Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Heater tube info needed.... (Read 1641 times) previous topic - next topic

Heater tube info needed....

My heater tubes are leaking between the pipe and mounting threads. I'm guessing there's an o-ring or something in there so it can swivel, and stay leak free. Now for the question....

1. Is it repairable?

2. If I have to pull the heater tubes and order new ones, can I just plug the hole with a pipe plug, and if so, what happens without that water sensor being there (the one on top of the water tubes)?

I won't have heat or defrost until I get the tubes repaired or replaced, but I'll live. I need to know what can be done. Thanks.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #1 –
I've got two or three laying around, in case you need one just to get by. Not pretty, but if it could help get ya by..

Have the one from a spare HO intake laying on my bench, loose.
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #2 –
I will let you know tomorrow. I found a link on how to rebuild them. I just did that. Now to see if it works. Stay tuned.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #3 –
Can you post the link for future reference? I'd like to add it to my pile of stuff lol
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #4 –
It was actually a super easy rebuild. Once I had what I needed, it took about 5 minutes, and that includes cleaning the threads, cleaning the inside area where the o-rings go, and where they seal against the inner wall of the  part that screws into the intake. Here's the link for everyone......

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/how-to-repair-your-leaky-coolant-hardline-pics.866543/

This link could be added to a sticky or put out there for easy future reference. Worked like a charm.

Now, I followed the instructions just as they described except for one step....they say to use a drift to re-flare the end (you'll know what I mean when you read it). I didn't have one, so, I got the flaring end from a tubing flare kit (the cone looking metal piece), and used that by itself, tapping it with a hammer, to flare the tube back into shape. Worked great, but I was very careful not to damage the steel tube.

After the repair, I poured water into the radiator, added some stuff to fluch and seal it, and let it sit at idle for 50 minutes. No leak.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #5 –
Nice! I'm definitely adding the info and the link into my collection. It's mostly just simple stuff, repairs, mods, stuff like that. I've got quite a bit of stuff printed on paper, but anymore, I've just been putting it on a cd.

Nearly everyone has a laptop or PC that will read a disc.. lol.

It's easier to peel off some gloves, throw the disc in the laptop, sit for a few in the shade (or in front of the heater, as it's February and ed cold) and look something. Hey, getting old, memory is going, along with everything else.

LOL!
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #6 –
I'm starting to print things off and put them in a note book. I'll probably get it all in order and laminate the pages. We have a laptop, but I like pages better for tech info "right now". Otherwise, when time is not a factor, computer.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #7 –
Yep...good idea on laminating them. Makes cleanup easy if you get a smudge of dirt or grease. Plus, if you need to write down a note, keep a dry erase marker handy.

Hmm..might have to make a separate thread just to discuss methods of securing info...and another plus of having paper info is the possibility of doing some work where there may not be electricity, or something that prevents electronics from being feasible...moisture, dust, etc.
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #8 –
In fact, I think I'll do this to one of my spare tubes. But before I reassemble, I'll hit it with the ole compressed air with some black beauty (blasting sand) and clean it all up. Prime, paint, dry for a couple days, and slap it on the intake in place of the one that I have on now. Of course, I'll have to take some shiznit back off of it...but the rest of the intake looks pretty ed nice, may as well have nice tubes, too. :)


Gotta wait till Tuesday for the hardware store to open so I can get some more sand...

Patience, a virtue as of yet not fully learned, nor appreciated.


In the mean time, I'm slowly getting some suspension under the '84, only so I can get it out of the big shed and into the 2 car garage. The tractor is almost too big to fit in the garage, and the '87 has spent most of the winter outside. And that  me off a little.

Maybe this coming week in between job apps and snow, I can swap Mustangs, get the '87 off the ground, get the fuel lines swapped (2.3 to 5.0), and set up my buddy's rolling overhead hoist and get the half-motor out.

But first, I want to fix that ed coolant tube LOL.

I don't have a vise, though I still have a few vices....actually, I have a vise somewhere, in a box, but my benches aren't quite stout enough to mount it...yet. I'm going to brace the underside of my big bench with a piece of 2x10 and use that to spread the load out. Vises are handy...I'm always running over to my dad's to use his...
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #9 –
wow,, I never new it was "takeapartable",, nice one Vinnie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #10 –
I didn't know it either. I saw that it was, and thought right off the bat..."oh , what kind of specialized tools are needed?"...Once I read it, I was really happy. It was really easy, and so far, good as new. I made sure that the O-Ring surfaces on the shaft that they go on and the inner part were really clean. Mine looked like the o-rings in the article. I am really surprised it wasn't leaking a while back. Most are probably like that. If I ever buy a used suet of tubes, I'll do this repair no matter what.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #11 –
When I took mine off the other night to blast my lower, I had one hell of a time getting the tubes off. Lots of PB blaster, and back and forth, back and forth. I bet it took me 20 minutes. I honestly thought I was going to break it, or twist part of it off in the intake.
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)
 

Heater tube info needed....

Reply #12 –
Thanks for posting this Vinnie...I will be checking into this when I do my swap coming soon.
87 Tbird LX w/Factory floor shifter:D   3G upgrade. Tinted Windows...85 Mustang GT steering wheel(non-cruise) 17'' Saleen SC style wheels,Front/Rear TC sway bars/poly bushings & Mustang GT steering rack...'05 Mustang V6 springs...93 Cobra MC & booster, MM adjustable C/C plates,  Work  In  Progress.......  ( On The Shelf---HO computer, 19lb injectors, HO cam, BBK headers, Explorer Intake, Cold Air Intake ,Phantom Gauges, Stinger stainless exhaust pipes )
 S O L D