leaking coolant

I replaced the evaporator core on a 2001 XJ this past weekend. The
heater hoses were old and they had to be cut off, so we did that and
replaced them with new ones. Everything went smoothly, and we
reassembled everything and started the car. Coolant started leaking
everywhere! Not at first, but only after the pressure builds up and
you rev the engine a few times. We are almost positive its leaking
where the rubber hose meets the heater core's copper pipes. We tried
multiple hoses and clamps, but the leak still occurs. Coolant will
pour out of the drain tube in the HVAC, we assume this is because the
spraying coolant sprays thru the foam in the firewall and into the
unit. I dont know where else to turn or go, but you can't drive for
more than a minute before coolant goes everywhere. HELP!

97tjMike wrote:
> I replaced the evaporator core on a 2001 XJ this past weekend. The
> heater hoses were old and they had to be cut off, so we did that and
> replaced them with new ones. Everything went smoothly, and we
> reassembled everything and started the car. Coolant started leaking
> everywhere! Not at first, but only after the pressure builds up and
> you rev the engine a few times. We are almost positive its leaking
> where the rubber hose meets the heater core's copper pipes. We tried
> multiple hoses and clamps, but the leak still occurs. Coolant will
> pour out of the drain tube in the HVAC, we assume this is because the
> spraying coolant sprays thru the foam in the firewall and into the
> unit. I dont know where else to turn or go, but you can't drive for
> more than a minute before coolant goes everywhere. HELP!
>

You are describing a defective core.

I would put duct tape on the hole on the firewall just leaving the brass
tub clear to stop coolant going from the hose to the insides to see if
the leak stays outside the firewall. I suspect the leak is inside.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

On Sep 17, 11:20 am, Mike Romain > wrote:
> 97tjMike wrote:
> > I replaced the evaporator core on a 2001 XJ this past weekend. The
> > heater hoses were old and they had to be cut off, so we did that and
> > replaced them with new ones. Everything went smoothly, and we
> > reassembled everything and started the car. Coolant started leaking
> > everywhere! Not at first, but only after the pressure builds up and
> > you rev the engine a few times. We are almost positive its leaking
> > where the rubber hose meets the heater core's copper pipes. We tried
> > multiple hoses and clamps, but the leak still occurs. Coolant will
> > pour out of the drain tube in the HVAC, we assume this is because the
> > spraying coolant sprays thru the foam in the firewall and into the
> > unit. I dont know where else to turn or go, but you can't drive for
> > more than a minute before coolant goes everywhere. HELP!
>
> You are describing a defective core.
>
> I would put duct tape on the hole on the firewall just leaving the brass
> tub clear to stop coolant going from the hose to the insides to see if
> the leak stays outside the firewall. I suspect the leak is inside.
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> Jan/06http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

well i replaced the EVAPORATOR CORE, not heater. the heater core just
had to be removed and reinstalled. Still starting to agree with the
diagnosis though.

97tjMike wrote:
> On Sep 17, 11:20 am, Mike Romain > wrote:
>> 97tjMike wrote:
>>> I replaced the evaporator core on a 2001 XJ this past weekend. The
>>> heater hoses were old and they had to be cut off, so we did that and
>>> replaced them with new ones. Everything went smoothly, and we
>>> reassembled everything and started the car. Coolant started leaking
>>> everywhere! Not at first, but only after the pressure builds up and
>>> you rev the engine a few times. We are almost positive its leaking
>>> where the rubber hose meets the heater core's copper pipes. We tried
>>> multiple hoses and clamps, but the leak still occurs. Coolant will
>>> pour out of the drain tube in the HVAC, we assume this is because the
>>> spraying coolant sprays thru the foam in the firewall and into the
>>> unit. I dont know where else to turn or go, but you can't drive for
>>> more than a minute before coolant goes everywhere. HELP!
>> You are describing a defective core.
>>
>> I would put duct tape on the hole on the firewall just leaving the brass
>> tub clear to stop coolant going from the hose to the insides to see if
>> the leak stays outside the firewall. I suspect the leak is inside.
>>
>> Mike
>> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
>> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
>> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
>> Jan/06http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
>> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
>
> well i replaced the EVAPORATOR CORE, not heater. the heater core just
> had to be removed and reinstalled. Still starting to agree with the
> diagnosis though.
>

I was thinking when the old hose was cut off it was twisted and pulled
on first which can crack a weak core joint or split the pipe.

I worded it strange though.

Mike

On Sep 17, 8:34 pm, Mike Romain > wrote:
> 97tjMike wrote:
> > On Sep 17, 11:20 am, Mike Romain > wrote:
> >> 97tjMike wrote:
> >>> I replaced the evaporator core on a 2001 XJ this past weekend. The
> >>> heater hoses were old and they had to be cut off, so we did that and
> >>> replaced them with new ones. Everything went smoothly, and we
> >>> reassembled everything and started the car. Coolant started leaking
> >>> everywhere! Not at first, but only after the pressure builds up and
> >>> you rev the engine a few times. We are almost positive its leaking
> >>> where the rubber hose meets the heater core's copper pipes. We tried
> >>> multiple hoses and clamps, but the leak still occurs. Coolant will
> >>> pour out of the drain tube in the HVAC, we assume this is because the
> >>> spraying coolant sprays thru the foam in the firewall and into the
> >>> unit. I dont know where else to turn or go, but you can't drive for
> >>> more than a minute before coolant goes everywhere. HELP!
> >> You are describing a defective core.
>
> >> I would put duct tape on the hole on the firewall just leaving the brass
> >> tub clear to stop coolant going from the hose to the insides to see if
> >> the leak stays outside the firewall. I suspect the leak is inside.
>
> >> Mike
> >> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> >> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
> >> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> >> Jan/06http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
> >> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
>
> > well i replaced the EVAPORATOR CORE, not heater. the heater core just
> > had to be removed and reinstalled. Still starting to agree with the
> > diagnosis though.
>
> I was thinking when the old hose was cut off it was twisted and pulled
> on first which can crack a weak core joint or split the pipe.
>
> I worded it strange though.
>
> Mike

yea thiats what I'm thinking. Some guy at work offered to re-weld it
for me (if possible), so I'm gonna rip it out.

97tjMike wrote:
> On Sep 17, 8:34 pm, Mike Romain > wrote:
>> 97tjMike wrote:
>>> On Sep 17, 11:20 am, Mike Romain > wrote:
>>>> 97tjMike wrote:
>>>>> I replaced the evaporator core on a 2001 XJ this past weekend. The
>>>>> heater hoses were old and they had to be cut off, so we did that and
>>>>> replaced them with new ones. Everything went smoothly, and we
>>>>> reassembled everything and started the car. Coolant started leaking
>>>>> everywhere! Not at first, but only after the pressure builds up and
>>>>> you rev the engine a few times. We are almost positive its leaking
>>>>> where the rubber hose meets the heater core's copper pipes. We tried
>>>>> multiple hoses and clamps, but the leak still occurs. Coolant will
>>>>> pour out of the drain tube in the HVAC, we assume this is because the
>>>>> spraying coolant sprays thru the foam in the firewall and into the
>>>>> unit. I dont know where else to turn or go, but you can't drive for
>>>>> more than a minute before coolant goes everywhere. HELP!
>>>> You are describing a defective core.
>>>> I would put duct tape on the hole on the firewall just leaving the brass
>>>> tub clear to stop coolant going from the hose to the insides to see if
>>>> the leak stays outside the firewall. I suspect the leak is inside.
>>>> Mike
>>>> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
>>>> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
>>>> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
>>>> Jan/06http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
>>>> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
>>> well i replaced the EVAPORATOR CORE, not heater. the heater core just
>>> had to be removed and reinstalled. Still starting to agree with the
>>> diagnosis though.
>> I was thinking when the old hose was cut off it was twisted and pulled
>> on first which can crack a weak core joint or split the pipe.
>>
>> I worded it strange though.
>>
>> Mike
>
> yea thiats what I'm thinking. Some guy at work offered to re-weld it
> for me (if possible), so I'm gonna rip it out.
>

It's very possible! 'If' it's not a case of rot.

If I was going to rip off my dash to pull out the heater core, I would
replace it rather than fix it.

I literally broke my rad in half twice and have soldered up many of it's
cores with some cut off and blocked even because they were just too
stretched to fix. I also welded two 1"x1/8" metal bars up the sides to
reinforce the snapped in half side straps. (my lower tank was just
hanging on the cores..)

I first broke it about 4 years ago and have nursed it along until a
couple weeks back when I took it in for a re-core rather than solder up
3 more leaks for another bush camping run. They even left my heavy duty
side strap braces on when they did the re-core, laughing about it never
breaking again. LOL!

First time in 'years' I haven't had to do a rad fix on a run...

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)