heater core flush instructions Dakota by Virused
#1
12-11-2006, 12:31 AM
heater core flush instructions Dakota by Virused
Hello everyone!
I promised that I would do a tutorial for flushing the heater core, including pictures, so here it is. First off, I appologize for the terrible pictures; I will try to make up for it in explination. Please keep in mind that this was done on my truck, a 1999, 3.9 v6.
Step 1:
Locate the two coolant lines running into the heater core, which is on the interior side of the firewall. They will be located to the left side of the break booster.
pic1.jpg
pic2.jpg
Follow the lines around your engine bay and you will find that one line leads to your water pump, and the other line runs into your intake manifold. The coolant, which is the source of heat for your heater core, runs from the intake manifold, through the heater core, then into your water pump to start the whole process over again. Keep this in mind because you will want to flush in the OPPOSITE direction the first time.
*Note: It will be handy to have a friend to be able to help you, but not necessary.
Step 2:
Locate where the rubber coolant line meets up with the hard line of the water pump. This will be a much more convenient location to flush from. This will get slightly messy so lay something down under your truck, or do this job in a place that you don't give a sh*t about the floor. Loosen the clamp, and slide the hose off of the hard line.
pic3.jpg
Follow the heater core return hose around the back of the motor, to the left side of the motor. Before it returns into the intake manifold, it meets a coupler. This is located on the hose where it runs between the motor and the stock air box.
pic4.jpg
Loosen the front clamp and slide off the hose from the coupler.
pic5.jpg
Step 3:
You are ready to flush! Simply grab a garden hose and hook it up to the hose, running into the heater core, that you just removed from the coupler. I just held it together with my hands, but they sell adapters if you want to waste your money.
Have the earlier mentioned friend turn on the hose and let her rip! To avoid a bigger mess than you already have going, connect a hose to the end that is spewing water all over the place. This way you can aim it into a bucket, or into your neighbor's garage. Let the water run for a couple of minutes.
*Note: The bucket, besides shortening cleanup, will allow you to see any debris that was clogging your heater core.
Step 4:
Simply do the same thing, but in the opposite direction, through the hose that you unhooked on the other side of the motor.
From here, you can simply repeat steps 3 and 4 until you are running completely clear water. When done, reconnect all hoses. Make sure your coolant reservoir is full. Start the truck for 30 seconds, then shut it off. Open your radiator cap, slowly! I don't want to be responsible for coolant in your eyes. Fill up to the top, and also make sure that your reservoir, once again is full.
You are done! Pat yourself on the back! I just hope you were having a couple of beers while doing this; for your own sake.
Dakota1stGen Dakota2ndGen
I promised that I would do a tutorial for flushing the heater core, including pictures, so here it is. First off, I appologize for the terrible pictures; I will try to make up for it in explination. Please keep in mind that this was done on my truck, a 1999, 3.9 v6.
Step 1:
Locate the two coolant lines running into the heater core, which is on the interior side of the firewall. They will be located to the left side of the break booster.
pic1.jpg
pic2.jpg
Follow the lines around your engine bay and you will find that one line leads to your water pump, and the other line runs into your intake manifold. The coolant, which is the source of heat for your heater core, runs from the intake manifold, through the heater core, then into your water pump to start the whole process over again. Keep this in mind because you will want to flush in the OPPOSITE direction the first time.
*Note: It will be handy to have a friend to be able to help you, but not necessary.
Step 2:
Locate where the rubber coolant line meets up with the hard line of the water pump. This will be a much more convenient location to flush from. This will get slightly messy so lay something down under your truck, or do this job in a place that you don't give a sh*t about the floor. Loosen the clamp, and slide the hose off of the hard line.
pic3.jpg
Follow the heater core return hose around the back of the motor, to the left side of the motor. Before it returns into the intake manifold, it meets a coupler. This is located on the hose where it runs between the motor and the stock air box.
pic4.jpg
Loosen the front clamp and slide off the hose from the coupler.
pic5.jpg
Step 3:
You are ready to flush! Simply grab a garden hose and hook it up to the hose, running into the heater core, that you just removed from the coupler. I just held it together with my hands, but they sell adapters if you want to waste your money.
Have the earlier mentioned friend turn on the hose and let her rip! To avoid a bigger mess than you already have going, connect a hose to the end that is spewing water all over the place. This way you can aim it into a bucket, or into your neighbor's garage. Let the water run for a couple of minutes.*Note: The bucket, besides shortening cleanup, will allow you to see any debris that was clogging your heater core.
Step 4:
Simply do the same thing, but in the opposite direction, through the hose that you unhooked on the other side of the motor.
From here, you can simply repeat steps 3 and 4 until you are running completely clear water. When done, reconnect all hoses. Make sure your coolant reservoir is full. Start the truck for 30 seconds, then shut it off. Open your radiator cap, slowly! I don't want to be responsible for coolant in your eyes.
Fill up to the top, and also make sure that your reservoir, once again is full.You are done! Pat yourself on the back! I just hope you were having a couple of beers while doing this; for your own sake.
Dakota1stGen Dakota2ndGen
#2
12-11-2006, 02:12 PM
#4
12-11-2006, 10:28 PM
Captain
RE: heater core flush instructions
Thanx this post finally got me off my @$$ and actually went and flushed my heater core it ran brown chunky water for about 5 5 gallon buckets full and finally started running clear water. Heater works Great now i'll probably flush it again in a few days just to be sure. It only ran the dirty water when i flushed it the direction with the garden hose on the end that connected to the pump and the bucket on the coupler end though the other direction just ran very slow but clean water but after i flushed it it ran full force clean water both directions
#5
12-12-2006, 12:18 AM
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dickjoseph (10-30-2021)
#6
12-12-2006, 01:36 AM
RE: heater core flush instructions
Anytime. If anyone needs to see how something is done, I never have a problem doing a picture tutorial. I have offered them up before when I was doing other projects, such as a lift kit and rack and pinion replacement, but no one wanted me to do them. Oh well. Thanks for saying thanks!
#7
12-12-2006, 05:30 AM
Champion
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Sycamore, Illinois (displaced to Arkansas)
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RE: heater core flush instructions
Great write up.
I'm going to place a link to this in the Gen 1 section (since everything is pretty much the same).
I believe your wrong. (I previously wondered about this, so I looked it up)
Attached is the coolant flow diagram for the 3.9L/5.2L/5.9L motors.
[IMG]local://upfiles/948/6E79A4DDF1FB4E2892D48AC1C7AC1F7F.gif[/IMG]
I'm going to place a link to this in the Gen 1 section (since everything is pretty much the same).
ORIGINAL: virused
The coolant, which is the source of heat for your heater core, runs from the water pump, through the heater core, then into your intake manifold to start the whole process over again. Keep this in mind because you will want to flush in the OPPOSITE direction the first time.
The coolant, which is the source of heat for your heater core, runs from the water pump, through the heater core, then into your intake manifold to start the whole process over again. Keep this in mind because you will want to flush in the OPPOSITE direction the first time.
Attached is the coolant flow diagram for the 3.9L/5.2L/5.9L motors.
[IMG]local://upfiles/948/6E79A4DDF1FB4E2892D48AC1C7AC1F7F.gif[/IMG]
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#8
12-12-2006, 01:22 PM
RE: heater core flush instructions
Thanks for the follow-up! I wasn't sure about the routing myself either, but in the end, I imagined that it would be making a huge difference simply because you would be flushing in both directions. But thanks a lot for the post! Maybe next time I will look at the owner's manual just to make sure!
#10
12-14-2006, 09:30 PM
Grand Champion
