rktolds

I have a leaky heater core. It will get replaced one of these days. Right now I have a rubber nipple over the water pump snout that goes to the heater core. Is this the only solution?
On a related note how did the factory cap the water pump on heater delete cars?

Matt

MDchanic

I can't say for sure, but I believe that for the rare few heater delete cars they just put a pipe thread plug in it.
Those rubber covers are okay, but they tend to deteriorate and blow out.

- Eric

coppercutlass

You could use an expanding rubber plug. Or a correct size freeze plug. I personally like the expansion valve. Kinda like this .

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/ite...FepAMgod_FkALQ

Oldsmaniac

I used to keep a piece of copper pipe in my car where I could just put the hoses together to bypass the heater core. One side was for 5/8 and the other for the 3/4 hose in case of emergency.

m371961

Or run one hose and bypass it.

Fun71

You could do this. The hose coming off the water pump is 3/4" and the fitting on the heater valve is 5/8", so you can remove the heater valve and install a 3/4" pipe nipple (might need a bushing to adapt the size). Pipe bushing + nipple should be ~$10.

Allan R

Tell me about this rare heater delete option. I've never heard of it, and don't believe it exists from the factory.

oldcutlass

If its temporary you can loop them together at the heater core or you can take the hose from the water pump and run it to the back of the block. If your deleting it all together you can just plug the 2 ports.

MDchanic

Since back in the sixties or seventies I've heard of it being a special-order possibility, generally on fleet vehicles, but I do not know anything more specific, so, no, I can't prove it.

It was definitely possible in fifties cars, where heaters were technically an option, and I believe that fleet buyers in hot areas of the country could special order it in order to save a few bucks on large purchases. Fleet vehicles tend to be rode hard, put away wet, and junked en masse, so it would make sense that there are few survivors.
I never thought much about it, but I would bet that someone on here has seen such a car, either recently or "back in the day," and can corroborate.

- Eric

Allan R

I appreciate where you're coming from. I've had this discussion before with a few folks. What I've learned from them (and from first hand experience) is that regular production cars from the mid 60's anyway, all came with at least a basic defroster/heater. The 4 door cars with vent windows always seem to have the dashes without any of the flow through vents. I posted an example on another thread about this. Cars with AC however, always had all the vents functioning for obvious reasons.

I would be hard pressed to find a regular production car that had absolutely no dash escutcheon for at least a heater option. And I would suggest that a dealer would not likely order a car without some form of ventilation even if the weather was hot. You'd need something to defog the front window from fogging with heavy rain or humidity. I believe that was more of a safety issue the factory wouldn't slip up on.

Chesrown 67 OAI

Heater delete was an option at least through 1968 on Olds. My Ramrod is a heater delete and has a dashplate in place of the heater control. I have a heater delete dashplate on my 67 442 also. You can see them for sale on here from time to time ---- There was one advertised on here for a 68 several weeks ago and was being asked $100 for it. They are rare, but they are out there. BTW -- there also factory made plates to cover the heater core hole in the cowl. Heres a pic of my 67 with heater delete plate.

Chesrown 67 OAI

Not certain but i believe i have even had awater pump without the casting bored for a heater snout? Just a flat unbored spot in the pump casting?

Run to Rund

Option C48 in 1966- 1967 used a rubber cap on the water pump nipple.

MDchanic

So, Allan, here's your proof, from the 1967 SPECS Guide:



A decent saving for deleting it, too...


Thanks for setting this straight, guys!

- Eric

Allan R

Couldn't find that option on the 68 SPECS, but if you say it has it, I'll believe you. BTW, nice dash - is that one Ron's handiwork?

Eric,
Point taken and accepted, at least for 67 and prior. Still would like to see any evidence of this in later years. I don't think it exists for them as a factory order; likely only as an after market modification.

What was the purpose of heater delete in 67 and prior?? It seems like a self defeating option unless the car was being ordered as a stripped down version for track use?

MDchanic

To save you $71.50.

That's the equivalent of $505.84 in current dollars.

Not everybody lives in the Frozen North, you know.

- Eric

Chesrown 67 OAI

yup = one of the 4 that Ron Roth has done for me! Fabulous!

Chesrown 67 OAI

Alan -- my bad -- Brain fart --- my Ramrod has a RADIO DELETE plate - not a HEATER delete plate. 67 may be last year for Heater Delete?

Allan R

No, seriously - what is the real purpose? Even folks in warm/hot climes would likely take their cars on road trips to places where defrosters were needed. And as previously mentioned, what about clearing fog on the inside during or after a rain? If there's absolutely no heat or circulation in the cabin of the car it would require at least the vent windows to be open pretty much all the time, was there a manual air flow vent somewhere in the car to facilitate air flow?? This is an honest, serious question I'd like some help understanding a logical, reasonable answer.

Allan R

Radio delete is much easier to accept, thank you. I know that Radio Delete was also available in many later year cars. Still trying to understand the 'why' of the heater delete, as you can see from my last post.

It's easy to spot Ron's work isn't it? I think he's a miracle worker.

Dave Siltman

OK I will let the cat out of the bag and give away one of my "secrets". I have a "pet peeve" about how stuff looks and have had brand new heater cores leak, soooooooo I weld the nipples closed that insert into the water pump. That way the core can NEVER leak and still has the hoses connected for the "illusion". I can't ever remember needing the heat in any of my collector cars anyway. My race car just has the rubber caps on the heater core and plugs in the pump.

Allan R

Yikes! Your car has warts??? I know - it's a typo....but a funny one

MDchanic

Allan, people are cheap.
If you live in the desert, there's almost never any need to clear moisture from anything.
Also, for fleet owners, as I said earlier, saving $500 per unit could add up to a decent amount. Remember, until recently (maybe even now, I'm not sure), UPS trucks had no A/C, no power steering, and manual transmissions.
Why? To save the company money.

- Eric

rktolds

Thanks guys. I will probably run the hose back to heater valve at the back of the block. As far as why I want heater delete in my 68 is I'm stripping it down to as few of options as possible. I'm building a RamRod clone and it will be a seldom used car on the street. If I can't make it look factory I may keep the heater.

ROCKET VAPOR

Gates part number 28611 for adapting 5/8" hose to 3/4" hose.


http://navigates.gates.com/AddedValu...rtNumber=28611

Allan R

I know that. Some even use rattle cans to do a paint job on their entire car... Sorry, just messin witcha.

I doubt any of the cars up here would have that option, for obvious reasons. Not even the UPS or Fedex trucks. Crap - some of the delivery vehicles up here are tricked out like you wouldn't believe, but as you say there's a cost. In our case the cost is lack of maintenance. Recently the police conducted a commercial vehicle safety inspection and 57% of the vehicles failed. 43% were removed from service immediately. The other 14% had minor things like flat/low tires, burnt out lights, improperly secured loads (really - who cares if the load falls off right?) that were remedied on the spot before the truck was released. It's a scary world out there on the road.

Anyway - thanks for your input to the question. I'll see if anyone else chimes in on this.

Fun71

Thanks for that! This will be a great part to carry in the tool box for emergency use. No reason to let a blown heater core stop you from driving your car, especially on trips or off-roading, like I do a lot in my Jeep. Too bad it's not a U-shape so it would fit the end of the hoses better.

Koda

My two cents, all cars have to have heaters for defrost/defog from 1968 on per Federal law. Heater delete is legitimate option for 67 and older.

Allan R

Thanks Koda, can you point me to the legislation?

MDchanic

This isn't the whole law, but it's a reference.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/regr...background.htm

- Eric

Allan R

Thank you Eric!

Dave Siltman

Allan, I put some "Compound W" on my ride, so no more warts. So much for spell-check. Anyway, I did some editing to my last post.

Allan R

Ahh, I wondered what the W stood for on the W30, W31, W32 etc

Koda

I'm a little taken aback by this.

Allan R

LOL Koda - saw your original comment. Of course I'm serious. This is information that often gets overlooked and I just wanted a reference to look up instead of just going on 'word of mouth' - in this case 'word of internet'. The document Eric posted gives clear info about when and what was affected. Don't be taken aback, it was an honest request - nothing more, nothing less.

Koda

Ok, sorry.

I am going to use profanity, cover your ears. I thought you were calling bullshit on me.

But, I wasn't sure, so I toned it down some. I do like the "presumption of honesty and knowledge" we operate under here. Something I'll do is qualify it. "This happened," "I am pretty sure this happened," "I think this happened," "I might have read somewhere this happened," "I don't know at all but that happening sounds good," etc etc.