So my heater core just started to fail. Until I get a chance to replace it would it hurt anything to bypass it? Just get a fitting and connect heater lines together and cap off the heater core? Don't really need it I'm in southern CA.

 

Yeah, you can bypass it without any ill effects.

 

i have the new one ill probably just install it today. do you leave the foam on it? i assume it is for a tight fir in the box and to not rattle but wouldnt it melt?

 

have a look at whats currently in there. I think the foam acts as a seal, and a vibration isolator. (don't wanna hear that thing knocking around in the box. )

 

For future reference its pretty easy. took me about 4 hours. If you have AC its a little harder to get the air vent ox off the firewall but possible to do without disconnecting the fittings.

 

Interesting. Did leaving the a/c connected make it more difficult to get the core out without bending things around?

 

To get the new core in you have to pull the vent box out away from the firewall so you can get the core in its box and the lines through the firewall.(my new core was OEM as well so its lines did not swivel like some of the aftermarkets i have seen) that takes removing 4 or 5 nuts i believe. but you cant pull it all the away from the firewall because the AC lines are connected to the box. so it takes a bit of maneuvering and swearing to get it to pull far enough away from the firewall to be able to feed the core into the box and get the lines through the guides into the firewall, but it is possible. Just need to be careful not to damage the ac while pulling and tugging lines.

 

I left my A/C connected -- when I got the dash out of the way I just called upon Mister Makita Grinder to cut the heater core pipes off. Nuthin' to it but to do it.

 

yeah i cut mine to remove it as well.