LUVTruck.com

I'm new to this forum and to LUV's in general. I just bought an 81 5-spd diesel, and on the second day of driving antifreeze started trickling down the sides of the hump in the middle of the cab. I pulled the heater core along with just about everything else in the cab, and am wonadering if there is any way to test it.

I filled it with water and saw no leaks. I also emptied it and capped one end and blew on the other, and still heard no escaping air. I toggled the valve that is in these cores back and forth during both tests. What is that valve for anyway? And the smaller diameter tube that sticks out of it? It looks like vacuum line diameter? Mine wasn't attached to anything.

I left the core with a local shop last night, and they were going to try and match it with a similar size one that I could maybe figure out how to secure in the heater box. I don't want to buy one that doesn't fit until I'm sure the one that does fit doesn't work though.

Anybody had this experience with heater cores?

Thanks.

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1981 Diesel 5-spd Chevy LUV

Your core is basically the same as the one in my 86 Trooper, and they just in general suck. The valve is built in, the ends are plastic, and the ends are just pressed into the metal core. I ended up getting a replacement from a junkyard that leaked a lot less than my original and then ran some Bars Leak in the cooling system to get it to hold. Good replacements just don't exist, and repairing the one you have is just about impossible.

I don't like using Bars Leak or stuff like that too much, but going without heat was not an option. The only replacements I've ever seen were NOS on ebay and they all sold for $400 or more.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

I found a heater core from some kind of Ford for $30 new. It is roughly the same size and configuration, and got it to fit in the heater box. I put a valve operated with a choke cable in the line before the core to turn the heat on and off. It seems to be working. Thanks for your help.

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1981 Diesel 5-spd Chevy LUV