Ahha! No hot air because core was bypassed, but why?

[cratica]

Alrighty... I now know why my 97 GTS is not blowing hot air through the ducting. The previous owner has bypassed the heater core. So, the question is... what are some of the possible reasons they would have done this and will this has anything to do with the car running hotter than it should?

Thanks guys/gals!!!

 

[cratica]

Does anyone have a photo of what the heater core attachments are suppsoed to look like? The horizontal one on my core looks good but the vertical one looks odd and not smooth on the top, a bit chipped. Perhaps there is supposed to be a nozzle here for the hose to be clamped to, or it an interior threaded joint? Not sure how things are supposed to be attached. I would like to put it back to stock.

I did run water through the core and flush it out. It seemed to be fine, definately not blocked. It's also not leaking in the interior that I could feel and I tried to pressurize it as best I could.

Here is a pic of what mine looks like. The left, vertical inlet? doesn't look right, perhaps they just cut the hose off. It also looks like there was some sort of sealant around that area? Is that normal/factory? Or perhaps it was leaking from this area and they got fed up with it and just bypassed it altogether? Thoughts?

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http://www.pixelworks-studio.com/heater core 1.jpghttp://www.pixelworks-studio.com/heater core 1.jpg

 

[dave6666]

I was going to say it was bypassed because it was leaking. Did your test include 17 psi at 220 deg F for *** minutes?

 

[Viper Wizard]

I was going to say it was bypassed because it was leaking. Did your test include 17 psi at 220 deg F for *** minutes?

And or they where thinking of heat....one less hot spot in the cockpit.

 

[plumcrazy]

who checked out this car for you ? seems like that should have been obvious

 

[cratica]

ok, got it. there was a bunch of rubber/sealant stuff covering the cut off hose and clamp. Pulled/cut that all off and now I see the copper pipe fitting for the hose.

Is there any way to check for leaks of this core, short of connecting the heater hoses and pressurizing the system?

I would hate to lose all that brand new coolant (just had it flushed and filled today at a shop)

 

[cratica]

I bought this car cheap cheap at an insurance auction... so just working out the kinks.

 

[jdeft1]

I'd hook it back up properly, run it, pressurize it and see what happens...

(Keep a few towels handy..just in case).. If it leaks, you have a winter project, being that it's summertime now and you can easily bypass the H-core.

 

[cratica]

Does anything think this could be causing the car to run hotter than it should?

 

[dave6666]

And or they where thinking of heat....one less hot spot in the cockpit.

Well then I'd be concerned about the rest of the yet to be discovered redneck mods on that car

 

[Black Moon]

Does anything think this could be causing the car to run hotter than it should?

No.

I'd fill it with a hose first. It may leak with no pressure and its easier to dry out water than it is antifreeze.

 

[dave6666]

Does anything think this could be causing the car to run hotter than it should?

It is part of the cooling system, yet I can't imagine it alone is the problem.

My guess is, and I am guessing in addition to killing some Mexican cervesa's, is that it was a knee **** reaction to another problem, the previous owner got tired of not being able to solve the problem, hence the great deal at the auction.

DOES YOUR UPPER RADIATOR HOSE GET HOT??? DO YOU HAVE CIRCULATION???

You should not be able to keep your hand on that hose if you have coolant flowing. Use an IR thermometer if you want to do it the preppie way.

 

[cratica]

I connected the heater hoses back to the core and drove it for about 20 minutes, came back, no visible leaks. I checked under the passenger floorboard as well, under the car, etc... heater works now.
yes, the upper radiator hose gets hot. no other "redneck" mods visible unless you want to call the HID lighting (german made units) a "redneck" mod. Car runs, drives, shifts perfect. almost as well as my 96 did and it drove better than any other viper I've driven. It's the 2nd best running, riding, driving Viper I've driven to put it more plainly.

 

[cratica]

No.

I'd fill it with a hose first. It may leak with no pressure and its easier to dry out water than it is antifreeze.

thanks, i did that before I hooked it up. I also filled it up with water, then rigged a hose between the in/out and pressurized it with about 20lbs of compressed air and no leaks as well.

 

[Martin]

Something's fishy... First of all, that bypass job was done by a redneck plumbing school dropout (sorry if I offended any friends who didn't make the cut in plumbing collige...). You could run it for a while with hoses attached, but my guess is that you'll find (at the least convenient time) that your core is leaking. The core can leak for a while, then seal up, and then start leaking again - it's the weakest part of your cooling system. If you are going to test this out with the core in the loop, you should take your passenger side carpets and floor mats out. It is much easier to keep them from getting that sickly sweek stink in them than trying to get that smell out of them. It will also be easier for you to see the fluid drippin down on your floorboards.

All in all, if that were my car, I'd be heading down the path of ordering a new heater core and installing it. It's not a horrible job, but it's not much fun, either. But, it's less work to just replace it now than to have to clean up that nasty smelling antifreeze from the passenger footwell and THEN replace the core. Most cars of that vintage, if they haven't had regular antifreeze changes (especially if the owner ran the green stuff in them the whole time) are due for a new heater core, and possibly other coolant related items. Just my $0.02.

 

[cratica]

Yes, was the green stuff. I may just take it into Maxwell Dodge and let them deal with it.

I recently replaced the heater core in my 71 corvette stingray and don't care to do that again. I'm sure it's not any easier on the Viper.

 

[Martin]

It's actually not that bad - but it does take some time. I think I posted the general steps a few days ago, so if you search for them, that should give you an idea of what's involved. If you work non-stop, you can probably get it done in two or three hours - but if you're like me and you get distracted and need a beer or two during the process, it's best to make it a weekend project.

 

[dave6666]

I connected the heater hoses back to the core and drove it for about 20 minutes,...

So does it cool any differently with the heater core back in the loop?

 

[Ray W]

Just for entertainment. Put some paper towels in the passenger footwell. Then run a garden hose for about 10 seconds around the heater core fittings (where you peeled off the black silicone). If you get water,just do a better job of resealing than they did.

 

[cratica]

So does it cool any differently with the heater core back in the loop?

Well I drove it last night and of course the ambient temp was coolor so the car did run a bit cooler but still not cool enough for what I think is normal. I owned my 96 Viper for 3 years and it never once was as hot as this one runs. This one runs 15-25 degrees hotter. Strange thing is that my brothers 96 GTS runs almost as hot too and he's going through to process of trying to determine why as well.

I'll drive it in a little bit to see how it performs in the heat of the day.

 

[cratica]

Just for entertainment. Put some paper towels in the passenger footwell. Then run a garden hose for about 10 seconds around the heater core fittings (where you peeled off the black silicone). If you get water,just do a better job of resealing than they did.

Good idea except that if the heater core starts leaking a little I won't be certain if the dampness is from the water hose or from the core.

 

[dave6666]

Some more FYI's as you look for clues...

The gauges are not known for accuracy. Do not trust one car to the other necessarily.

The radiator in my '01 after about 35K miles or so looked like this. Do not have every detail of coolant maintenance as I got the car at 17K miles in 12/06, but the fluids are, well, let's just say well maintained as a resident of Dave's garage.

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[steve911]

Check the radiator fan rely also. They have a hstory of becoming intermittant over the years becasue there is a lot of current flowing through it.

There are several relays under the hood that have the same part number. Find one of those that is being used in a light duty capacity and swap it out with the radiator one. saves buying a relay for the time being.

 

[Ray W]

Good idea except that if the heater core starts leaking a little I won't be certain if the dampness is from the water hose or from the core.

Don't disconnect the hoses,just run water around them to make sure the box is properly sealed. Which in your picture appears to be not done very well. No water can be allowed to get into the box. You need to seal up around the hoses completely.

 

[cratica]

Don't disconnect the hoses,just run water around them to make sure the box is properly sealed. Which in your picture appears to be not done very well. No water can be allowed to get into the box. You need to seal up around the hoses completely.

gotcha... that makes sense

 

[Ray W]

If it leaks it won't be damp. The water will pour in. So don't run the water long.