karinvail Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 What causes the heater core to make bubbling/gurling noises? Trapped air? I sure hope I don't have to take out this heater core - I did that in an 84 Soob I had a while back and I remember what a PIA it was :-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahDL88 Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 with the engine cold, start the car and take off the rad cap immediately, then add water/coolant until it will take no more, should take less then 10-15 minutes, fill the over flow to the max fill line and it should be good, unless you have a leak or a HG issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet82 Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Toss in a couple tums and call me in the morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowRoo Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Mine, does the same thing. I figured it was all the "stop leak" put in by the previous owner. I had the radiator fixed. Have been running it for 4 years with out a lot of heat. Putting in a new core and rad. this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karinvail Posted March 18, 2005 Author Share Posted March 18, 2005 with the engine cold, start the car and take off the rad cap immediately, then add water/coolant until it will take no more, should take less then 10-15 minutes, fill the over flow to the max fill line and it should be good, unless you have a leak or a HG issue. I did that when I first put in the anti-freeze (let it run w/o the cap until I couldn't add any more) - I don't see a leak (other than the small oil leak in the middle/front of the engine) and there doesn't seem to be a HG issue (good power - actually GREAT power with the non-stock exhaust, no anti-freeze burning smell, no anti-freeze in oil, no oil in anti-freeze, no funny color smoke out tailpipe, etc.) This engine has pretty good timing belt covers too - doesn't look like it's ever been overheated (at least not enough to melt covers). My son says that I should worry about the loud exhaust over a little gurgling noise in the heater core, LOL. He hates my exhaust. I can't really call it a muffler, because it doesn't muffle much, LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karinvail Posted March 18, 2005 Author Share Posted March 18, 2005 Mine, does the same thing. I figured it was all the "stop leak" put in by the previous owner. . 'You know what - that might just be it - hmmm. Maybe I should pull it out and have the radiator shop flush it out real good. The previous owner put stop leak in it before he listed it for sale.... we replaced the radiator already, and had to replace the motor because he was hiding the fact that it had a cracked block. I bet it is the stop leak stuff that I could SEE in the coolant when I drained it the first time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowRoo Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 How does it do for heating up, inside the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooziewhatsit Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 get the nose as high in the air as you can when it's cold, then take the cap off, start it, and add fluid as needed. you want the water pump as high/higher than the heater core. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karinvail Posted March 19, 2005 Author Share Posted March 19, 2005 How does it do for heating up, inside the car? Well, that's a story in itself The former owner disabled the heater when the buttons quit working - and hooked it up so only the defroster works and that is hooked up with a wire to the defroster flap. Yea, major PIA and not cool to have a wire sticking out beside the steeriing column . The defroster works OK though, so I guess I can just wear a coat when it's cold outsiden as I have NO CLUE what he did in there and how to fix it (if I can). At least we don't get too cold usually here in the Pacific NW ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karinvail Posted March 19, 2005 Author Share Posted March 19, 2005 get the nose as high in the air as you can when it's cold, then take the cap off, start it, and add fluid as needed. you want the water pump as high/higher than the heater core. That's a good idea - I'll pull it back onto the ramps and run it w/o the cap and see if that helps. I think this car has been on the ramps longer than it's been on the road since I got it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil mc Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 That's a good idea - I'll pull it back onto the ramps and run it w/o the cap and see if that helps. I think this car has been on the ramps longer than it's been on the road since I got it Hi I had a radiator replaced by a mechanic. Afterwards I'd huge trouble with air in system. When I revved i could hear water swish from what I thought was under dash(Heater core area). My mechanic tried various things including 2 drain n refils of coolant but no luck. I tried elevating front of car to make rad cap the highest point(starting cold engine waiting for heat up etc) and it did help but still had slight sound of swishing. Try leaving car idle until warm not hot(feel rad hose). Switch off and squeeze bottom hose while gently releasing rad cap-air will pass out, tighten cap but keep lower pipe squeezed while someone squeezes top hose and gently releases rad cap more air will pass. Tighten cap and release bottom then top hose-watch reserve tank it will have coolent sucked into system replacing air pockets and lowering level of fluid in reserve. Keep an eye on coolent level and repeat process if needed. I had to repeat few times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarian Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 It's not that complicated. Park with nose uphill. Remove radiator cap. Squeeze upper hose slowly and release. Add coolant. Repeat until no more air bubbles appear. Fill overflow bottle. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 After you fill as stated above, it can still take 2-4 runs (cold, run till hot, park till cold) to get all of the air out. To check for air in the coolant, open the hood, listen near the thermostat housing. Squeeze the upper radiator hose. You should hear the jiggle pin in the thermostat. If there is air, you will hear it also. If your thermostat doesn't have a jiggle pin, get one that does, as this is the only way to check that coolant is actually in the engine without opening the radiator, letting in air.... I had an engine with a very small headgasket leak from a cylender to the coolant. Never heard air in the heater core, but could never get it out of the radiator. The engine ran normally. It took a while for it to get bad enough to figure out that the head gasket leak was the cause of the "air". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indrid cold Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 With nose elevated... take radiator cap off, run to warm up, tug on accelerator cable to rev engine, top off radiator while at high rpms, put on cap and seal radiator. also: What to do with old phone books: (I lay two phone books down then a third on top to build a ramp so front tires are sitting on top of 2 phone books) works great to raise car to just right hight to work on, fill radiators etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karinvail Posted April 19, 2006 Author Share Posted April 19, 2006 my car is totaled now, but I often wondered if maybe it had a tiny head gasket leak. I would hear the gurgling in the heater core, but also occasionally I would hear (and see if I was quick enough after turning engine off) bubbles in the overflow.... it did ever so slowly use/lose coolant too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 also occasionally I would hear (and see if I was quick enough after turning engine off) bubbles in the overflow.... it did ever so slowly use/lose coolant too. Yes, those were symptoms of my above mentioned small headgasket leak also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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