Heater core

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Heater core

Post by Guest »

well i need to replace my heater core {'91 gtz 2.3ltr} and i'm not exactly sure how to get at it.. i have the good old haynes manual but all it says to do is (loosly) 1) disconnect battery 2) drain coolent 3)unhook stuff in engine compartment 4)disassemble dash as necessary for access and remove glove box..... umm whats "necessary" and why do i need to remove the glove box.. getting the glove box out gains access to the computors.. the very next step is remove heater core.... i need to know what needs to be removed to get at the heater core.. thanks for any help


GroVe91
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Heater core

Post by GroVe91 »

best advice that i could give you is for me to tell you what i had to stick back in when my dad had finished doing it for me.. i had to stick back in the glove box and the black kick panel where your feet would be... (passenger side) and then apparently it's up in there, dont take out your dash that'd be a big waste of time...






1992 Beretta -- Base -- all stock
~ 225 xxx km on car
~ 185 xxx km on engine
~ 10,xxx km on rebuilt tranny
Guest

Heater core

Post by Guest »

but what year is your car?  according to a local radiator shop, the entire dash and center council has to be removed for access to the core... seeing that it is still in the 70's-80's in wisconsin right now and should remain a decent temp for at least a month.. would it be damaging to simply bypass the heater core all together???.. i don't really need heat during this time on the year...there is only an in and out tube. I do not have the $500 it would take to replace it at the moment and crap like BARs leak or whatever its called just made it worse


GroVe91
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Heater core

Post by GroVe91 »

$500!!! if that's what your paying damn your getting a bad deal, yes you can bypass it, just connect those 2 tubes, but if you're going to get up in there then just change the part, cost me $60 canadian with mechanic discount so it's like 70 bucks Ca i guess from the dealership, and i have a 92.. the radiator shop im sure is just telling you that because a lot of cars you do need to take out the dash from what i understand, but with ours, luckily we dont.. so i would suggest just changing it now, but if you cant afford the american i guess it'd be like 45 bucks.. then yah just bypass it by connecting the tubes.. i heard of someone doing that on here, run a search and you might find there post.. pretty sure they said what they did...



1992 Beretta -- Base -- all stock
~ 225 xxx km on car
~ 185 xxx km on engine
~ 10,xxx km on rebuilt tranny
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Heater core

Post by Guest »

yup.. 92.. theres the difference.. the guy kept asking me if it could be a 92 or newer.. he would have done it for $75 with the cost of the core... 91 or older the entire dash and center CONSOLE will need to be removed.. i think i'll just go with the bypass for now





GroVe91
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Location: Canada - Toronto
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Heater core

Post by GroVe91 »

i think that this guy is wrong because to the best of my knowledge, dont we have the same dash? so wouldn't it be the same? would make sense to me.. maybe he's just trying to make a few quick bucks, im not a pro but talk to some of the mods on here before you spend the $500



1992 Beretta -- Base -- all stock
~ 225 xxx km on car
~ 185 xxx km on engine
~ 10,xxx km on rebuilt tranny
BerettaSS
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Location: Carson, CA
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Heater core

Post by BerettaSS »

The guy is more than wrong.  There is no differance whatsoever between any year of Beretta (in regards to the heater core). ÂÂÂ

The Haynes manual tells you to remove the glove box simply for extra room.  You should remove the under dash insulator panels on both sides for the same reason. You should also take out the passenger side seat so you can lay on the floor board.

The heatercore its self is in the very center of the dash, so it is esencially mounted right behind the radio.  To get to it, you hav eto remov ethe bottom air deflector (channels air towards your feet when you hace the heater on and has the air tubes for the rear passenger heater ducts attached to it).  Then you must remove the bottom cover of the air diverter box.  it is held on by several 5.5mm screws which can be very hard to see and in many cases you hav eto feel around to find where they are hiding.  I want to say there are about 9-11 of them.  Once it is removed you will see the heater core right in front of you.  It is retained by two metal straps which secure it at the base and at the top.  Once these two straps are removed, the two tubes will pull through the firewall as you remove the core.  This assumes you have already detached the two hoses on the outside of the fire wall.  If you have not done so you should remove the hoses prior to removing the straps.

Then do it all backwards to put the new one in.  The core is pretty cheap.





Guest

Heater core

Post by Guest »

how do you remove the air duct work then?? i have removed every screw that there is.. if there is more then simply i have no tool that can reach them without removing the dash completely... there does not appear to be any way that the duct can come out with the dash in place.. the air duct piece there looks to divert air to four areas of the car.. defrost, front dash, front floor, and rear floor.. theres no way for it to lide toward the firewall.. because of the radio and control PANEL, it can not slide toward the rear of the car. and con not slide to either side because of the duct work that goes to the rear floor... the only way that i can see it moving is to remove the dash and centRE CONSOLE and then pull up and back to remove the main duct.. if there is another way to get that out.. please let me know.. everyone and haynes make it sound so simple but it is not.. remember the haynes manual says to remove dash as necessary (meAning that more may need to come out on some models then others)





joey
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Heater core

Post by joey »

I did mine with only a screwdriver socket. You dont need any special tools. You can tell were its getting hung up at, but be carefull not to pull on the duct too much or you will crack the plastic.


Guest

Heater core

Post by Guest »

alright... with all of you saying that it is so easy to do.. why can i not get the duct out??? i can rebuild the entire engine and transmission and do any body work that does not involve the frame.. does anyone out there have a '91 GTZ.. i used to have an '89 GT and it was as simple as you people seem to make it sound.. in the '91, the duct work goes to 4 different areas of the car... if someone with a '91 has replaced themselves or had there heater core replaced.. please respond to me what needs to all be removed.. if the dash can stay in place? does JUST the center CONSOLE piece needs to be removed for access to the rear floor vents.. what needs to be done.. for the people that say the glove box needs to be removed for access do not know the '91 GTZ setup.. there IS NOT ONE screw/bolt that can be accessed by removing the glove box.. nor does is provide any extra room in sliding the central vent piece.. or can someone confirm my quote at over $400 labor for the replacement of the heater core in a '91 beretta GTZ 2.3 ltr 5-speed with Air.. please.. NO other year owners respond.. i have now been told by 3 different shops that the dash needs to be removed... i know shops need to make money and many times will take the harder way.. so i'm asking here for help in doing it myself.. someone out there has had to replace a heater core before on a '91 model..





Guest

Heater core

Post by Guest »

This has to be rated ONE of the most foolish posts ever! EVERY single made for the U.S Beretta/corsica (lt hand steering column) was assembled with the same hva/c box, with one minor addition after 1990 production, that was the rear seat duct. So to say that you want someone who has a 92 and no one else respond is not only ridiculas, but just plain stupid, and to that, if I was the rest of the group, I tell you to go pay 500 and have it done! (and thats probably why no one is helping you at this point) But regardless, the dash, the glove box, the radio, DO NOT need to come out of the car. There are some "special" tools that are considered normal or usual that you need..... A 5.5mm short socket, a deep 5.5mm if you can find one ("special" of sorts not a commonly used tool), a 7mm short and deep socket, all in 1/4 inch drive. Use the 7mm to take out the screws holding the rt side lower kick panel or tray that covers the bottom of the dash. The lower difusor for the frt foot area, has two screws, they could be 5.5 but in most cases I've come across them being the 7mm, so what, take them out! The difusor has to be wiggled out, twisting and turning IS required and it will slide out to the rt side. Once the difusor is out, there is ABOUT (if memory serves me correctly) (9) 5.5mm headed screws that hold the lower case to the upper case. Heres where it gets tricky, there are two screws hidden up inside a couple recessed areas. MEANING.... that they are not easy to find or see, you find them by feel. This is where the 5.5mm deep socket may be of some help, or a short extension on the short socket. one is at the very bottom toward the drivers side, the other is more in the center region and toward the passenger side. All the rest of the screws should be along the edge of the box, about 4 on one side, 3 on the other. When those are out, comes the fun part. You have to push the lt and rt vent tubes off the nipples, located behind and to the left and right of the radio, but on the panel you just unbolted, and yes you can see and get at them, but they are a very tight fit, and come off hard. The section of this box you unbolted is ready to drop now, Some of these boxes had clips at the top up near where the 2 hoses you just pulled off were, ( not on the side of the box, but on the front dight behind the radio). Use a flash light or light to see up there. if you see the clips, you need a long screw driver to gently lift the edge of each clip and pull the top portion of the box down to clear the clip, repeat on the other side. once the upper section behind the radio is loose and moving, you are ready to tackle the lower and harder part. Pull the top downward a bit, and at the same time move top part toward the back seat, like you are trying to push the top into a space above the radio let's say. You should be able to get the bottom away from the firewall just a little. The Idea  of this proceedure, is to rotate the lower hva/c box counter clockwise, so that you unlock the box from the backseat ducts, located under the capet. It takes some shuffling and some jiggling, but it can be done. After you have gotten it separated from the tubes, it's just a matter of sliding and wiggling the section of box out from under the dash to the rt side. This maybe why some say to take the glove box out, but I don't. When that 1/2 of the box is out, the heater core is right there, held in by 4 screws and 2 thin metal straps. Have your hoses off the heater core, remove the 4 screws and 2 straps, and the core will slide out. If you can buy a copper heater core, buy it, I have had the aluminum swivel tube type they sell at autozone leak at the swivel tubes. Reverse proceedure to put back together, and don't forget the vent tubes, they go on hard too.





Chazzman
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Heater core

Post by Chazzman »

Isn't this a FAQ by now? If not it should be.


'92 GT-Z 3.1L 5spd lot's of GO FAST stuff  
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Heater core

Post by Guest »

FAQ Now


Chazzman
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Posts: 280
Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2001 8:55 pm
Location: Hillsdale Michigan
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Heater core

Post by Chazzman »

Quote (BerettaGT/14ASEcerts @ Sep. 14 2003,07:34)FAQ Now
Thank you


'92 GT-Z 3.1L 5spd lot's of GO FAST stuff  
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