At My Wits End.

OK. So I really didn't have that far to go. Number three heater core just blew. 90 LX 5.0 hatchback. This is the THIRD heater core in this car. First replacement never had the flow restrictor in the hose which blew that one. the second and now third just blew all by themselves. Nothing like having the compartment fill up with steam and vaporized ethylene glycol. Yum. it goes great with the double cheeseburger from Checkers. and it makes for a nice cologne. At around $1300 for the last pop, the thought of doing this job again makes me want to junk the car. I sorely need the transportation. I am even thinking of doing it myself. Is there any way of just bypassing the heater core altogether? who needs heat? I am just plain disgusted. Also the fuel consumption is crazy. 10 to 12 mpg highway. It is a Ford racing crate motor. Nothing crazy, a stock replacement, 19lb injectors, stock fuel pump, GT 40 intake, BBK shorty headers and 65mm throttle body,stock ignition, no other mods to the engine. It is running really rich, you can smell the unburned fuel in the exhaust.

Hi, you should check the pressure rating on your radiator cap, and if it is opening when it should. a radiator shop, or good general repair shop will have a tester. If you can't find a tester, try dropping the cap pressure a couple of pounds. I had a 427 that would pop a core every time i got to 6,500 rpm, smells awful.I installed a 10lb cap instead of the 15 that was on it. STANT makes a good selection of caps for around 10 bucks. You can bypass the core with some copper pipe fittings, i think you need to go from 5/8 od to 3/4 od with two 90 degree elbows to join the two hoses, check Lowes, or Home Depot, once you measure the pipes on one of your old cores. I f you have an old fasioned plumbing store nearby, tell them what you need.P.S. I did a heater core on an 87 tbird, and it was NOT my idea of fun.Probably the first part installed on the assembly line.For the fuel rich problem, I would make sure that you have manifold vacuum at the fuel pressure regulator, and that no fuel leaks from the regulator when you take the vacuum hose of when it is running.By the way, any eec codes?

sounds like you've got a blown head gasket. sorry.

you can bypass the heater core with a piece of rubber hose, but you're gonna need a leak-down test to tell if the motor is failed.

good luck with it.

Yes, either of the first two sounds right. Too much water pressure can cause that issue, and a bad head gasket is how you get too much water pressure.

Was your car loosing water or overheating prior to these breaking cores?

Or...

When you start the car and take off the cap, does it bubble out of the radiator if you top it off, like there's too much air in it?

OR, Just bypass it with a Flust T for $0.99 and 2 hose clamps at any parts store....

You don't need no "stinkin' heat"

1300 dollars for a heater core? Need to check for electrolysis's.