaning advice.

Well, I have a few things here I could use some advice for... Over the Christmas holiday, I went muddin at one of my favorite spots. Usually I will ride around the trails with my windows down, since it's still warm down here (Florida). When I got to the mud hole, I zipped my windows up, turned on my AC and started to commence the mudflinging. After a few passes and doughnuts, I sat in the middle of it all, and noticed vapor coming out of my vents. Coolant was coming out of the bottom vents, so now my floorboard is soaked. It's home now, and I ripped out everything inside and got to the heater core box housing thingy. I think I read somewhere in this group that there are 4 bolts holding it in from the engine compartment? If that true, I'm gonna have to clean up my engine compartment to find them, its very muddy in there. What would be the best way to clean up in there, engine and all while I'm at it? I know I gotta cover up the alternator, but anything else I don't know about? I'm thinking of pressure washing everything in there.

Reply to
Troy
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I hose the crap out of everything, 'especially' the alternator. Just let it dry really well. If you are in a hurry use a hair dryer.

Mud is liquid sandpaper and it will destroy brushes and bearings. When your starter quits, you can just open it up and spray the insides out with WD40 to get the mud out and free up the brushes. We have to do that lots to our starters when playing in the mud. WD40 excels at that job.

You don't say what you are driving, but on the CJ's and YJ's at least there is one hard to get nut dead center behind the valve cover for the heater box.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Troy wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Oh, ya, forgot. I'm driving the 01 TJ. Man I love that thing. Honestly I'm considering not muddin anymore, the cleanup usually takes me an hour. I'm running 33x12.50 tires on it, so they stick out a good distance from the stock flares. Can anyone tell me if the aftermarket wide flares help much against mud slinging on the sides? I maybe should get some, cuz even when I clean up my jeep, if I run through a puddle on the road, it gets it dirty all over again. Hmm, now I remember reading there are a couple different manufacturers, but only one of them are worth a damn. Who makes the ones that are high quality?

Reply to
Troy

Is there no way to protect the engine compartment or at least shield it from the incoming mud? At least while you're mudding. Maybe a detachable shield that can be added before mudding?

bill

Reply to
William Oliveri

Heh, heh! You play you pay!

In order to get the heater box out you will need to clean out the engine compartment somewhat. Assuming you have a CJ or YJ, here's the drill: Clean off the firewall with at least a hose. I usually hose it down on a grassy area near my house then use the self service car wash to finish it off. Cover the distributor with a plastic bag, aim the spray at the sheet metal and away from the wiring.

You need to drain most of the antifreeze out to get at the heater core. Now would be a good time to drain, flush, and refil the whole system with fresh anitfreeze. You will need to pull the lines to the heater core off at the firewall, they are likely to be stuck on pretty tight. You can just hook the two lines together with a chunk of 1/2" copper pipe to be able to drive the thing while you get the core fixed.

To pull the heater box, I'd reccommend that you remove the passenger seat. Not required but unless you are a flexible pretzil you will appreciate it. Only 4 easy to get at bolts on the seat. Plus you will want to get the carpets out to soak out the antifreeze. Then pull the two hoses, the 4 bolts (2 high, one to the drivers side of the valve cover, one way down near the starter), the cables to the heater box, and the wire to the heater motor. The whole case wiggles out.

Consider doing the blower motor upgrade if your's is '91 or older.

You can buy a new heater core or just have the old one repaired at a RADIATOR shop. If the place does not have stacks of radiators laying around, keep looking. Anyplace else will just send it to the REAL source and charge you a handling fee. My last one cost $30 to have repaired.

Cheers.

Troy wrote:

Reply to
RoyJ

Nope. The more shields and skid plates you have, the more mud you collect.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

William Oliveri wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

The flares make a radical splash difference. I am running 33x9.5's and they fit my stock CJ flares perfectly.

It has made mud running almost no fun anymore because these tires don't spin hardly at all and the stuff they do kick up stays under.

If I have to do the under cleanup job, I want the damn thing to 'look' like it was mud running. LOL!

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Troy wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Your alternator didn't complain about the swimming exercise, I can't imagine it would care about the bath. I would pressure wash, and be ready to dry the inside of the distributor.

HINT, the WD in WD40 means Water Displacement.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

isn't the fun of muding is cleaning after ???

like to see people saying where the hell he was he looking at my jeep full of mud

LOL

"Jeff Strickland" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com...

Reply to
Patrick

I took my Jeep to the local self-serve car wash after a trip through the mud pits. The caretaker asked me to never return. ;-)

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

Reply to
L.W.(ßill) Hughes III

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