heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option March 20, 2018, 03:50:51 PM is there a fairly bullet proof heater core option i can buy?the 20th now has about 340k miles,, the replacement core lasted the past 75k i guess.problem is that i can put a lot of miles on a car in a year so miles fly by quicker than time making it feel like i was just in there replaceing something.I have the firewall mod done back in 2012 i believe to acess the core from the engine bay, so change out wont be an issue.Is there a high quality core i can buy that wont ever blow?I was thinking about making a core by hand / fabrication if there is not.if there is something available that replicates the oem design for lasting power, i dont want to re-invent the wheel.i look at things like an oil cooler or transmission cooler and think to myself why isnt our heat cores built this strong?shop manual says not to exceed 30psi air pres to test the core,, looked it up the other day while i was routing bypass hoses on my other coug to verify the large line is input and the small is output,, and to see what the manual had to say about the restrictor,,, which we all use a small socket as a replacement for that aspect. in my mind if i fabricated one, it would consist of my purchasing 1/4'' copper tubing and zig zag it back and forth to form a layer then back over itself again for another layer until i populated the Length, width and height,, then figure out how to transition the inlet and outlet into the proper fittings like normal.there's no real reason we should have to put up with the sub par quality box store offerings for such an important part.i will also look on ebay for a nos core,, that would satisfy the situation and prevent the inner kid inside me from over thinking this.my mind is also drifting back to some experiments i did with VW applicatoins of heat on my 20th using the radiant heat off the intermediate pipe.i love it when i hop in the wife's Kharmann Ghia and inside 20 seconds there is burning your hand heat coming out of the vents!!! ,,, not bad for an engine with no water requirement. Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #1 – March 20, 2018, 06:53:28 PM Motorcraft. Done. Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #2 – March 20, 2018, 09:35:40 PM Do you have the restrictor in the inlet line? See here:https://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-heatercore-restrictor-7904.html Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #3 – March 20, 2018, 10:40:36 PM Quote from: Aerocoupe;465053Do you have the restrictor in the inlet line? See here:https://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-heatercore-restrictor-7904.htmlyeah, like i mentioned earlier i just make one or use a socket in the hose. Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #4 – March 21, 2018, 03:38:21 AM Every one I've put in from a parts store blows around 40-80k miles. None of my seemingly factory heater core equipped cars have ever blown. Usually after I have that many miles on a car, they are used up pretty good and already higher mileage then I move on to the next one.Is try just bringing an original core down to a radiator shop and see what they say. Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #5 – March 21, 2018, 05:24:37 PM What brand did you last put in? I put in a Motorcraft replacement part in mine. Part # HC-5. Also listed as E9LY-18476-A. I kept the cardboard of the box for part number for future use. :)https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/mercury,1988,cougar,5.0l+302cid+v8,1198605,heat+&+air+conditioning,heater+core,6864Still on RockAuto for $73 Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #6 – March 21, 2018, 08:33:43 PM Quote from: ThunderbirdSport302;465050Motorcraft. Done.Ahem. :DAs long as you guys have been here, you have to ask about heater cores? LOL, this was old hat 10 years ago. NOTHING cheap from parts stores lasts as long as it should. Yeah, maybe the Motorcraft and Delco and Mopar shiznit costs 25 bucks more, but you're gonna be money ahead when you DON'T have to change it again in 4 years.. Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #7 – March 21, 2018, 11:37:38 PM I've had a Motorcraft core in my car for about 12 years now no issue. Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #8 – March 22, 2018, 03:56:39 AM I bought a motorcraft boxed one and it had a spectre part number. The chineese rip off parts are getting ridiculous. Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #9 – March 22, 2018, 12:17:30 PM Is the HC-5 heater core the same if you have climate control? Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #10 – March 24, 2018, 09:58:36 AM yeah, the same. Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #11 – March 24, 2018, 10:02:29 AM Quote from: ThunderbirdSport302;465072Ahem. :DAs long as you guys have been here, you have to ask about heater cores? LOL, this was old hat 10 years ago. NOTHING cheap from parts stores lasts as long as it should. Yeah, maybe the Motorcraft and Delco and Mopar shiznit costs 25 bucks more, but you're gonna be money ahead when you DON'T have to change it again in 4 years..bowdown:i was wondering if someone specifically did a mod better than stock.i put in a motorcraft unit in the 20th, short few years ago,, like whenever i did the fire wall mod to access, was just wondering if someone made something more bullet proof, fabrication wise of if there was a bullet proof core available.im not afriad to ask questioms Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #12 – March 24, 2018, 05:59:06 PM My reply was a comparison between the stock Motorcraft units and the parts store brands. The non-Ford ones are definitely of inferior quality.As to making one better than stock, one probably could. But given the longevity of the Motorcraft cores, would it be cost effective? If you had the skills, materials, and facilities to do it, by all means. Someone like me though, I'll spend the $ on the Ford stuff and not blink Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #13 – March 24, 2018, 08:49:41 PM I've seen where people add an additional brace between the inlet and outlet on the Motorcraft one, and solder that in to provide more strength. Also, some people have resoldered the factory joints to make sure they're solid and leak-free. I'd say those are about as good of mods as any. Quote Selected
heater core bad in my 20th question on quality option Reply #14 – March 25, 2018, 07:45:24 AM yeah i took that advice and soldered a brace into pipes inlet and outlet.found the time stamp here when the motorcraft core went in,, 2012http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?34998-AND-NOW!!!!-It-s-a-1hour-or-less-heater-core&highlight=heater+corei guess this was 150k miles ago Quote Selected
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