I GOT HEAT!!! FINALLY.

[Gomez]

Unhooked both lines going into the heater core. Filled it with Super Clean. Let it set for 5 minutes. BLAST of about 125lbs of air in one end. Dark brown spray of junk spewed all over me, engine bay, fender, bumper cover, hood. I laughed my butt off for about a minute. Did the process again until it came out clear (4-5 times). Buttoned it back up. Drove it and heat now burns my hand even with engine temp guage showing on the C line. Just in time for another Ohio winter.

I know this is a death sentence for a heater core but what was I out? If I had to tear it out from air pressure damage or gunk it would have been replaced anyway. I took a chance and I got lucky it wasn't clogged as bad as it could have been.

[mckabe]

This sounds like a win. Heat is always awesome in the snow.

[spiko]

You're giving me bad ideas lol

[Bert]

Now that is a great story. Seven years running I've frozen my buns off in Festys whenever the temperature drops below 0 F. And every year I procrastinate about doing something about the heating system until suddenly it is too cold to work on it again.
In a pinch I guess I could carefully mount a Coleman gas lantern somewhere inside the car but it would likely steam up the windows.
If the heater core is not super difficult to get at perhaps while it is still relatively warm outside (and all my other mechanical woes get addressed) I will see about flushing or otherwise cleaning it before winter.

[Basement_Modder]

I need to do this. My air blows crazy cold in the summer, even with no A/C, but my heat is almost as cold.

[zoom zoom]

Nice man, it's always nice to have heat, I remember one car I had to bypass the heater core, and my ride to work was colder than the rest of the day! It really sucks when you have to put on extra layers just for the trip to work lol... Ey did you guys get all those wild exotic animals yet? Must have been weird waking up with a bear and a tiger in the back yard!

[jbuck1975]

I'm needing to do something to mine. Its not hot enough for winter.

sent from my EVO in my Festiva

[jbuck1975]

Where are these hoses you talk about located?

sent from my EVO in my Festiva

[Safety Guy]

Aren't you glad I took all these pictures of my build?



See the U shaped hose connected to the pipes in the firewall under the brake splitter "spider"? Those are the heater hose inlets to the heater core. That is where you would attach outside hoses to blow or flush out the heater core.

You can access it from underneath or from top right fender area. It's behind the engine block underneath the intake manifold. Probably best to get to it from below. Remember to use jackstands and be safe!

Whole build thread here:

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31934

Karl

[Gomez]

Yeah kinda scary on the animals. I'm about 8 miles as the crow flies (or animals roam) and was extremely worried about the wolf that was among the last to be cought. I still don't trust their final numbers.

Heater does work better but am kinda leary on those days below maybe 15-20 degrees or so.

[zoom zoom]

I might also add to this thread that if anyone is going to attempt this, be especially careful when pulling the stock hoses off the heater core fittings, I've broke those before, and it's not fun, the only alternative then is to bypass or replace the heater core. If the hoses are seized and your doubtful, just cut it off with a razorknife and replace the hose, it will save a lot of heartache.


@gomez, if you know of any junk yards with aspires in your area, please let me know! I'm in need of some stuff.