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Need Cheap Heater Core

Old 12-26-2007, 08:37 PM
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Default Need Cheap Heater Core

So... I've been smelling coolant the last few days when I drive my car, and the windows are fogged up and impossible to unfog. Today, steam began pooring out of the air vents. I bypassed the core with a length of 5/8 heater hose and problem fixed. Where do I get a heater core cheap. I'm ready to order one. Thanks.
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Old 12-26-2007, 08:46 PM
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If you find a reasonably priced one let me know, as I also need one. Changing it out looks to be a class "A" PITA. From what I've read the whole dash needs to come out.
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Old 12-26-2007, 09:01 PM
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I can not find a new heater core. I checked Finishlineperformance and Rosenthal mazda with no luck... Any help is greatly appreciated.
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Old 12-26-2007, 09:57 PM
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you sure its the heater core and not the rubber hose splice used on the tubing feeding it? this would be inside the car.
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Old 12-27-2007, 03:13 PM
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I purchased a used one from car-part.com, it was about $40 shipped, pressure tested.

Removal was a piece of cake - just cut through the long copper tube with a close-quarter hacksaw. Use a piece of rubber hose to join it up with the new one. Took about an hour.
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Old 12-27-2007, 03:49 PM
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Yeah I had to get my "new" heater core from flyinmiatas salvage. Cost 45$.

Dealer charges around 450$ for a new one plus 900$ to install it. I paid one of my friends from the dealership 100$ to do it. Sadly, thats what he would have made installing one AT the dealership. Gladly paid that. I'll do everything to my own car except remove the entire freakin interior for something stupid like that.

My parents own a HVAC company and exhausted their every resource to find a replacement aftermarket core for a 1995-1997. Doesn't exist.
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Old 12-27-2007, 04:11 PM
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yeah, i swapped the dashboard out of my car (cracked) with the dash from my parts car (pristine).

Naturally, a week after going through all that work to swap the dash, my heater core started leaking, necessitating removing the dash AGAIN.

FTL.
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Old 12-27-2007, 04:21 PM
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i have one out of a 96 that I was gonna save in case mine goes out, but ill let it go for $50 shipped if anyone really needs it...PM me please
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Old 12-27-2007, 04:33 PM
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You don't have to remove the dash.
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread...ht=heater+core

When I replaced mine on Miata #2, it held up until it was totaled. I used a dremel to cut the old one out.

Chris
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Old 12-27-2007, 04:33 PM
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I have used heater cores avilable as well.
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Old 12-27-2007, 04:34 PM
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The real bitch of it is, my core was fine until I removed and reinstalled the core hoses. After I got my old core back when he installed the new one, it broke the solder joint where the pipe meets the tank. 10 second fix for a spare...
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Old 12-30-2007, 12:49 PM
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I pulled the plastic cover on that exposes the heater core yesterday. My 99 has no rubber hoses connecting the core to the aluminum pipes. I can not find a new core anywhere online, and I would be afraid to ask out local dealer what they want for a new one.

I guess I'm gonna cut the two pipes, remove the core, and find the leak and see if I can fix the leak or have it fixed. Maybe it's a crack in the caps and not the core itself.
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Old 01-08-2008, 11:26 PM
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Well, everyone wants to sell me their used one, but nobody could post a link to a new one, or a vendor, or anything for a new one. Working from inside the car, I cut both pipes close to the firewall, and it still wouldn't slide out. Then, I discovered that the tubes that go into the core have clips that hold them to the core. I removed the clips, both tubes poped out of the core, and then it came out. I believe I could have just removed those clips, and not had to cut the pipes in the first place. I'm stunned nobody ever mentioned the tubes come out of the core. Moreover, I'm pissed I cut my pipes when it appears it was not neseccary.

The tubes that go into the core have o-rings and mine were leaking. New o-rings seems to have fixed the problem so far. I had the core pressure tested with the new o-rings and no leaks. For all, you may be able to remove the core on a 99 without cutting the pipes OR removing the dash.
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Old 01-08-2008, 11:40 PM
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Bum deal about cutting the pipes. Atleast it's fixed now.

Get your connectors?
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