If good replace anyway?

[Jehu]

I am approaching readiness on the Heater Core job.I have a heated garage where i can do it and have my laptop plugged in to at least reference offline the available DIY guides.In reading other posts about the job it seems some find the O-Rings were the culprit and the core still intact, other find the core leaking.I plan on buying the core but if I first try just replacing the O-Rings and that stops my leak would i be well advised to go ahead and replace the core while i have it accessible or save the money and return the core keeping the old one in place.In other words do the cores end up failing ultimately anyway?I wonder if having faulty Water/heater valves resulted in the failure of whatever is leaking down there.... I knew i should have replaced those when i learned they were bad months ago..

[markus]

i never did one but it sounds like a bitch. this seems like one of those jobs you only want to do once.

[Jehu]

I'm looking forward to it but its gotten to the point that I'm getting headaches breathing the coolant and I'll be damned before i pay someone with a BMW certificate to spend 12 hours just taking my interior apart at $90/hr.I've taken small sections of the interior apart before taking the radio and OBC out or and getting to the Micro filter to change it.Ryan posted a pretty nicely detailed step by step from someone who did theirs and I've seen some pics of different stages.Good ideas like putting the screws and bolts right back into the pieces they go in as you remove them and having a few old towels to cover the pathway the core will follow as i take it out ,maybe stuffing the openings with paper towels too. As long as i am warm and will be undisturbed i don't see any reason i won't be able to get it done in a day and save over a Grand.I need a Zero Gravity recliner for enjoying my stereo here at home and those are around $1,500.00.

[Paul in NZ]

heated garage,stereo,beer,lots of time,and hopefully all required parts...

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

is the hardest part of many repairs.

this is one of those jobs that it's best to do the whole nine yards while you're down there, or you'll be back soon.


A/C
timing belt/chains
water pumps/cooling
brakes
suspension

Best done complete and be done with it

[BillionPa]

while you are doing the heater core and the coolant is drained, you might as well do any other minor cooling system maintenence, like old hoses, thermostat/pump, valve body, etc, if none of them have been done in a while.

and of course refill with blue.

[shogun]

??

the heater core is inside the cabin, and the other stuff you mention is in the engine room.

[Alexlind123]

??

the heater core is inside the cabin, and the other stuff you mention is in the engine room.

I was thinking the same thing...

[Jehu]

I never read anything indicating you needed to drain the coolant to change the heater core.If this is just a matter of disconnecting the three tubes maybe i could clamp the hoses out at the water valves or just be ready with something to plug each opening as i separate the tube end from the core if there would be the chance of a surge of remnant fluid.Those other items hopefully can hold off till summer.

[DaveVoorhis]

I never read anything indicating you needed to drain the coolant to change the heater core.If this is just a matter of disconnecting the three tubes maybe i could clamp the hoses out at the water valves

I've done that -- opened the rad filler cap to relieve any pressure and used hefty spring clamps to seal the hoses. It's not as bad a job as some folks make it sound -- there's a tedious amount of undoing little screws and whatnot, but it's not difficult. Take your time and don't force anything.