78' 510 heater core problems.

[Ethanofnazareth]

hello all, 

 

 So i recently purchased a 78' 510 and I plan on restoring it, not to long ago the radiator blew and i just replaced it with a brand new one. The new one works great and all but now i have another problem, what i believe to be the heater core under the front passenger side is now leaking anti freeze. Is there any way i can disconnect it and still manage to drive the car without it until i find out how to replace it? this is my first project car and i appreciate the help! thanks guys. 

 

 -Ethan

 

[Eagle_Adam]

ya, just run a hose from one port on the motor to the other and disconnect the heater core all together 

[datzenmike]

That will work or you can just shorten the hose on the head and down by the lower rad return hose, stick a bolt in there and hose clamp them. It was pointed out that the returned water is basically circumventing the rad and isn't cooled whatever. In other words the water from the head is HOT and should be going through the rad. Closing the hoses off is the same as setting the heater control to COLD. Portland probably doesn't get that hot but in the summer the cooling system can use all the help it can.

[Ethanofnazareth]

Thanks guys i appreciate the help! i'm going to tackle it this weekend and see what happens haha 

[MikeRL411]

The heater hoses may well be 25 years old!  You should change them on general principles.  Who knows, it might be a hose crack/leak and not a heater core.  Hoses are cheaper than unobtainium cores and can be fabricated if original replacement units are NLA as is most probably the case. I built new inlet and exit hoses for my 1967 RL411 from readily available aftermarket hoses.   Paying a radiator shop to fabricate a replacement core if the top and bottom [and inlet shutoff valve] are salvagable is a viable but expensive option if a new heater assembly is really needed.

[Fat510]

post pics, A10 brother!