So.....I just go finished with talking to Rockauto about my order for my heater core. The problem is, that they didn't send me the fittings (sorry I don't know what the actual term is for them) for the heater core where the hoses are connected. They don't sell them at all. The dealership doesn't sell them seperatley from the heater core either. So, what do I do? From what I've read, the fittings are plastic, and as we all know plastic wears and cracks over time. So, does anybody know of a simple "Home Depot" fix? Or am I SOL (shiza out of luck)?

I'm going to attempt to do the job this next week. Does anybody have any suggestions on what to do? Am I doomed for trouble If I just swap out the new Heater Core from the old one or what?

Thank you in advance
-Michael

 

I wouldn't even think about a "Home Depot" fix when you realize how much of a pain it is to do this. Spend the $ on an OEM unit. I've been there already. Just find a Dealer that gives the best price. Call around

 

I think it almost would be easier to pull the engine then to do the heater core job...

Get the oem unit, its worth it.....

 

I think I would go for the engine removal as well after doing the Heater Core job. I think Jeff and Shawn could vouch for this

 

Yes, the back contortions alone were nifty enough. I need one of those asian girls that can bend over backwards with both legs inbetween her head etc.. This is in regards to the heator core removal of course.

 

Yeah..Yeah...whatever....

 

yup.. I've said it a million times before, and I'll say it yet again.

ON PARTS THAT ARE SUCH A ROYAL PITA TO CHANGE LIKE THE HEATER CORE, YOU SHOULD ONLY BUY OEM. The cost is actually LESS than parts store cost, and quality is proven- this part has lasted more than 10 years as equipped from the factory.
I HIGHLY recommend replacing with OEM parts in cases like this.

aftermarket alternators, A/C compressors, CV joints that are fairly easy to replace and a small fraction of new OEM cost is acceptable.. but something like a heater core that is such a pain to replace is just asinine to buy aftermarket and save a buck or two.

 

Well, being as I've already bought the aftermarket heater core, and I am not willing to spend the money on another one. Does anyone have any suggestions on doing it this way?

 

return the IMPROPER aftermarket part. get your money back.

go to Courtesy or nissanparts.cc or any of your other friendly OEM parts vendors. Pay them $134.00 plus shipping and receive the PROPER PART for your car.

 

I was wondering about that rockauto heater core and why it was so cheap....I guess now we know......

 

I would get one out of a salvage yard if you are concerned with the price. It might take a few hours to get it off of the salvaged car and put it on your own, but it's not that bad.

 

NEVER REPLACE A HEATER CORE WITH SALVAGE YARD PARTS!!!!!!

These parts are already at the end of their useful life. a junkyard core may last for years, but it can also leak the second you put it in the car. for all of the work required to replace it, you would be stupid to install a $20 used part from a car just as old as yours.

 

"It's not that bad"......"A few hours"......Have you ever done this fix before???

Matt has a pic of what your interior looks like after you finally get to the H/C if he would post it...

Then tell me a few hours......

 

As said by the person that really has no idea what it takes. Few hours?? Buahhahaha.

 

I've done it twice on my maxima, and once on my ex girlfriend's gmc jimmy. The jimmy took a day, the max, about four hours the first time w/ plenty of breaks, and a couple of hours the second time;thanks, I'll try to find a pic of what my car looked like once the dash was off. The camera that had it is toast. I have this pic though.

 

Why did you do it twice?

 

How come mine took so long then

 

It leaked twice....or maybe I was just bored....
I know people that take an hour changing the oil and plugs. I can't answer that one for ya man.

 

Why would a new one leak twice?

 

Dunno. I can't see it only taking a few hours. Maybe if you went as fast as you could and just didn't take care with all the dash screws/bolts/nuts etc... As you know the entire dash and dash support has to come out. No way around it.

 

Salvage parts...cost me my time and about fifteen dollars.

 

ding ding ding.

considering my labor price is $40 an hour, it's cheaper to buy a new one FIRST than to pay labor to do it twice.

"But your time is free!"
No it's not. considering I have to take the time away from making money to do it.

and there's no way in hell you did it in two hours.... unless you used a sawzall.

it took me two hours just to get the airboxes back in place. it was a 3-4 hr job to tear down and another 6-8 to put back together.

the book calls for something like 9 hours for a mechanic to replace.

 

That's why I put my time and fifteen. The oppurtinuty cost is not great enough for me to buy a new one. I don't make forty an hour, I make around fifteen, so it is worth it to me. I'll get pics for you guys tomorrow.

 

Don't those plastic connectors have screws on them attaching them to the heater core itself (if I remember correctly). If they do can't you just unscrew the ones off your old heater and put it onto the replacement you bought. I don't remember if it has screws or not, did mine last fall. As how long it takes, I did mine in 2-3 hours. I didn't have to take apart the whole dash support and both of the airboxes. Matt it really took you that long to tear down and put it back together? When I did mine and asked around everyone told me like 4 hours to tear down and put back together.

 

http://blehmco.com/pics/car/interior...re/1_teardown/
look at the filenames... 2_19.jpg was taken at 2:19pm
6_17.jpg was taken at 6:17pm

taking it apart and taking it apart RIGHT are two different things.

I also removed the seats, carpet, and some sound deadening while I was in there.. that added quite a bit of time to the project.

also, if you look in the FSM, it specifically states that the "instrument assembly" i.e. DASH must be removed to remove the heater box.

 

The OEM heater core comes with the tubes screwed on (at least the replacement does)
the dealer doesn't sell the necks seperately
The necks are pastic and therefore probably brittle and likely to break
the aftermarket one doesn't come with tubes.


you know what happens when you pinch pennies?
they pop out of your fingers and they're lost for good

 

And you call yourself a mechanic

Nismosleeper can have all that done in a few hours....

 

sure.. and most of his electronics don't work either.

 

He probably never put the dash back on....He is trying to make a vg fast...

 

Ouch...they all work now except abs. I have removed the carpet and seats as well before, for sound deadening removal. The dash went back one guys. I did drive around a couple of days w/o a glove box though. You can use a power screwdriver for most of it; I didn't use it much for the reinstall though.

 

Well, I think I'm going to just go ahead and do the swap with the intentions of using the existing connections. If those for whatever reason are not looking to great, then I think I'lll just try to put a coating of sealant on them, if they are not usable at all, or perhaps they are the reason for the leak in the first place, then I don't see what the big issue is with a "Home Depot" fix. I feel comfortable enough to fabricate something out of pvc pipping that will do the job. Oh, and don't worry there will be plenty of pictures to detail the job.