Replacing 89-91 100/200 heater core.
 

Well my heater core finaly sprung a leak! Anybody do this themselves? Is it as bad as it looks? Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated! I had to do the same thing on my previous 4000S what a PITA that was. It wasn’t too difficult just tedious.

RE: Replacing 89-91 100/200 heater core.
 

Hi
Done mine around 2 years ago not a bad job actually easier with bonnet off thou and not easy to bleed air out of after in all around 2 hours good luck, everything is done from engine bay you dont take dash out or even get in car

RE: Replacing 89-91 100/200 heater core.
 

Offramp,

Ah, now I see why you replied B-I-T-C-H on the answer I gave. Sure is, ain't it?

Hope you checked the bearings/brushes in the blower motor while it was out.

Cheers,

George

RE: Replacing 89-91 100/200 heater core.
 

Before I even pulled the core out I ordered a new blower assembly from RockAuto, $75 for a genuine Bosch shipped not bad. And it's a good thing that I did the fan still works but the commutator and brushes are beyond rebuildable.

My new problem is that the chinsy blower housing is cracked in more places than I have fingers. Don't know if I broke it in the removal process or if it has cracked over the years. [:@] A new left half 443 819 095 A is $181 from Audi. My other option is to use a fiberglass cloth to patch the crack but this will leave me sniffing ketones and styrene for many months to come especially when it is inside the AC/heater/fresh air vent box. Anybody who worked with Bondo knows how strong that nasty the smell is. ABS is also not the world’s best material to apply glue to. Looks like more delays and $$$!

RE: Replacing 89-91 100/200 heater core.
 

Offramp,

So go to a wrecking yard and buy used. Probably get the whole thing for less than 50, open it up, put the new parts in, put it back together and back in. Should get all the servos with it, for spares, though I don't know how often those go bad.

Have to drag my own spare parts car around back and try to hide it, before the kids get on my back. Though it was supposed to be a driving machine, not spare parts machine. Can't get IT to run, though. Think the guy I bought it from bent all the valves, put it together out of valve timing, can't get over 60 PSI compression, even squirting oil in the cylinders.

Ah, well, at least I didn't pay too much for it. Already paid off in a 75 buck headlight change, it to the one I drive now. Think a rotor or 2 will be next.

Cheers,

George

RE: Replacing 89-91 100/200 heater core.
 

Gmatov,

The idea of going to the junkyard crossed my mind but I would hate to go through all the trouble of taking one out in the cold and snow only to find that it was also cracked. The plastic is thin and very brittle. I was thinking of using a standard fiberglass repair kit but this stuff stinks bad for a long time. I was doing a google search for ABS glue and found that the best thing to use is ABS pipe joint cement that was widely used in the past before PVC. Not very common but many places still carry this stuff. The nice thing is that the odor dissipates rather quickly. The repair seemed to go along rather well and today I will try to slap it all together and see if it holds.

As for your parts car, if the compression is about 60psi across all 5 cylinders, my bet would be rust on the valves, seats, stems and cylinder walls. Been there done that!

RE: Replacing 89-91 100/200 heater core.
 

Offramp,

In my neck of the woods, most yards won't allow you to get your own parts. You call and ask them to have one out for you, or stop and order it. They remove it, you look it over, if, in this instance, it is whole, not cracked, no servo brackets broken, etc, you pay and take it home, take it apart and do your changeover.

The plastic is not brittle at all! Before I changed my first, I had to lift the hood and beat on the case with a wrench to jar the brushes a little to get the motor to run, or else freeze. No cracking. Actually even sawed, routed, really, a hole in it trying to get the motor out. No dice, but the plastic, whatever the compound, does not get brittle with age, nor from original design specs.

My 85 5000 had an all brass, end headers and all, heater core, not plastic. The radiator, though, does have damned plastic tanks, AND a little nipple for the makeup line or whatever you call it back to the expansion tank. THAT little bastard can break off, and THAT plastic compound will NOT take any glue that I know of to repair it. Had to tap it for a small brass nipple to keep one car going till I found a radiator I could see paying the price for. 100 and up for a 10 or 15 year old rad is not my idea of a fair price.

You ever consider going to an auto dealer type auction, such as Butler, PA auto auction, to get a car. Have to buy through a dealer, but if you know anyone who goes, you may be able to get a fairly new, 6 or 8 year old car, fairly cheap. Friend of mine does go, wrecking yard owner, said if I wanted to, I could go with him, he would buy, I would pay him a relatively small fee, like a 100 over his bid, and I control the bid.Would like to get a little closer to 2000 model year. Have my Wednesdays free, for now, might take him up on it.

Cheers,

George

RE: Replacing 89-91 100/200 heater core.
 

Luckily I have this one junkyard that lets you roam freely. You can literally practice for some jobs before you do the work on your own car. They can also take the part out for you and you pay more for it. I love this place I feel like a little kid every time I go there, which reminds me, I have some time this weekend. This place also sells stuff for less than the oil-contaminated dirt they are sitting on. For my old 4000S they removed and sold me a trany for $150, and gave a warranty for 30 days.

ABS is not as brittle as Bakelite but weaker than nylon or vinyl and will break and crack. Maybe I have a bad batch of heater housings.

Radiators or heater cores is not worth getting used, they can only take X amount of years before they corrode, break clog, etc. $100 for a used is a rip when a new one runs about $125 to 200 depending on the brand. Some junkyards automatically jack up the price for luxury brands so be aware. My wife needed a new left side mirror assembly for her Mercury I called several places and got a price of $100 - $125 for a used one. Went to the Ford dealer and ordered a new for $129 with 12 month warranty. People often think that if you go to the dealer to buy a new part you are going to pay through the nose.

The auctions have crossed my mind and I have been to one dealer only in NJ that is actually very well known. I have also bought from NYC police auctions. The thing is that you have to go there several times and get the idea of how much the cars go for and what condition they are in. If you’re a dealer it’s one thing but if you are and individual you can get burned and get stuck with a lemon, because that is where the lemons end up, the auction marry-go-round.