legacycentral bbs

I have just replaced my heater core on the Touring Wagon.
What a PAIN in the arse!!!!

So many flippin' nuts and screws and wires!...GOSH ! (in my best Napoleon Dynamite)

I have been searching this site for tricks and techniques on burping our cooling systems. I have found a few scattered tips, but nothing too definitive.

I have heard something about idling the car with radiator cap off
and squeezing hoses
and something about lifting the rear of the car?
What should I do to be sure the system is good to go?

Any general advice on the topic of coolant refilling and other things related to the task would be of great help to me... Thanks.

I usually just fill it up slowly until topped off. Then I burp it using the large coolant line that comes off the top of the radiator. Then I top off the coolant again, repeat ect.. I will sometimes reach down and burp the lower line that comes off the rdiator too. Go drive around a little bit and then recheck your level again. Add coolant and repeat burping if needed.

all of this with your heat on full, naturally

jack the front end of the car up. it'll help air bubbles rise to the bleeder screw.

You do know about that right?

professor - In our cars it doesn't matter whether you have the heat on or not. Coolant always flows through the heater core. The heat control just varies how much of the HVAC air goes through the core.

Josh - Turbos don't have the burp screw. They have a hose going from that part of the radiator to the filler tank.

Bosco - I sometimes find it helpful to bounce the front of the car up and down while idling with the cap off. And squeeze every hose, particularly the upper radiator hose.

Heat cycling (letting the engine warm up fully and then cool down fully) helps too. The air bubbles expand with heat and that helps them move around, eventually finding the filler neck. Then when the system cools down, it sucks new coolant in from the overflow tank. In fact, once you've finished burping and you call it a day, you should only use the overflow tank to fill the system.

You're just gonna have to keep doing all these various things until all the air's gone. Or you could have a shop vacuum-fill it if you want a no-worries solution.

Be absolutely sure to have plenty of coolant in the overflow tank at all times. You definitely don't want the system drawing air in through it.

Missed the touring wagon part.....oops

>>Coolant always flows through the heater core.

hmm, I guess that explains why the console gets so hot

Thank you everyone for the advice.

Drove it a while...So far so good.
Heat works.
No smell.
No filmy windshield.
... no overheating!!!

Well, it never actually overheated, but it did get close Wednesday night.

I have another small issue that may or may not be related, but I will inquire about it later. I must do a little research first. (and sleep)

Uh-Oooooohhh. I just checked my heater and got that over 40 Estrogen smell.

i dont screw around with all that filling up coolant stuff anymore, added in a "T" of brass fittings to the highest point in the system, and fill form there with rad. cap off and engine running. granted i only do this on my 86', not my 98'






~Josh~

On his car, the cap is already at the highest point in the system.