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Twisted Steel Performance coated heater core

Jaryd

Extremely Deplorable
Messages
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Location
Hodges, SC
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I picked the heater core up from @Twisted Steel Performance on Monday. He packaged it up good to where it wouldn’t move around a lot in the box. Chris is a good guy to work with and if he sees a problem with anything he’ll let you know before he does anything.

The coating looks good and He got it done when he said he would. I would definitely recommend anyone to use him for anything that you need coated. I’m sending my ac condenser to him whenever I have enough time to take the front end off my truck.

90B193A9-C637-4CEA-807E-DF3FD3EF6EC5.jpeg The first core that I sent the pipes were loose and we decided not to coat it. This core the dimples look better and the pipes were tighter and didn’t move as easy. I appreciate the fact that he got in touch with me when he thought something wasn’t right with the first heater core.


I took the hoses off the core in my truck and connected them together with a 3/4” pex ballvalve so I wouldn’t have antifreeze in my floorboard anymore until I have time to change cores out.

When I get the old core out I’m going to take it apart and show pictures of the o-rings and how it’s crimped. I want to find out if the pipes can be welded to the core so there wouldn’t be a o-ring and less likely to leak.
 
Thanks for the update Jaryd.

I know the cost for a brass core is higher than the lesser costing aftermarket aluminum cores, but if a person plans to keep their truck "forever" so to speak, a brass core would make the most sense in my mind. I will be getting one of the brass cores later this summer, my core isn't leaking but I will be revamping my AC system and replacing everything. The time involved in removing the dash and the pain it is I only want to do it once..
These appear to be about the only place offering brass..

http://www.thebrassworks.net/shop/H...-99-Chevy-K1500-Heater-Core/product_info.html
 
I’ll get some some pictures as I’m taking mine out maybe this weekend. I looked at it today before it got dark and it looks like you have to have some really small sockets, 1/4” or smaller it looks like to take it apart. Some of the screws look like they will be a absolute pain to get out in the back.

We will see hopefully this weekend.
 
Pull the whole dash Jaryd , just for the experience... Then when you know how to do it we can get together and pull mine. My evaporator is cracked at the nut on the dyer. And I know when and how it happened. How much to Coat an evaporator @Twisted Steel Performance ?
 
One doesn't need to remove the dash to get to the heater core and replace it. Contortionistic skills help though.
Hope this helps but, here's my adventure with a leaking heater core replacement. Start on post 16, Bison's correct observation on not needing to pull the dash. Not all the pictures still come up but, you'll get the idea. Yeah, it full of my banter and the derails.
 
I have done my 1993 several times w/o pulling the dash. (They like to go pop after waking up the sleeper and stomping something.) So as long as the 2000 doesn't have drastic changes... Just make sure you get all the screws and have good foam to seal the core up as the OEM stuff is likely 'done'.

The Brass cores are a nice find not that it's a bad job, but, hot coolant on passenger feet is a bad thing.
 
It’s been a little while but I finally got around to installing the heater core that Twistedsteel coated for me. With the temperature dropping I had to make time to do it.

It wasn’t bad at all. Probably took 1 hour from start to finish but I already had the inner fender out. ( it’s been out for 6 or 8 months ) The hardest part is getting to the screws in the back of the case. If I wanted to I could have hit the firewall with a big hammer to cave it in enough to get more room to get the socket in there a little better but I didn’t want to do that so I just fought with it.


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There is a tit that holds the bracket that holds the core in place and it broke when I tried unscrewing the screw. So I had to make up something to hold the core back up.


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I got some hanging strap and used a little self tapping screw to mount it to the case. Then bent it the way it should be. Before installing the core I put some armaflex tape on the strap so it doesn’t rub a hole in the core.

Everything goes back together good until I got to the screw in the back. Fought with that one screw for a little bit but finally got it. I put the inner fender back in this time so I don’t have to drive around with my air filter zip tied to the coolant reservoir anymore.
 
I forgot to add the pictures of my old core that was leaking. You can see why so many people have to change these out.

The tubes are just crimped onto the core. But it’s a piss poor crimp job. I could spin the tubes all the way around if I tried. I’m going to eventually get a brass core and get Twistedsteel to coat it.

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My buddy owns his own shop and said that he has had many many different gm’s from this era come in because of heater core leaks.

I had to go to several different parts houses until I found one that the tubes wouldn’t move around so much. Every one of the parts houses was surprised that the tubes would move so easily.
 
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