Thanks to everyone who posted advice on removing the engine and trans from the 92 Liberty, I'm getting the engine hoist this weekend and it's definately coming out.

 

As well as the wreck we're stripping, Paul has a '92 wagon in very good condition, everything works bar the heater. All I've been able to figure out so far is that the return hose stays cool, even with the dash switch turned to fulll.

 

I haven't pulled the dash out of the new one to see what gives yet (still kind of busy gutting the old one) but the switch does still feel like it's opening and closing something, it still moves smoothly with the same resistance as the other car. The car was immaculately serviced apart from this one problem (dealer serviced for 14 years) so it seems to me that they wouldn't have let a problem go unless it was really expensive to fix. I don't think I'm going to get away with just replacing the control valve.

 

If it is the core, I obviously have a spare on the wreck. Are Subaru heaters just as much of a PITA to get at as, like, every other vehicle?

if the return hose is cold you have a blocked core, the hoses the go to the firewall go directly into the core, so there isn't any type of heater control valve.

Thanks to everyone who posted advice on removing the engine and trans from the 92 Liberty, I'm getting the engine hoist this weekend and it's definately coming out.

 

As well as the wreck we're stripping, Paul has a '92 wagon in very good condition, everything works bar the heater. All I've been able to figure out so far is that the return hose stays cool, even with the dash switch turned to fulll.

 

I haven't pulled the dash out of the new one to see what gives yet (still kind of busy gutting the old one) but the switch does still feel like it's opening and closing something, it still moves smoothly with the same resistance as the other car. The car was immaculately serviced apart from this one problem (dealer serviced for 14 years) so it seems to me that they wouldn't have let a problem go unless it was really expensive to fix. I don't think I'm going to get away with just replacing the control valve.

 

If it is the core, I obviously have a spare on the wreck. Are Subaru heaters just as much of a PITA to get at as, like, every other vehicle?

 

Heater cores have fairly large plumbing, so they dont really get clogged like they used to. Beofre you dig in, flush the cooling system and double check that there is no air bubble in the cooling system, that the hoses themselves are ok. DO you get air movement through the hvac system?

 

nipper