Crap, One of the tubes going into the heater core on my 84 wagon seems to have gotten deformed so it is no longer round.I tried to straighten it out but no luck.I need someway to seal it up.Anybody have any suggestions? I was thinking maybe a bunch of RTV might seal it up but I don't know how it would hold up.I could always just go and bypass the heater core, but I am going wheeling tomarrow in the moutains so no heater would probally be really cold.Anyone have any ideas on how I can get it seal up again?

Braze it, epoxy, JB Weld? Just shooting from the hip here.

I was able able it get it sorta round by shoving a pair of needle nose pliers into and and rotating them.It still leaks but now its a drop ever couple of seconds instead of a steady stream.

if it helps, the hose sticking through the firewall isn't actually part of the heater core, it's the control valve assembly...so, worst case scenario you'll have to replace that valve....I've totally done what (I think) you just did...crushed the tube trying to take the hose off on the outside of the firewall. *sigh*

~Erik~

 

sorry, I guess it doesn't really help you in the short term, just thought it'd help.

Now I have another problem I would like to tackle.The wagon idles incredably high 2200-2500 RPM. I sprayed all of the vaccum lines and didnt get a change in idle at all, so I dont have a vaccum leak.The throttle cable is loose even has some freeplay so its not keeping the throttle open.I dunno what could be causing the high idle?

Ummm...lower the idle with the screw?

I messed with the choke a little bit then I reved it.Now it idles at 1000 RPM

 

And it returns to 1000 RPM if I rev it.Musta been sticking somewhere.So I went and sprayed the linkages and stuff with a liberal amount of WD40...Hopefully that fixed it for good.

There are 2 screws. The on towards the back is the high idle screw. The one toward the front is the idle screw. If the engine is warmed up, the front screw should be what you adjust. If its still cold, the back screw, providing all is working well. If you want, back them all the way out and see which one lowers it. Keep track of how many turns you back it out, so you can get it back, roughly where it belongs.

re: Heater tubes.

 

Radiator shops have special internal "pliers" that they use to fix out of round heater tubes and radiator outlets.

I have fixed the squashed tube problem by driving progressively larger and larger socket into the fitting with a little light hammer work on the outside. Just be sure not to loose a socket down inside or drive one is so far or deep that you cant get a hold of it to pull it out.

 

Gary

Give it CPR, thats where you take the air filter off and rev it up by hand while you are in front of the car with the hood up, rev it to about 3 or 4 thousand RPM and cover the top of the car, sorta Choke it out, somtimes there can be gunk in the carb and you can get it to suck some of the crap out by doing this, its just and Idea...................... It's got a few of mine to chill out on the RPMs this way.

 

Jeff

I was going to suggest using a section of wooden dowel for this; you could round the driving end to be bullet-shaped so it would go in smoother.

 

I have fixed the squashed tube problem by driving progressively larger and larger socket into the fitting with a little light hammer work on the outside. Just be sure not to loose a socket down inside or drive one is so far or deep that you cant get a hold of it to pull it out.

 

Gary

I was told by a good subaru mechanic once that high idle can be caused by overtightening the center bolt on the air cleaner -- deforms the piece inside the carb that that bolt goes into. He tapped that bolt back down, and the idle went back down.... Hmmm....

 

Z