The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Removing Heater from 58'

Hello I could use some help!
Is it okay to remove the hose from the radiator to the heater?
As I begand to remove the hose some nice clean radiator fluid began to drip.

I am not sure if the heater worked before I began disassembling the truck.

The only thing holding in the heater now are these two hoses. Can I cause any damage just popping the hoses off?
Thanks,
Brian

It won't hurt anything, but you will make a mess unless you drain it down a bit first. Are you going to be running the engine while the heater is disconnected? If so, you'll want to make a loop with the hose from one fitting to the other on the engine so that the water will flow, uless you plan to install pipe plugs in place of the fittings.

Ahh Thanks bill...now I can keep working through the dinner hour
Nope the gas tank is out so the motor will not be running anytime soon!

Thanks,
Brian

"Can I cause any damage just popping the hoses off?"

Yes, you can ruin a heater core. It's safer to cut the old hoses off.

Hey Cletis,
The hoses are connected with pipe clamps on the engine side of the firewall, there appears to be copper pipes from the heater from the inside of the truck going into these hoses. I am sorry to be ignorant but that is why I am asking. When I loosened the pipe clamps after removing all the nuts that held it to the firewall, the hoses do not slip off easily. What else could hurt the heater core??

Thanks,
brian

ahh, I misunderstood the original question. Do like Cletus said, cut the hoses. A slit up the side should allow you to get the hoses off.

Alright here is my plan.

1. drain the radiator
2. cut the hoses as close as possible to the firewall
3. slice the hoses horizontally where they go over the fittings from the heater core and peel the hose
4. Then pull it out?

thanks,
brian

might not be necessary to cut the hoses, grab with both hands and try turning them to break'em loose - if it looks like you'll twist the tubes, then cut, but very carefully so as not to score the tubes

then yes, remove all the nuts on the threaded rods sticking thru the firewall and the heater will fall loose inside

Bill

That should do it. Might need to gently twist the hoses as you pull them to get them to come off.

Bill, Why take a chance pulling on the core tubes. I have never seen heater hoses come off easily. No telling how old these are. If you want to chance ruining what may be a good core, pull and twist away. You're paying the bills. My advise to Brian remains cut them.

Even having replaced my hoses a few years back, the recent ones were a bugger to get off. Rather than chance damaging the core/tubes, I say just slit them. From my experience you have to slit them pretty hard and deep to damage the tubes. Even if you take off an inch or two you still may have enough hose to reconnect in the future if you want to reuse that hose, but unless its new, hose is cheap.
Bill

I've never seen'em come off 'easy' either, but I have seen plenty that came off by hand twisting first, without damaging anything .... if judicious twisting of the hose ruins the core, it's due for replacement ... it's a technique I have to use on the numerous juice plumbing fittings at the cider mill at least once a year, and only about 10% of the time end up having to cut

my advice remains, cut only if necessary, and then be very careful you don't score the tube

the other Bill

Thanks Guys....
Project completed...I cut the hoses 2" back from where they met the tubes as to not crush the tubes with the pressure of cutting, then i cut the hose lengthways towards the tubes until I had some separation and then I just followed that. Then peeled em.
Thanks
Cletis
Bill
Bill numero dos
Bill number 3

Next question:

where did my heater come from? My service manual does not have any info and the back of the unit is stamped "Harrison 11 57"

Thanks,
brian

By the way Bill Red 58 thanks for all of your help the last couple of days!!

any time

Harrison Radiator made rads and heater cores for GM until GM bought the company and made it a division, part of Delco I believe - the heaters were assembled wherever that division was [originally NY}, then GM installed whichever model heater was required on the assembly line as they were always special order, or they were sold/installed at dealers

you have one of 3 styles, factory installed standard, or deluxe, and dealer installed 'basic' .... find some heater info pics here, and installation info here for the 2 models of factory heaters, standard and deluxe

Bill

Thanks for the Pics...
I Thought I blew a heater core, but I see there is a hose inside the Heater Box...Should be a easy fix....

Thanks for the info Bill,
Looks like I have the Deluxe. It also looks like mine was in great shape!! Lucky me!

A gentle twist while pulling the hoses off, after slitting the sides, won't hurt a thing. And if it does, then most likely the core was not in good shape anyway. I've pulled many hoses off this way, both at the shop and even in the jubkyard, never had one fail, even the crappy plastic ones they use in new cars.
The trick is to be gentle with it.